You need to read this.

I wanted to share this with you because I found it moving even though it was just someone talking to his friends. Posting with his permission, this is Ed Davenport's wall post from a couple days ago. Ed, thanks for posting this. You are an inspiration.


Ok folks!! I had the Biggest NSV to date!!! Today was my first 5k of the year, I had that knee clean out a few months back and that has taken forever to come back from. The Bone on Bone pain in both knee's most days would be enough to make me crawl up in a chair and say I give up but that is not how I roll these days.. It just pisses me off and makes me push twice as hard..

I was thinking last night about the meaning of July 4th (Independence Day) and got to thinking about all my fellow veterans that served, those still serving and those that gave there lives so that we all can live with the freedoms most of us take for granted everyday... I decided this morning I was going to push myself harder (In honor of them) than I have ever push myself in a workout.. You all know me by now, I put myself through some killer workouts.. I have made some feeble attempts at running on my outside walks lately, between my knee's and this excess skin (sorry if TMI) it is very difficult but I am trying.. So this morning when the cannon (yes cannon started the race, so cool!!) went off I set my pace and pushed myself from light to light (5k was through town) I ran from one light to the other, then walked for another and so on and so forth. That voice in my head fighting me the whole way, telling me to stop, you can't, your legs hurt to much, etc, etc... but I ignored it and pushed on.. I got friends waking up in 3 world countries spending the entire day in full fatigues carrying a 70lb. ruck sack and an M16 in 120 plus degree heat and I want to complain I have it rough on my little run/walk.. NOT!! So I continued to break the race down by land marks and whatnot... Run to here, walk to here and before I knew it I rounded the hill and seen the finish line.. Legs burning, heart racing, literally on my last leg I crossed the finish line.. I have timed my walks in the past and the best I ever did ever was a few weeks back on a solo walk of 8 miles... I avg. 16 minutes 23 seconds a mile... As I crossed the finish line and stopped my GPS and looked at the time....... 42:10!!!!! I just cut my time down to 13 minutes 22 seconds a mile average!!! damn near 3 minutes a mile faster than my personal best... In pain and ready to sit, I was so elated!!! Just how far have I come in just 3 years..

I remember after being trapped inside my house for over 2 years that I had walked in my house from one wall to the other and had done this for a couple weeks and decide to try to walk out of the house.

I set a goal of 50 feet , yes you read that right 50 feet!!! and I left the porch, walked to the culvert and turned around and remember FREAKING OUT when I seen how far that front door looked away and started panicking that I could not make it back. I remember wanting to sit down but back then at 560 lbs. if I sat down I would be unable to get back up so I cried and balled my way back to the door and collasped in the front door so scared but so happy of my small achievement and today as I stood there 310 pounds lighter, 20 days away from the biggest surgery of my life, reflecting back on just how far I have come, I couldn't help but cry (thank god for dark shades lol) but yet feel so proud at just how far I have come.


This journey has been anything short of easy but so worth everything that I have been through and I would do it all again in a heartbeat... Believe in yourself, keep putting one foot in front of the other, and take it one day at a time... do everything each and everyday to be as successful as you possible can and go to bed with no regrets, then get up and do it again tomorrow that is the way I live each and everyday of my life... One day at a time... God Bless those serving around the world today and those that served and those that never made it back home.. Mad respects for you all.... Hugs!!!! (Sorry lil long lol, you know me.....)

-Ed Davenport.