1)The son in law came in at 1:35, #11 in his class.

2) The wife came in at around 2:35, but she did finish after walking a portion of the 5k run at the end.  And just finishing was a terrific accomplishment in our eyes.

3) The 19 yo daughter finished around 2:25, running strong at the end. She won 3rd place in her group.  There were only 3 entrants.

4) The real hero was in the 15 yo son. He is in good shape and was doing well until the final run when he developed terrible leg cramps. He had to walk the entire 5k, part of it "straight legged" and the last 1/2 mile limping severely. He made it across the finish line--unassisted--at 2:56, which was 4 minutes before he would have been disqualified. He got a second place award, since there were only two entrants in his age class. He showed incredbile determination.  We are very proud of him.

A lot of experts write and talk about getting more exercise and making the commitment to a healthier lifestyle.  I am one of those folks who think staying active is important, especially as we get older.

But there are many out there who just can't seem to get it done.  One excuse or another, whether it is time, work, travel or other obligations-whatever, we just can't seem to get where we need to be when it comes to our health.

So forgive me while I take a personal moment to share with you my pride and admiration of someone very close to me who has made that commitment for the sake of her health and well-being to do something special, something they never dreamed they would be able to do.

As I write this, it is a little before 6AM on Sunday morning.  I have just dropped my wife and family off at the starting point of one of those mini-triathalon types of races.  My wife has never done one, and never thought she would.  Today, she is on her way to achieving her goal of completing one of these races, along with the support of her family and friends, some of whom are right beside her competing in the same race.

Sandra reached one of those milestone birthdays earlier this month (she probably doesn't want me to tell the world, so I will leave you guessing which one it is.  Hint: not the first one, and not the last one.  Sort of in-between.)  We have a friend here in north Georgia who challenged her a couple of months ago to celebrate her milestone by competing in this race, and my wife took up the challenge.

So it was "off to the races" so to speak, including getting a bike, learning about the race and training as often as possible.  It wasn't easy, and it certainly wasn't convenient.  It helped that our north Georgia friend and our son-in-law had done it before, so they became not only coaches but reservoirs of information about how to do this insane event. And, as she competes in today's race, her son, daughter and son-in-law will be in there with her, supporting her in her quest.  (Not to mention the other family members and me who will be greeting her as she crosses the finish line, whenever that may be.)

The "official" race is going to start in about an hour.  But my wife has already won the race as far as I am concerned.  She made the effort, she trained whenever she could (within the confines of a very busy schedule as a practicing doctor), and now she is ready to go.  She kept her promise to herself.

But this tale is not only about my wife and about today's race.  As I said, in my heart, she has already won.  Hopefully she will finish the race, which will be victory itself.  She isn't out there to actually win this race, and we all know she certainly won't be in the top 10.  The real victory is making the effort, keeping the commitment, and fulfilling the promise and the dream.

Now, let's take a moment to let me share with you my thoughts about why I think this story could mean to you and the significant people in your life, and why I wanted to share it with you.

You don't have to participate in a triatholon to be a winner.  Maybe for you your victory will be taking the time every day to walk a little further, to eat a little better, to do something different that is positive for your health.  It is the act of doing something special for yourself-maybe something you never thought you could do.  That can be your commitment, that can be your "race", and that can be your victory.

And maybe-just maybe--if you set your own goals, you too can achieve your dreams.  I know my wife already has, and the starting gun hasn't even sounded.

Good luck!

PS: For those of you who may be interested, the American Cancer Society sponsors endurance events through DetermiNation events.  If you are an endurance athlete--or want to be--this may be a way to meet your personal goals while helping support the programs of the American Cancer Society.

It's off to the North Georgia mountains to spend some time celebrating family, friends and birthdays (July was a prolific month in our family).  Will be back August 2.

In the meantime, be well and be safe. 

Dr. Len

 Yes, this is me doing what I love to do: barbecuing (my friends picked this picture as one of their favorites).  Maybe we'll throw in a little fishing also.