Turning A Corner

So, I turned 30 on Saturday. I don't really feel any differently than I before. However, it's still strange for me to think of myself as being THAT old. There are many things that I thought I would have accomplished by this point in my life. So, I guess I'll have to reset some goals for the next five and ten years. At the top of that list will be three things: run a half marathon, do a triathlon, and finish the Android app to put onto the Google Play store.

I've already signed up for the Middle Half marathon in Murfreesboro in October. I started actually training about two weeks ago because I know that it's going to come upon me quickly. I'm taking the increase in actual miles run slowly so that I don't cause injury, but I keep wanting to run farther faster. So, my solution has been to cross train (which I always stayed away from doing in high school), which is where the triathlon comes into play.

For my first triathlon, I'm going to do what's called a Sprint Triathlon. Basically, all the events (swim, bike, run) are much shorter distance than "competitive" triathlons. My goal is to do an Ironman race (and complete it) in two to three years. I haven't come up with a time-frame yet because I'm just now getting back into shape.

The Ironman is a grueling race that I never really thought I could do until now. I'm not really sure what changed my mindset, but it just doesn't seem impossible to me anymore. The first event is a 2.4 mile swim, followed immediately by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a marathon (26.2 mile) run. Besides not being in the kind of shape right now to be able to complete that type of race without some type of injury, I'll also need a good bike by then. So, maybe within the next 2-3 years I'll have a couple thousand extra dollars to spend on a good triathlon bike.

Another thing to accomplish within the next few years is to start gaining rental and resale properties. Now that Starr and I have pretty good jobs, we'll be able to pay off our debt pretty quickly. I've always wanted to own property to rent out; so, that's another good goal for my next decade of life.

Probably the biggest goal of the next decade is to start having children. Although there is no news on that right now, we're looking forward to having a family to fill the house that we're buying. We're excited and nervous about this next step in our lives. And, we'll obviously be keeping all of our family and friends updated on any possible progress in that area.

I'm thankful for the things that I've gone through up to this point. I don't know what I could've accomplished in certain areas had I stayed focused on those. But, I have rolled with any punches that may have come my way, and I'm happy that I have ended up where I am at this point. Here's looking forward to the next five years (and many more decades), where I'm constantly improving my health, soul, love, and life.