Long Term Goal's

When we set long term goals sometimes they can be a bit general and or a little vague, that does not make them any less important or achievable just that you may not know when you have reached it until something happens.

I had made a very public statement to myself to the press and on television that one of the reason's why I needed to change was to enjoy my grandson's all five of them, to change there perception of me as fat granddad and to do things with them like let them jump all over me for more than 30 seconds before I would would be out of breath red faced and very sweaty, play football etc. If fact I wanted them to be proud of me rather than embarrassed of me. The one thing with kids is that what they say may hurt you but most of the time it's true.

Yesterday was Oakley's 11th  Birthday How that boy has managed 11 years is beyond us all but we still love him, lovable rogue until its your turn to have him. He's not quite that bad but you get my drift. He wanted to come and stay with Hazel and me so I checked my rota (shift work again gets in the way) With the local elections he had a couple of inset days which tied in with my rest days but were on his Birthday I felt guilty about this and spoke with Oakley and told him he should spend it at home he wanted to stay with me so I told him to ask his mum my daughter who before Oakley had finished asking had as always said yes yes yes take him you can have him now if you want. Bless her.

So I pick up Oakley and we have a chat about what we want to do, Oakley has mentioned coming out on a run before but as I was gearing up for the marathon the time was not right and Oakley a little disappointed. So having checked the weather for today it was dry I asked Oakley if he wanted to come out on a run? He said yes so that was sorted.

We get up have breakfast get sorted and out we go. Fat Granddad making a dream come true that 14 months ago was impossible to imagine. Fit Granddad going out running with one of my boys for a 4 mile run it does not get any better than that. I pushed a little at the start and Oakley being just a kid took the mickey out of his granddad laughed at me run rings round me, me I had a little grin on the inside I know what 4 miles looks like (he he) and I know he will not be running around like a loon. After 2 and bit miles the mischief has been run out of him, we do a bit of walking and have a chat Oakley now understands just how well I have done with my running and is impressed that I can run these 4 miles not forgetting a marathon a few weeks ago.

I explained that when he play's football if his knee ache's a little he would carry on because he want's to play football and with running it's exactly the same I encourage him to run to the end of the parked cars in front and after a little thought bless him off we go I push him on to the bus stop a little further along the road and then we walk again, I do this a couple of times and before you know it were back at home and Oakley is happy with the run I download my Garmin watch and show Oakley what we have done the one mile splits the bits we ran the bits we walked, I think he was impressed. As for me I must be (am) the proudest Grandparent alive to change my life in such a way that this goal was achieved without fuss or fanfare or time limit, for it to happen only 14 months in from setting the goal to get so much more than just a run out of it for me, and I'm sure for Oakley as well, that every year the day after Oakley's Birthday I achieved something so personnel so amazing that a 4 mile run with no certificate no shinny medal no crowds means more to me than any race I have or ever will do, can ever bring.  

This is the link to today's run for once nothing on there matters other than the two family members running together hopefully for the first time. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/174558411

I know I have thanked www.thinkingslimmer.com and Lorraine Albon (Dr) many times before but without your trust,belief and support in me I would not have changed my life nor started running. I think I will achieve many more of my goals in the future but I doubt many (if any) will be as good as today's.

"Thinking Slimmer Loving Life" I do and I am much much more than I did yesterday.