Over the years, you make lots of decisions. Some good. Some bad. Nothing is always perfect or goes the way you always want it to. But that is how you learn, and grow, as well. Many times, our expectations don’t always match with reality. Our wedding anniversary is in October, and it will be number 32. Sometimes, expectations don’t come close to reality. I expected our marriage to be great, but reality has even surpassed that. It is better than I thought it could be! And we are still both running. Many things change over time. Now, many things about our running have changed over time. We can’t do the same number of miles that we used to do. We don’t run as fast as we used to. I know someone else who can relate to this.
Tom and I have been training partners for many years. We have logged countless miles over the years. Our speed has definitely gotten slower over the years. And that is ok. We have our memories. We have our times. We achieved many of our goals. Tom will always have the fact that he qualified for the Boston Marathon and ran at Boston too. Not many of us can say that! But we are still out there, pounding the pavement.
Just like for Tom, there is never any quit in Sarah and me as well. We keep going with the flow and do what we can. Adventures still keep coming. Reality keeps us grounded, but that does not mean we still can’t have expectations of how we would like to do. Over time, you learn to not set your expectations so high. Right now, for many of our races, time is really not an issue. At least time is not as critical as we once thought it was when running a race. We have had our personal records. Nobody can take that away from us. Now we are creating new records of sort. Participating is the goal. Running has helped us see many different places, and we plan on continuing this as well.
We may be getting older, but that does not mean we still don’t have that competitive drive. We just set new goals and compete more within our own age divisions. In about 3 weeks I am going to be participating in my first Senior Games, and they are here in Watertown. Will see how that goes. I have to admit, it is kind of exciting to think about competing in different events, and have it age related. Motivation comes from within. Once you give up on things, your life becomes boring. There is a quote by Abraham Lincoln: “I am reserving that rocking chair for when I get old enough.” How old is old enough? Age is just a number. Expectations are still there; we just need to keep reality in mind. The only constant in life is that there is change. Things may not turn out how we expect them to, but they really do occur for a reason. We just may not understand those reasons at the time. Eventually we come to an understanding. I have to admit after my health issues 3 years ago, I definitely pay a lot more attention to my surroundings. I pay attention more to the little things in life. My expectation what that I had a lot of time to pay attention to those things, but the reality told me otherwise. Live each day to the fullest. Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow. None of us want to have regrets! The little things really are the big things!
Open your minds to what is in front of you. Look at things differently. The bottom line is no two days are the same. They all have their uniqueness to them. Enjoy them all.
Each day is a chance to see something else. To experience something else. To enjoy something else.
Your someday is today! Bring it on! Expectations are what you think it may be, and reality is how it really is. Turn those expectations into reality. If you don’t try, you will never know what you can do. Age is a number. I have a patient now who is 100 years old. When she was 89 years old, she climbed to the top of Harney Peak (Now Black Elk Peak) in the Black Hills. For those of you who have done it, you know this is very vigorous. It can take 3 1/2 – 4 hours to go up, and back down. The kicker in all of this is she said she would have gotten done sooner if she did not have to wait for her 2 50-year-old nephews to keep up! That is what I want to do. Make your expectations become reality. Accomplish those things you want to. If may not always be as fast, or completed the way you thought, but don’t give up. This is what makes life fun! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of New Streak: # 1239
