Keep your eye on the Prize and Happy Birthday

What am i doing?
I was running this morning after a 2 day break from doing anything about why i am running. Is it to make my next triathlon faster? is it to make sure i can complete my first Marathon? is it that one day i would like to do a Iron man? Well it is all of these reasons and more. I want to live a long time and be healthy! If i keep up an hour of exercise and day and eat right i am fairly confident i can be around for a good while and be healthy while i am around.
I want to be the old dude that is very healthy into his 90's and then one day suddenly just drop dead without a big long number of years where i can barely move around.
Now i know i could go done suddenly tomorrow from a disease or get hit by a bus but i want to do everything possible i can to be healthy. I also recently heard that just 15mins a day working out can reduce your chances of getting altzimers.

Going through the motions
As you may imagine getting up at 4am in the morning to go run/swim or bike is NOT fun. My bed is very warm and it is cold in the house and very cold outside. Everything in my body wants to stay in that warm bed. The thought of a 8 - 10 mile run will keep you in bed also. No one is barking orders at you, if you don't go no one will be mad at you. It is at these times i have to go through the motions. I just get up and not think about anything else. Then i just get my stuff on without thinking about where i am going. If i thought about it too much i would stay home. Then i head to the gym. The car park can be particularly challenging as i want to just sit there in my nice warm car. I think just go in and walk on the treadmill for 5 mins. Once i am actually on the treadmill and running all the bad thoughts disappear. I start to feel alive. Yes it hurts but the feeling of moving beats it. A smart man once said 'The worst thing you can do for your body is not move it'.

Happy Birthday to ME
Instead of counting the years i want to make my years count! So here is a list of firsts for me in the last 2-3 years.

• Went from 440lbs to 220lbs
• Got my life threatening high blood pressure done to a healthy normal
• Ran
• Ran a 5k, 10K, 15K, 1/2 Marathon
• Biked to work (12 miles)
• Ran to work
• Joined a hardcore cycling group
• Did  sprints, Olympics and a Half Iron Man Triathlons
• Had my mountain bike leave the ground both wheels and landed it (mostly)
• Fit nicely in coach class on planes
• Can buy clothes ANYWHERE
• Learned to Ride a motorcycle

Wow the list can go on and on.