Embracing 40

This morning to celebrate my 40th birthday, the alarm went off at 5:30 so that I could get up, have a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, and head out for a 5 mile run. I am pretty certain that 10 years ago I would not have even imagined this would be what I would have done when I turned 40. Ten years ago I weighed at least 30 pounds more than I do now and I was struggling with asthma, enduring bronchitis at least twice a year. Today, I very rarely have any sort of issue with my asthma and I have not been really sick in . . . I can't remember the last time I was sick. Fact is, I am in better shape and health than I was ten years ago - heck, probably even better shape than I was 20 years ago, though I'm sure I'm not as fast now as I was then.

These facts were not lost on me one bit this morning as I ran. It's just funny, because while I may be 40, I don't feel at all like what I used to think 40 would feel like. Granted, what we consider to be old is relative. It's like in the church how some people claim that they like "traditional" music. That word "traditional" is truly relative, because for my 2 sons "traditional" music for them is what others would consider "contemporary." Likewise, when I was 19 I had a friend that was in his 20s, and I thought he was old. When I was in my 20s, I thought my friends in their 30s were old. My view on what age "old" is changes by the day.

One great thing about turning 40 is that I am now in a different age group for most races that I run in! No longer am I the old guy in the 30-39 age group - I'm now the youngest in the 40-49 age group!

Today was supposed to be a nice, slow run. It was supposed to be a slower pace, and I was going to judge that based on my exertion level. So I was surprised to find that it was only 4 seconds per mile slower than yesterday. Definitely feeling like this run streak is making me stronger.

Seate Streak: 16 days