The Turning Point

So the embarrassment of being beaten was big but the realisation of how unhealthy and out of shape I was hit me hardest. I'd never been this unfit in my life and here I was faced with a decision to make. One choice was to continue on as normal and just kind of hope I would be ok. The second choice was to do something proactive and get fit. Also on the horizon was my 40th birthday. I didn't want to be a fat forty year old.

So I had reached the turning point and made the right choice. I started going for a few runs and for a couple of months everything was looking good. I was feeliing a bit better and thought I was right back on track. Then a big hurdle arose. It was called Summer holidays. Typically festive cheer was something I embraced with a passion. Hot weather, a pool in the backyard, a fridge full of beer and good tunes filling the air. It was a beautiful scenario and one that took over my good intentions. Running took a back seat and before long I was back to making excuses. My new life had been postponed but thankfully not cancelled.

It was to be quite a few months until it all started for me again. In August 2008 I started running three times a week. In September my daughter, Tierney, was born to join her brother Raferty in our house. So for three weeks after the birth I again postponed my new life. This time though I got back to it quickly. The realisation now was that it would be selfish and irresponsible to be a couch potato with two kids in the house looking for a role model.

Then in October of  '08 a mate who I had played heaps of footy with over the years was striving to break three hours in the Melbourne Marathon. Seb had already had a couple of cracks at it and come agonisingly close. On this occasion when he crossed the line the watch was stopped at 2 hours 59 minutes and 50 seconds. I was almost a thrilled as him. I rang Seb not long after he had crossed the line and in our conversation I decided that the following year I would be on the start line for the Half Marathon. Seb was to become my mentor over the next 12 months. Without him my life would be very different today. I don't like to think about the person I might have been if I didn't run.