In 2013 I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disorder that chewed a hole in my cerebellum, atrophied various muscles, impaired my vision, balance, coordination and consequently stole my confidence and my ability to run. I have dedicated the summer of 2018 to regaining my strength, coordination, balance, and relearning how to run. I am participating in a 5k run on September 23rd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is my training journal.

This is my attempt to grow physically and mentally strong again.

Write on. Fight on.  

The previous training sessions can be found here, under “Fight on- Summer Training Log”

Time:

5:59 am – 6:44 am

Conditions:

Outdoor- 77 degrees

Training Maxim:

No hurry. No pause.

Training Performed:

45 minutes of jogging /walking intervals

Accomplishment:

For the first time since I began training, I jogged up one of the hills on my training route.  Below is a picture of the hill jogged. The picture was taken during a previous training session.

Quote I’m Thinking About Today:

“I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” ~ Samuel Beckett

Reflection:

Before you quit today…

How about a sentence you probably don’t hear enough: Someone, somewhere needs you.

It’s impossible to go through life without forging one positive relationship. And though today may feel like your crawling through a mile long shitfield and it’s cold and it’s raining and you lost your shoes and a pack of hungry wolves stand wide-eyed at the edge of the field– don’t give up.

Because someone, somewhere is watching, reading, and listening and they need you.

Because someone, somewhere is holding on because you’re holding on. And if you let go and quit, so will they, and if they let go and quit, so will someone else and so on, until a whole community of hopeful people let go and quit.

Keep training, keep writing, keep studying, keep praying, keep working, keep searching, keep listening, keep practicing, keep honesty, keep patience, keep calm and persevere.

Because if you quit today you’ll crush a community tomorrow. And you may realize quitting would be the most selfish thing you could do.

Excerpt From The Previous Training Session- July 15: How do you satisfy your fear?

When I was a kid I would complain to my father, “Dad, I’m hungry.”

He would look down, smile, and reply, “Hi hungry, I’m dad.”

When we declare, whether publicly or privately, that we’re hungry it’s hard to focus on anything else but food.

But for most of us finding enough food to eat until we’re full and satisfied is not a problem.

Fear works the same way as hunger. If you declare, “I’m afraid” it’s impossible to think of anything but your fear.

But how do you satisfy your fear?