STEVE

A very good friend of mine, Steve, died this week. He was at the opposite end of the health scale in terms of being fit. He knew it and I'm not sure if he cared. It was his choice to live an unhealthy life and at 51 he sadly suffered the consequences of this decision. Nothing I or friends or family said made any difference. In some respects he wasted a good part of his life (due to alchohol) but in his prime he was full of life and fun.
      I mention it here because we all make decisions every minute of the day that affect our lives. I choose to run and be healthy but I am always mindful that this gives no guarantees.......it just increases the percentages of having an active healthier life. I also make no judgements as we all have a choice, even in the most harrowing circumstances that we may find ourselves.
    It of course puts my race on Saturday into some kind of perspective. He thought I was nuts to do this but always saw the funny side. 'While you are running through the woods', he would say, 'I'll be chatting to the girls at the Aid Stations' and he would and very happy he would have been. So there is no right or wrong on how we live our lives  just as long as we don't hurt anyone.
  I will run my race and think of Steve laughing at my craziness and when I feel pain or reach a low ebb I will think of him saying  with a big smile, 'I would stop now if I were you'. I'll shrug and carry on and he'll walk off with a girl in one hand and a drink in the other..........into the sunset.