| Begin Vaso Bjegovich, Jr. |
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Reggie White's Marketing Agent and discipled by Nicky Cruz, Vaso Bjegovich has been featured on Discovery Health Channel recounting his remarkable 140 lbs. weight-loss from his original weight of 430 lbs. His site, www.healthyid.com and may be simply described as a place to lose the weight of guilt, shame, self-hate, and join us as we change the world together. Vaso writes, "We also have a forum with a Registered Dietician, Personal Trainer and others. The support online is free and I welcome anyone with questions are responses to others. Healthy ID is something the Lord gave me in 1999 when I was 430lbs. It has changed a lot of peoples lives by the way it addresses health. It is for anyone, not necessarily for the ones who want to lose weight. It is a program where people experience freedom."  |
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April 17, 2004 Moab, UT. Moab Marathon Well the marathon is over and I have a lot to share with you all. When we got there I could not believe the surroundings. Red rocks, green trees, beautiful rivers, bright blue skies, breathtaking natural rock formations that are truly God’s handiwork. I thought about all the training runs that Lindy, Diane and I had done and it was now time. I was a little nervous. On the morning of the marathon Lindy and I had to get up at 4a.m. and meet the buses at 5a.m. to take is to the starting point. It took an hour to get to our destination. We finally arrived at about 6:30a.m. Diane and her friend Dawn followed us by car and met us at the start. I looked around and there were about 120 or so runners. I talked with some of them while I was waiting to begin. One man in particular caught my attention. “What is your motivation for doing this race” he asked. I said, “I am so grateful I can even show up and do this because 41/2 years ago I couldn’t even walk up the stairs.” He said “15 years ago I was diagnosed with severe asthma, so I started doing triathlons! I now do the Ironman Race in Hawaii every year.” He also said, “You already have your victory because you showed up this morning; the finish just happens. It is actually anti-climactic.” I smiled and we lined up to start the race. As I was running I was thinking about what he had said. I then realized he was right. The victory is when we just begin. The results will happen if we just “Get Started.” So many times I used to focus on the finish, or the results, but I never got started. So this race was just about enjoying the experience, meeting the other runners, taking in the view, and to just keep going. Also when this man was diagnosed with asthma he could have given up and complained. But no, he turned it around and is an example to others, including me. Those comments put things into perspective right from the start. Every couple of miles Diane and her friend Dawn were waiting to see if I needed any water, food, or just a smile or kind word. If I asked for something, they were right there to meet the need. It was so awesome to have people who want to see you succeed and are willing to sacrifice to help you. Well I was coasting along and I came to the 12-mile point.. Two Hours and nine minutes had elapsed. I couldn’t believe how fast I was going. Running at a 10:20/mile per hour pace was unbelievable. I was in awe of how awesome our bodies are. The same body that I abused was now taking me to the greatest physical accomplishment of my life. I realized that it is never too late to take care of our bodies, and they will return the favor. After this point we turned left and headed west into Moab. There was a strong headwind that we faced the last half of the run. I started to tire but kept my great attitude and continued on. At about the 16-mile mark my legs started to cramp. Diane was there to encourage me and let me know what to expect and how to handle the stress. I focused on just relaxing, not making the pain a focus and just kept enjoying my surroundings and didn’t even think about the finish. I was going to let that just happen. I actually wanted this experience to go on forever. I was really in the moment. At mile 23 Diane was there to greet me to let me know Lindy was finishing the race and she wouldn’t see me again until the finish. She asked me if I had any last minute requests and was gone. I took some water but threw the cap away so I couldn’t carry the water. I also was craving oranges but we were out. I didn’t pay attention to it - just kept going. About 10 minutes later a car rode up and asked if I wanted an orange. I accepted and just looked up and grinned. 10 minutes after that a car pulled up in front of me and asked if I needed water. I was delighted at the offer and quickly drank the water. I was so awestruck on how our needs are supplied if we just trust and don’t faint. Most importantly I never focused on my pain, lack of food or water, just focused on how grateful I was that I could even participate in something like this. Everything else seemed to take care of itself. At mile 24 a bus pulled up next to me and opened its doors. He asked if I needed a ride back. He was nice and had a great smile. There was only one other runner on the bus. I couldn’t believe how tempting the offer looked. I quickly responded “no thank you.” I was not going to quit. Never quit was my motto. He smiled and rode off. This reminded me of how easy it is to get off track. That bus represented fear, doubt, and unbelief. Things that no longer control me. But the interesting thing about it was how innocent and nice it appeared to be. It always comes in a great package but turns out to be so destructive. As I approached the last hill at mile 25 I was going to walk to conserve my energy for the finish. I heard a small still voice in my heart that said “No, think of your friend Doug right now who is fighting for his life. Run to the top of this hill.” I smiled and ran to the top and when I got there I could see the finish line. I also saw my wife running toward me to finish the race with me. When we met she smiled and led me to the finish line. Lindy, Pam, Nathan and Dawn were all there to greet Diane and me. I got the chills as I crossed the finish line. I finished at 6 hours and 13 seconds. My goal was to do it in 6 hours. I saw the man that I had spoken with at the start of the race. I went over to him to thank him for the words. He looked me in the eye and said, “I am proud of you, you are my hero.” As I reflect on this race I have this to end with: To finish the race of life we must “Get Started, Keep Going, and Never Quit.” We must have a great and positive attitude no matter what comes our way. Ignore fear, unbelief, doubt and anything else that would tell you that you can’t make it. And most of all enjoy your journey, and be grateful for the life God has given us all and for all of the friends, family and loved ones that are helping you and cheering you on. |
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