It was the spring of 1993, I was seventeen years old and I had just completed a 10K triathalone that was put on by my school. I was in eleventh grade and I was in the best shape of my life. Throughout middle and high school I worked out power lifting, and wrestled but was plagued with chronic dislocating shoulders. By eleventh grade I had my second should operated on and could no longer wrestle. But our masonry teacher convinced me to start running with him during gym and since it was an opportunity to get off campus and because I had gotten out of shape I agreed to do it. I never really pushed hard yet I still managed to get into shape and complete the triathlon. I was in great shape for me although not great shape for a seventeen year old. I still did something that few others in our school completed. I managed to do the entire triathlon by my self others competed in teams.

It was only two weeks later when I was hanging out at the local convenient store with my friend who had recently rebuilt his CJ7. Some other kids drove up and parked next to us. I was friends with a few of then and knew the driver vaguely. She hung out with a group of friends my sister knew. I can’t even remember her name now. They ran into the store and got a few things then came out chatted with us for a few minutes and then got in the girl’s parents 69 Caddy. I don’t think she even had her license yet. She backed out turning and captured my leg between the front bumper of that Caddy and the bondoed rear quarter panel of the jeep.  The Caddy won, my leg luckily came in second and the Jeep lost. But even though my leg came in second I had chipped a bone, destroyed the nerves just under the kneen for the rest of my life. I of course didn’t know it at the time and I was a lot nicer back then than I would today. I told the girl to leave and I’d be fine.  She did hastily and never talked with me again which was fine but I stumbled around school for the next few weeks while my leg healed as much as it was going to. I never really got back into shape  after that. I guess I always had some form of excuse when my leg would start to hurt.

Today marks the ninth consecutive day I have worked out. This is more days in a row then I have ever previously exercised and I’m happy and loving the exercise. My leg hurt badly today during my work out and made me think of this story. Today though I pushed through the pain and I will continue to push through any pain because there are no excuses and I need to get healthy. I agree with this guy too much to quit.

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