Potential

I got up this morning at 5:30 am (something that is complete unheard of during vacation) and went jogging with my dad. The jogging at the park was cool, and there were only couple people there when we arrived. I stumbled out of the car, bleary eyed, think about exactly why I was not home in bed. My dad was complete opposite, being totally energized and ready to go at such an ungodly hour in the morning.

Now, for those of you who know me in real life, you'd know that I'm not the fittest guy in the world. I don't jog very much, or undertake any type of extensive exercise. Still, I was able to walk around the 1 mile track 3 times. Pretty good for an out of shape guy, right? My dad on the other hand, a fifty something year old guy, managed to make 5 laps in that time, not just jogging, but running. Upstaged by an old guy. Just peachy.

I was about ready to give up by the end of my third lap. My dad handed me the car keys and said that he was going to make another lap. By this time, other people we coming to the track. Not wanting to look like a total noob sitting in the car while everyone else was exercising, I decided to make another lap, just to take up time. I walked for a minute or two and then stopped. Off in the distance, I could see my dad round the bend in the track. Then a crazy idea flew into my head: I wonder if I could catch up to him? Yes, me, the guy was a ready to give up two seconds ago, decided that he was going to run. And so I did.

At first, nothing happened. My muscles were sufficiently warmed up from walking so the muscles in my legs didn't start screaming as I thought they would. In fact, it felt kind of good. I jogging at a significant pace, making good time. I was on top of the world. This happy, joyous feeling lasted all of 50 seconds. The first thing that went was my chest. The muscles started tightening, making breathing a little harder. Then my abs started aching. At this time, a little voice in my head started wondering exactly why again it was that I was doing this. Then the lungs started to ache. Breathing became extremely difficult, coming in and going out in painful short, sharp gasps. I could hear my pulse thudding in my ears. I could feel my calf muscles begin to burn. The voice in my head was no screaming for me to stop. I looked up and I saw my dad, nearer than I thought he would be. "I could do this." I told myself. I could reach him. I drew what reserve strength I had, and ran up to meet him.

By then, he probably had realized that his crazy out of shape son was charging to towards him, making sounds that feel somewhere between and steam engine and an angry bull. He slowed down and began walking so that I could matching his pace. I slowed down, blowing hard. I felt like throwing up. "That was pretty good," he told me, "considering the fact that I had started off running before you did." I looked back, and I kinds shocked myself. I had manged to run a third of the track, without stopping. I felt sort of proud, seeing as how the closes thing I had come to exercise in while was writing a novel. I f someone had told me that I would be able to run that far, I would have told them that they were crazy. But here I was, proving myself wrong.

As we walked back to the car, I noticed a guy with a walking stick and a large belt around his waist. He walked slowly and awkwardly, but was dressed in a complete jogger's outfit. "He come here every morning," my dad said as I looked at him. "He's injured, but every day, he manages to make at least three laps." I thought about that, and wondered if people who knew him told him he was crazy when he first decided to go jogging. I'm pretty sure even he had his doubts about whether or not he could have done it. Heck, if I had an injury like that, I'd probably use it as an excuse never to leave the house. . But here, this guy was actually doing it.

I guess that if I hadn't decided to start running or that guy hadn't decided to go to the jogging track regularly, neither of us would have known what we were capable of. Inside each and every one of us is the ability to do unbelievably great things. But if we never try to do them, we'd never know that we could do them. We all have some hidden potential. So think about that one thing you know you can't do, and then go do it. You'd be surprised at just how much you can achieve.

See you tomorrow!!!