Thank You To All!!!!

Hello Earthlings,

Today is Monday and what a great weekend! The Cardinals swept the Pirates, I completed my 18 mile run yesterday, my family is healthy and today I have an another amazing opportunity at life!!!

I wanted to say thank to everyone who has supported me over the last year. I have went through many hurdles and I have been surrounded by friendship, love, compassion and understanding. More than I could have ever asked for. My family has been amazing and has never given up on me no matter how hard the challenges I have had to face. I took time this weekend to sit down with my wife and my children and thank them for all their love and support. Additionally, I needed to tell them I was sorry for not being the person that I should be and treating them fairly as I have went through these challenges. Thank you's are important and can never come frequent enough, but saying I'm sorry was long over due. My son put his arm around me as we sat their in the Dairy Queen in Bonne Terre, MO and said, "It's okay Dad, everybody makes mistakes." How little time it takes to say I love you, I'm sorry or thank you and how very, very much it means to the people on the receiving end. Kids are awesome and I learn so much from them everyday. Someone once told me to lead by example and say very little at all. Your kids are so perceptive and idolize everything you do. Life is tough and we must stay strong and make good choices no matter what hurdles get in our way. Our children will learn from us. We need to make certain we are setting a great example.

I wanted also to say thank you to those of you who read my blog and give me feedback from time to time. I am really glad I have the opportunity to share a little bit of my life with all of you. It's amazing when you start to write things down. I encourage all of you to keep a journal or something where it forces you to write everyday. The amazing thing I have found by keeping this journal is that it really has made me reflect on my life and also has made me appreciate some of the little things in life that I have taken for granted. I really do now stop and smell the roses, look up at the sky and enjoy some of the most beautiful things the world has to offer. Before I started writing things down I ran by many wonderful things without giving it a thought. Yesterday when running I realized I was running up a hill but I was being shaded by some beautiful oak trees. I thought to myself that I didn't mind this hill at all because it was 82 degrees and I was getting to run in the well-needed shade. I think of little things when I run because I want to share them with you and hopefully remind you of some of the little but great things in your life.

Yesterdays run was HOTTTTT! By mile 5 I was completely drenched with sweat. Not a dry spot on my body. My shoes were quickly becoming squishy because of the sweat that was pouring down. The hat I had on had a slow drip coming off the brim like a leaky water faucet. I have never perspired like this before. The temperature was 82 degrees and the humidity I am sure was extremely high. Heat advisories were posted yesterday and the temperature eventually rose to the mid 90's. There was a point in my run where I wanted to give up. I am not sure what keeps me going but something deep down in my heart probably given to me along time ago, simply will not let me quit. When I got home I asked myself, "why do I do this? Why don't I stop? Why do I continue to run marathons? I don't have to prove anything to anyone, why don't I just stop?" I wish I had a clearly defined answer, but I don't. Something deep down inside of me wants to show diabetics and people with challenges that you really can do anything you want if you set your mind to it. It is quite amazing what the mind will allow the body to do. I sometimes forget that your body is much stronger than your mind. That's where most of us lose the battle. If we all work on our mental toughness, focus, concentration and discipline we will accomplish many, many goals and will live an extraordinary life!!!

Yesterday during my run I had to eat a Powergel Packet everyone 30 minutes. The heat and the long distance kept dropping my blood sugar faster than I had ever witnessed before. I lost 6 pounds during my run. Wow!!! That's a lot of water weight! Remember to keep that hydration going during your long runs especially in extreme heat! I finished my run with a 165 blood sugar. That was just perfect for me. I felt good but I was as exhausted as I had been even compared to any marathon I have run. I ate 5 scrabbled eggs, yogurt, granola bar, tish of a bagel and drank 36 ounces of water in about an hour. Back to my old self. Train hard. Easy training, hard combat; hard training, easy combat!!!

Stop and smell the roses. Stop today, pause and ponder; what things are you taking for granted in your life? I am 42 years old and I just have now realized how important that question really is. Learn from me; a young :) man who has learned to appreciate the little things in life!!!

Smile that awesome smile!!! As Zig Zigler says, " A smile is that little curve that sets a whole lot straight."

The very, very best!!!

KB