Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendships a fine art. Friends? Where would we be without them? They are some of the people closest to us, and for me, have also been training partners. Here Tom and I are after one of our early Grandma’s Marathon events. As I have said in the past, it is not the marathon itself that was important, it was all of the training runs and talks we had getting ready for the marathon. Tom just texted me this week telling me he thinks his “racing days are over”, as he is struggling to keep up with a pace that we had once done. I reminded him it does not matter the time anymore. We have already done it. As he said, it gets tough to admit that. We are competitive, and don’t want to admit we are “slowing down”. I reminded him of what I have on a poster of mine:
Who cares how slow we are anymore! I reminded him that it is just a way now to spend more time enjoying the scenery along the way…something we did not get to appreciate as much in the early days as we were worried about our time. Enjoy life…at a slower pace!
There was Steve, when he could not run at Fargo due to his heart. I still ran, but something was definitely missing. My competitive days are in the past. I missed running with my friend, talking, working things out, discussing all of life’s issues and problems. Friendship means so much more than a time!
Don’t take for granted those people who are important in your life now…we will not always get to have them. Appreciate life for what it is. Those people extend to many…
Sarah of course! My wife, my “always training partner”, and my best friend!
Chris…my nurse ever since I have been at Brown Clinic. She is now a runner, and loving it. I want her around for a long time too.
New friends develop by attempting things that may not be in our comfort zone. Rich is involved with me in our Fun Fit program, doing a lot of resistance/weight training. I got him going more into running now as well.
Then there are the new “runner” friends…made from the Watertown Area Running Club…who all have the enjoyment of just wanting to run. This first is one of the original ones of us all after competing at Fargo.
We hang together, and we love to run…but best of all, we have become friends. Over the past few years we continue to recruit others, and we love to show how much we love to be active, and stay healthy.
Never forget those people we meet along the way in our lives…they become friends…people we care about, like spending time with them, help them through things in life just like they help us. Working together helps to stay motivated to keep going, and working on staying healthy, and active. Bottom line though, it is not about the exercise. It is about those bonds of friendship we make along the way. Those are the things, and the people we will remember forever. Who cares what are time is, or what place we get, or who we beat. Enjoy the ride along the way, and don’t miss out on the good things, the good times, that are right in front of us. That is what life is all about. I would definitely say having friends is having Success in Life!
I can’t say it any better than this! Friendships are for a lifetime…Keep moving everybody, and enjoy these people who make your life a success!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #” 3117