Sunday mornings… the stress of the vigorous week is over, and we are able to take a day to pick up our feet for a few hours and just relax. The ultimate way to relax is through exercise.

Before all of the procrastination of Monday’s school work taunts us on Sunday night, we have the whole day to relax and spend time with our family and friends. On this particular Sunday, September 14th, it felt like fall. The air was brisk, the football games were on, and the birds were out and about. As soon as I woke up I had a good feeling about the day. I put my shoes on and went for a run.

For me, the beginning of a run is difficult because I want to walk. But it’s crazy what an impact our thoughts have on our actions. If you truly have the will to keep running, your body will keep going. After you conquer your mind, your body follows. We all say that but have you ever truly seen it? On this day, I did.

After running for about a half an hour, I was tired. Just getting over a cold, I could barely breathe, my legs were tired, and I didn’t know how much longer I could make it without stopping. I had to stop and wait at the red light at Park and Beech Street, almost by my house. At the light next to me was a man around his 50’s; he was a little bit out of shape. As he was running to the light I noticed that he had a really bad limp- he must’ve just gotten out of a surgery not too long ago. As the walking light turned on, he began to run again without a doubt in his mind. With his walker and headphones blasting, he was off again. Even with his conditions, he had the will to keep going. It is crazy how strong people can be. Something about the man gave me the will to keep running, even though before I didn’t think I could anymore. This man not only gave me the will to keep running, but he gave me the motivation to sprint the rest of the way home.

That man will never know how much he impacted my life that day. Much like we will never know how much we can impact the lives around us. It is important to set an example and to truly set goals. You never know who is taking something away from your presence.