When you cannot take another step...

just take one more. Let me tell you what happened to me today.

I have been seeing a lot of people talking about C25K. I always wondered what it meant, so finally I goggled it. It means "Couch to 5 kilometers (or 3 miles)." So I joined the C25K today because I have been thinking to myself for about four or five days that I really want to do a 5k.

I got out of work and then drove past my house then turned down a road and reset my tripometer. I measured 1.5 miles and turned back. The road was pretty close to .1 of a mile from my house. So just as soon as I got home from work I got my wife and my Jack Russell and started out. About 1.1 miles into the walk my knee popped out of place. I could not bend my knee at all anymore. I had to lock it so it would not keep coming in and out. I said to myself this hurts really bad I better start walking back. But at that time I saw the 1.4 mile mark...and I pressed on.

By the time I hit the 1.5 mile mark my opposite ankle and foot started to kill me, probably because I was putting more weight on it than before, but since I already hit half way there was only one way to go, and that was home. I would take a step, and a shot of pain would sear my left knee. Then I would take the next step and my ankle would want to give out from the discomfort. But there was only one way to go...home.

I kept walking thinking if it would never end. Finally a thought entered my head. Pick out a place 20-30 yards in front of me and make that my goal, not getting home, which I knew would be a long ways away.

I hit one, then another, and another, and another. I was walking faster and with less pain. Then I saw it, it was home. I did 3.1 miles today walking...my first 5k ever.

This process isn't about getting to our final destination. If we keep thinking I still need to lose 100 or even 200 pounds to get to our goal weight, most of us will be discouraged. When it seems you cannot take another step, set small goals ones that you know you can achieve even if it hurts. Instead of thinking 100 more pounds to go, think okay all I have to worry about is today, count my calories do my exercise for today. Someone once said, "The journey of a 1,000 miles begins with one step."

I am seriously thinking about changing my weight tracker on here. Not because the goal has changed but I think instead of it showing I need to lose 150 pounds to put it so it says I only need to lose 25 pounds and count how many I have lost. Then do it again. I don't care that I have only been on a diet for two weeks it really ticks me off that my star is STILL off the tracker and is in a way a disappointment.

I am sorry that this is a long post, but I pray that you all keep encouraged and when it seems like you cannot take another step, just go for one more. And if you need it, I will be right here to offer my support and lift you up any way I can.