Setting A New Goal

Last night, I was cringing at the unusual and annoying pain in the joint near my big toe.  Ugh!  It must have cold in it.  Wonderful.  This morning, I struggled to get myself up and out of bed because of the pain in my back.  Did I sleep wrong?  My neck hurts and I have a slight headache.
I held on to the banister and descended the staircase slow and cautious.  My knees are acting up.  It's expected.  Winter is coming.  I had my coffee, a big glass of water, and saw the boys off.  I looked outside.  Frost on the ground.  Stop whining and step on the treadmill.
As I watched the news, I played little games with my treadmill settings.  I increased the speed, and every  time I got to an even number, I increased the incline.  It felt good and after five miles, I could safely say my knees had held up to the stress.  Maybe I could keep going, push it, continue with my normal routine.  Hopefully, I could decrease my overall pain, or at least take my mind off it.  Why not?  Fifty push ups, one hundred sit ups, one hundred butt lifts, and three hundred weight repetitions.  My shoulder is aching.  Maybe I shouldn't have pushed it with all the weight reps.  Oh well.  What's done is done.  I'll recover.  I always do.
I came upstairs and was greeted by my Stepdaughter.  She was getting ready for her work out.  The seasonal pains had caught up with me and I was feeling a bit down in the dumps.  "I am so tired," I told her.  "Why am I doing this?  I mean, is anyone really reading this blog?  Honestly, am I helping anyone?"
I mentioned to my husband the other day that once the year was over, I would stop blogging.  I would still continue with my work outs.  I just wouldn't write about it everyday.  After all, how could I continue saying "one thousand miles in 2011" once we reached two thousand and twelve?
"You should still write.  You love to write.  Maybe you could just do it once a week," he said.  I just smiled.  He believes in me and that warms my heart.  He continued, "first of all, why did you start the blog?"  I answered, "Well, I wanted to inspire people.  I wanted them to believe in themselves, to know one is never too old or too broken to have a fresh start, to make better choices, to eat healthier and exercise more.  I wanted them to know that every positive decision they make, every positive thing they do is a step in the right direction...and the only way to get somewhere is to take that step, begin the journey, and stick to it like glue."
"Don't you think you've done that?"
"I don't know.  I hope so."
In typical fashion, he said, "Don't lose sight of all you've done this year."
This morning, as I was sitting chatting with my Stepdaughter, we talked about when I would end my year's journey.  How many miles would I do?  We did the math and I decided to set a new goal.  It won't be easy, especially with my knee, back, and well...big toe issues, but I have decided I want to reach 1400 miles before the end of the year.  Can I do it?  Yes, I can.  It is not impossible. Nothing is impossible if you believe.
So, are you still out there?  Are you still walking with me?  I don't know.  I hope so.  We are nearly at the end, after all.  Don't give up now.  What you do today lays the foundation of what you will do tomorrow.  Let's make good choices together.