Healthy Competition...Day 85 (Does anyone care about what day anymore, lol)

Healthy Competition, this is a term I have heard and used many times in my life...I'm now beginning to understand it though.  Most people who know me know that I am not really all that competitive.  I could care less whether or not I win a game (unless it's Disney Scene It, I become downright evil when playing that game, lol), I have more fun just playing the game than winning or losing.  Really the only things I have ever been competitive about have been things most people would consider strange, auditions for theater or musical groups top that list.  Recently though I have been "competing" with friends and family.  Allow me to explain.

Yesterday I signed into my Facebook page to find this picture posted on my page, with the caption "Are you keeping up?"  Jason, a friend of mine has also begun running.  We often encourage each other by posting running times and pushing each other to go faster or farther.  It's not a race, and we aren't trying to "beat" the other person (at least I'm not, I can't speak for him) but it gives us both the push that we need to get off our butts and go to the gym.  The fact is that yesterday I wasn't keeping up.  I hadn't been to the gym in five days, because of the storms, and trying to finish up my school work I hadn't been doing what I needed to do.  Jason's picture reminded me that I needed to go...for me!  Although I wasn't able to keep up, I did get 4 miles of running, and 2 miles of biking in yesterday.  Today another 4 miles.

When I posted this sweaty picture of myself on my Facebook page I got comments from friends and family encouraging me, and telling me how good I looked.  I was surprised at the response, and it not only made me feel great, but it made me even more motivated to keep going.

I now understand what people mean when they are talking about healthy competition...I'm not competing with anyone but myself, to get healthy.  This is one competition I really want to win!

Two final things.  First I really am going to run my first 5K!  June 11, I'm going to travel to Lexington, Kentucky to run The-Path-Home-5K to benefit the Clark County Homeless Coalition.  I'll keep you posted on that one!  Second I'm going to wait till the 31st to weigh in since I set a goal to lose 12 pounds this month.  Who knows, the two extra days might give me that push over the edge that I may need to reach that goal.  =)