WOMEN Walk All Over Me!
 

OK...not really ;) My favorite women walk with me!

However, as usual, I got your attention :) Now stay with me as I explain the purpose of this thread.

Below my post there will be a link to photos from a 5K I did with my beautiful :love: wife :love: :love: daughter :love: and :p son in law...aka...kidnapper :p last Sunday.

As you can see from the pictures we didn't break any speed records. That wasn't the reason we did this 5K and although Angie and I may have gone a bit quicker my daughter wasn't able to since she had run 16 miles the day before, on her marathon training program. And also because, as usual, I had to drag my :p son in law...aka...kidnapper :p along.

We did the 5K because we do this one almost every year...WHY?....because we HAVE to...again bear with me...

You see (many of you know the story so shhhh :sssh: 'cause it is my story) we do these 5K's because we can....we can because I quit :smoking: smoking 12 years ago....

the day before I did my first one ever :carrot:

I probably wouldn't be alive if I hadn't stopped smoking :smoking: and kept doing 5K's....Angie would probably not be the lean machine she is and yoga :yoga: instructor she is today if she didn't continue to do 5K's....my daughter would not be in training for a marathon or have been an outstanding college tennis player if she didn't continue to do 5K's...my son (not pictured) would probably not be the head track coach at the high school he teaches at if he quit doing 5K's...my :p son in law :p....enough of him already ;) my :love: daughter in law :love: would not be a professional cheerleader for a local pro football team or her high school dance instructor if she didn't do...ok...she doesn't do 5K's...some are naturally shapely...but WE are not that lucky!! :)

I would have not lost the 20+ pounds I gained after quitting smoking if I had quit 5K's...

MY POINT?....Look at the pictures....do we look happy :) We are :carrot:

My dad died at 54 years of age....I am 55.....my dad never did a 5K....he never quit smoking....he never cared much about what he ate...he was almost always fairly thin...'cept for that beer belly....

Did you stay with me? Did you get my point? ;)

Don't give up...5K's are great....wonderful....

Have you got something better that is going to save your life?

Share it with me and all of your 3FC friends....

I hope I encourage you to get moving...You have encouraged me to stay moving :hug:

Sunday I will watch the Son Rise....a great day to do a 5K....after church....with my wife and my golden....but very spoiled ;) receivers...yep I said receivers....they don't retrieve anything!

Will you receive the gift of "years" to your life by doing one...5K?...

that is all I was gonna do...just one....to make Angie happy :)...I could not tell you how many hundred of them I have done....around the neighborhood...by myself....with my wife....dogs....hundreds of others...

do something good for yourself...your family...12 years from now...you will/may thank me ;)



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Thats great!

I completely agree w/you and thanks for the motivating post.

:) Great post Gary! And I agree - I was in a "use it or lose it" place in my life. My quality of life was seriously deteriorating before I started walking and getting rid of those extra 93 lbs.

I'm hoping to get my 5K in on Sunday by walking to our Son Rise service :)

OK.I totally needed this.I quit smoking 4 days ago.Today was a baaaaaaaaad day.I wanted to smoke.Can you give me any advice.I actually quit 4 years ago for over 18 months.I quit cold turkey and ended up gaining lots of weight and becoming severely depressed.This time I am using the patch.I feel better so far.Help me if you have any words of wisdom.Thank you.(PS-Im a nurse so I understand medical benefits as least).

As of March 20, 2009 ... my DH & I both quit smoking for six years; walking is exactly how my DH did it. He walked every day, going further and further. He was a 3-packer and myself a 1.5 packer; we tried cold turkey many times and I also had quit for 2 years and gained weight and started again, but this time we cut down first. A bit at a time until we were both smoking about .5 a pack and under; then we did it. We feel so much better, especially in the breathing department.

My DH had developed breathing problems and was on puffers; each morning, he would spend an hour hacking and hawing ... oh man, it was gross to listen to -- and I started to have images of being a young widow. So I told him that if I was that sick from ciggies, I throw them away ... and guess what? Yah, that was the day we quit ...

I found chewing SUGARLESS GUM really helped me as well; and DH bought some SUGARFREE candy at first, but he found walking to be his biggest ally just like GARY. I also started walking and doing exercises and watching what we ate this time so as not to gain weight -- I actually ended up losing a bit of weight instead; eventually losing about 20 lbs a year for the first three years and a bit less the next ones (3 last year and 7 this year so far).

I'm trying to up my walking again this year too, especially as soon as all this yucky snow leaves ... which will be very soon, right?

That's great pictures.

Great photos, Gary! You all definitely do look happy and the best part is that you're doing it together, even if you have to include the 'kidnapper' :lol: You and your family are great inspirations to the rest of us. Thanks for sharing your lives and stories with us!

I *so* needed that, Gary! I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things but I already feel better! I wish my family was as supportive as ya'll are! <3333

Gary- Great pics. That is a huge race. Great job.

What a lovely family. Thanks for the reminder that the bottom line is, this journey is about health, so we can be around for our families and share life and love with them.

Gary~you know the real reason you do this 5k every year. It's the BEER GARDEN!

Seriously? They sure take a lot of photos at that 5k! With the ones we have here you're lucky to get ONE photo!

Thanks....so are you gonna do this or not? ;)

Have seen your thighs disappear....think you have enough motivation!! ;)

No better way to spend Easter morning SCOOTER!! I hope when you feel the Son you see the sun :hug:

Awesome BUTTERCUP! We walked this last one....which is what I pretty much do now....we used to run them but as we get older it is more difficult, for me anyway...that is why we stick to walking...something we will DO!!

:carrot: Good for you! To be honest if it wasn't for nicorette gum I don't think I would have quit....but that was me...I also had gone through 2 Smokenders programs and learned ways to cut back way before I actually quit. Feel free to PM me anytime and I will tell you more ways to help in areas you may need. Good luck...you can do this!!

:carrot: As always! This just may be the spring/summer that you get those miles in!! :hug:

Thanks...the CLOWN in the pics is my :p son in law :p

In order to keep peace in the family I include the :p kidnapper :p in all family activities...the sucker actually bought my breakfast...OH...I thanked him but told him if I had known he had $$$ and was gonna pay I would have ordered orange juice! Found out later my daughter got a sweet bonus at work...I'm thinkin' SHE paid!!! :) As far as sharing my life with all of you...I have one goal in life....to bore/annoy as many people as I can ;)