If you don’t know me very well, then you might not know how much I love football. Growing-up in a small town with a small school allowed me the opportunity to experience the pains of the gridiron…and I became addicted. The first cool evening in fall always sends my mind back to stepping out onto the freshly-cut field. If given the chance, I’d gladly strap up again.

But nature did not comply with my wishes…I was not given the body to compete at a higher level. Heck, I didn’t really compete where I was, but they let me play nonetheless. As much as I loved it, I knew when I walked off the field in Banks County on a cold Friday night in 1996 that I probably never would get a chance to play again.

But there was one sport in which I could compete. This is what got me hooked on the concept of running for no reason at all. And since I can’t play football, I’ll continue to run…until arthritis takes that from me.

And for reference, this picture was taken 30 pounds ago.

agile and swift…like a puma