Positive reinforcement

Tonight while I was running.. well not really 'running'. I was trying to keep up with 2 of my tall long legged friends. A married couple that is in tremendous shape, lets call them Jack and Jill. Anyway, most might think that going for a run or work out at the gym with people who could leave you in their dust is quite daunting, but for me its that reinforced encouragement and motivation that I lack when I am alone. Not only are Jack and Jill great athletes, they are also the most encouraging friends I have ever met. They find positivity in everything. Example: toward the end of our 3.6 mile jog is this hill. Not a large hill by the normal runner, but to me its a fourteen-er in Colorado. about halfway up I start slouching, dragging my feet and sucking in air like a 30 year smoker. Most trained athletes would leave you in their dust and meet you at the top. Not Jill. She stays by my side setting a pace that normally I wouldn't follow by myself because at this point I would be WALKING and no one would ever know! She stays with me telling me how awesome it is that I am still just running, that I haven't walked and that we are almost at the top. then at the top she says " almost done, here's our cool-down". Simple words. at the end of it, with sweat dripping off my nose, my feet about to fall off and my lungs and muscles burning, she high-fives me because we ran it in 35 minuets. just short of a 10 minuet mile. GREAT for me, slow for them I know, but that doesn't matter to them, they are more proud of me finishing at that time.Later she explains how fast I could run a 10K and then a half marathon! By the time I get in my car to head home, I am confident that I CAN and WILL run those races. If nothing else to show them and myself that I can! I feel so good by the time I get home. So positive and ready to take on the world.
I say all that to say this. We all need someone to push us up our hills. Sometimes our own will doesn't cut it. We need someone there to shout in our ear little bits of motivating tidbits to keep us going. Whether its in our workout, our healthy eating expeditions, or daily life struggles. We need honest reinforcements who will build us up, drag us along and cheer for us in our most dreadful circumstances. We are all in a race. LIFE is a race. We all need a cheer section, a honest and realistic cheer section. I am thankful for my Jack and Jill! Thank you for always dragging my heavy feet up that hill. One day I plan to beat you to the top but until then I am thankful for you to run it by my side. I hope everyone has a Jack and Jill no matter what kind of hill you are facing. Take care, Good Luck and keep Dropin' that Poundage!