Getting Back on the Horse

Another school year begins...
Tomorrow I am moving up to Pennsylvania with my new wife, into my new apartment, to start my old job at Saint Vincent College. I am excited to get started with practices, but I know those are a little bit further away. My prayer right now is that they are coming back to the team in somewhat good shape, but I need to remember that not everyone takes swimming quite as seriously as I do.
Admitting time: I haven't swam in weeks. I know, I know, I feel terrible for it. I am not a great coach for encouraging my kids to do something that I haven't done in who knows how long. I strive to set a great example for the kids I coach, and it really bums me out that I haven't put a foot in the water in weeks, but I have been busy. So how exactly does one get back into the best shape of their life? I am lucky. I am young, and still have a decent body build. So in essence, I have the tools to work with, but not the ambition. Is it because my dreams and goals have altered slightly? I suppose so. But I still have one dream that has been steady: to continue to compete as a swimmer. But now that I don't even smell like chlorine anymore, how am I supposed to do that?
Well the answer is simple: GET BACK ON THE HORSE AND DON'T LET GO. Dedication and determination are key points here. If I want to get in shape, I need to get my butt to the pool and dedicate myself to my goals and dreams. Each day is a new challenge, and new opportunity for the future. I am the only one who can reach out and grab those dreams.
So tomorrow, with a new school year in sight, and new horizons on the move, I am an explorer embarking onto an old and familiar frontier. My tools are a bit rusty, but with some polish, spit, grit, and hard work, things can be done.
The human body loves routine. There is a new commercial for some arthritis medicine that says "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." That simple phrase has been rattling around in my brain for weeks now. I have lost my motion. Top athletes don't ever stop. They have set up a routine that they follow, and they have habits that they keep to. I have created new habits that aren't exactly good ones. But they are not old habits, so hopefully they won't die hard. I want to get my body back into motion, and keep it in motion for as long as I can. I have had a summer of beginnings, and I look forward to another one. It is time to get back on the horse and keep riding. Keep pressing onward.
So that is my encouragement for the day. Get on the horse, and press on. There are new discoveries to be made.