Note: This article was originally written by Jimmy D. Brown.
On August 25, 2002 I was 232 pounds (77 pounds overweight) and had to get size 40 waist pants for the first time. My son was just under two years old and I had a difficult time pushing him in the stroller up even the slightest of hills. I couldn’t run a 40 yard dash without stopping.
On August 25, 2012 I ran my first 50-mile ultra-marathon in 8 hours and 38 minutes which was good for sixth place overall. Yes, I RAN FIFTY MILES. On foot. Without stopping. I was a trim 156 pounds and size 30 in the waist. This ultra was the 18th time I had run a marathon (26.2 miles) or longer during the past three years.
By the grace of God, I have run thousands of miles since I started running 5Ks (3.1 miles) in 2008. Do you know how I do it? I put on my running shoes, head out the door and start running. I don’t have elite skills. I’m not genetically wired for it. I don’t have bionic parts.
What I had – and still have – is a desire to improve my health so I can love my family, enjoy my life and serve my God. That’s what motivated me to lose weight. That’s what fueled me on during hard, hot, exhausting runs. That’s what pushed me to take action and stop the negative spiral I was in.
It’s not too late for you to do the same. Whether it’s a business objective or a life goal, you can get out there, you know. You can make it happen even if you aren’t blessed with elite skills, don’t have world-class resources available, and don’t have bionic parts to use. Let me tell you how by sharing five lessons I learned from running that first 50-mile ultra marathon…