The Epiphany arrived

In my last post, I sought an Epiphany—an unexpected emotional boost to enjoy life more. Yesterday, I had it. I was getting bike gear at Eric’s Bike Shop. I noticed a woman and thought, “I know her,” but couldn’t place her. I stared at her again, and she was looking at road bikes. I knew her, but why and where? My memory issues since my concussion last summer made it hard. Another minute passed, and I still couldn’t place her.

Then I looked to my right and exclaimed, “O’Neal.” She smiled and said, “Yes.” It was O’Neal Hampton from The Biggest Loser, and that girl was Sunshine. They’re in the home part of the show. They’ve been home for about 12 weeks and have about 4 weeks left. She looked great! He’s done well, but she was hard to recognize. Her cheekbones shone through, not in a bad way.

We couldn’t discuss the show, but I spoke to O’Neal about various topics for 15 minutes. If Sunshine enjoys running, I suggested she join MNDRS and organize trail runs. I told her about my ultra idol, Julie, her love for the show, and how she’d run any pace to discuss her experience. I also mentioned that veteran trail runners prioritize camaraderie and the joy of the trails, not just pace. We hoped she wouldn’t feel inadequate, as the pleasure of the run mattered most. Afterward, I regretted not suggesting UMTR. Sunshine, if you read this, check out UTMR too.

O’Neal seemed more genuine and authentic than someone on the show. I was impressed by their journey and the time they took to speak with me like a friend. It had a positive impact on me. I’ve watched O’Neal lose a lot of weight, and I complain about my own weight, but I feel physically better. As a result, I ran 3.3 miles in 35 minutes, biked 28 miles, and lifted weights today. My computer program showed a negative daily calorie intake, and I felt great.

ATTITUDE! That is the difference. The desired epiphany is here. I do not know how long it will last, but I will ride this as long as possible! There is nothing like a great Epiphany.

Carry on my friends!

Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.

SteveQ

Londell's back! Yay!  Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 10:09:56 AM CDT

Beth

Well, you asked for an epiphany and you certainly got one. That's so cool that you ran into them and they were so nice and inspiring. Very exciting!  Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 8:54:43 PM CDT

Matthew Patten

Londell,  I believe one of the great gifts one can give is the gift of being inspired.  It sounds a little backwards, but if one is inspired by something I do, it gives me a ton of motivation for a long time.  Many times it is not the race which is rewarding, it is the journey to get there.  Did that make any sense?  Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 6:53:02 AM CDT

Julie B

Oh my gosh, Londell, thanks for telling me so! Wow. What would I have done had I run into Sunshine and O'Neal? I probably would have embarrassed myself. Wow. Cool. Real. Cool.  OK, the 310XT. I am trying to download the software and need help to succeed. I HATE TECHY STUFF. I keep getting the error "device not supported" well hello there is no device shoved into my usb port so what exactly is not supported. Gah. Support is closed til Monday. Grr.  Friday, April 23, 2010 at 6:55:40 PM CDT

JojaJogger

Wow that is great that you got to meet Sunshine and O'Neal! Glad to hear they provided you your epiphany. Excellent job on the running and biking, too!  Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 9:00:14 PM CDT