42s on my 44th Birthday

 Hurdling 42s on my 44th Birthday

June 20, 2011 marked the 44th year of my birth and over the past few years I've made it a tradition to step foot on a track and take on the 42 inch hurdle to celebrate life, the blessings of having the ability to still overcome the obstacles both off and on the track. As a track and field athlete, my main event was the 110 meters high hurdles and for more than 20 years I've competed in the event from grade school to college (paid my education) to elite level (earned a living doing). Once I gotten passed the point of earning money doing it, I simply kept doing it for the love of the event, the sport, and the benefits I receive from doing it (physical fitness and peace of mind). I competed up to the age of 38 at the US Championships and if not for other obligations I could have kept it going into my 40s.

I get the questions, Why do it? Isn't it taxing to your body? What is it you got to prove? You can't fight father time, face it you're old, you're getting old... The (glory) days are over so why, why why?

My easiest answer to all the questions, the I'm too old for this, etc. is simple... You  have your thing you do that gives you 'peace of mind' and I have mine... and if you don't have that thing that gives you 'peace of mind' you best hurry up and find it. I'm a physical needy kind of person, I like to be on the move so I absolutely love that my job is coaching and I'm outside on a daily working and putting in work to maintain my own health. For me, being physically fit leads to a healthy state of mind as I deal with the ups and downs of life.

Hurdling, is a way of life for us all and I just so happen to have done it for a living on the track and in doing so.. I look at life as a hurdler. The obstacles I face in life is simply another hurdle I'm trained to overcome.

So until that day GOD let me know that the days of running over 42s is over, I'm lacing up the spikes and getting into that 'Ready-set-Go' position and celebrate my way. And yesterday when I stepped off the last hurdle it felt incredibly good to step over in stride all 5 hurdles... YES!

Hurdling over 42 inch hurdles on my 44th birthday was the best gift I could give myself and I thank my Heavenly Father for the gift that keeps me moving forward in spite of the challenges I face.

Hurdler For Life