Why a "Second Wind?"

Here I am on the cusp of a new adventure in my life. When others might consider retirement to be a time to just sit around and do a bit of nothing, I’m about to embark on what I’d like to consider to be, not just a second career, but a SECOND WIND! 

For the past forty years, I’ve spent my life as a husband, dad, and pastor. I’ve had the joy of being involved in the lives of so many people, especially within the congregations I have served. It’s been a quite a journey. But like every journey, this one has come to somewhat of an end. I may yet, help churches in need, but I’ll no longer be leading churches as their senior pastor. 

So the question for me became, what would I do with my life from this point on? Would I just sit around and do a bit of nothing? Or, was there something yet burning in my heart, a means of still helping people? That’s when I realized that I wanted to help others experience what I had experienced over the past decade: increased health, fitness, strength, and vitality. 

Let me explain. As my three children were growing up, I was always very active with them. We would ride bikes, hike, roller blade, play ball, and rock climb. But they grew up and began to move out, heading off to college, etc. I became less active. And I was beginning to feel the effects of aging. Ten years ago, I found myself quickly putting on weight and losing energy. At the end of the day, I just wanted to lay on the couch and sleep. I knew I needed to change…I needed a SECOND WIND! 

That’s when I began my fitness journey. I started weight training, taking Spin and Boot Camp classes, and watching my diet. The next year I set a goal to run my first 5K race at a nine minute pace. I had four months to train. I met my goal and running became a part of my life. Eventually I ran two half-marathons and did one sprint triathlon. This past year, I’ve worked with a trainer, focusing on weight training and the building of muscle mass. Within the first year, I lost twenty pounds, regained my energy, and soon learned the joy of staying fit. Today, I’m enjoying the benefits of the health and fitness journey I began 10 years ago. 

Of course, there’s been some bumps in the road: spinal surgery to remove a cyst that was paralyzing me from the waist down, double hernia surgery, arthritis, and prostate cancer for which I needed radiation. However, as the doctors said, because I had focused on a healthy lifestyle beforehand, each time I was able to bounce back—e.g. I ran my first 5K five months after the spinal surgery and ran my first half-marathon 19 months after the surgery. 

This past year, as I began to plan for my retirement from pastoral ministry, I knew what I wanted to do next. Too many times, I’ve seen men and women, young and old alike, told that they need to lose weight, get fit, watch their diet, etc. But they don’t know where to begin or what to do. They step into a gym and seem lost. I began to sense how frustrating it is for so many who want to be fit and healthy. They often try so hard, but with little results; each time they try they seem to hit a wall. I began to say to myself, I want to help. I want to help others catch what I caught: that SECOND WIND of Health, Fitness, Strength, and Vitality. 

After more than a year of studying, prepping, and planning, I’m now ready to step out and share with others what I have experienced over this past decade. I’m looking to pour into others what I have learned on this journey. It’s my passion and goal to help others find out what it means to catch their SECOND WIND! 

I’ll be back on this blog page soon, looking to share with you some of my life-experiences, some information, and a bit of inspiration—both for your physical and spiritual life. After all, I still have the heart of a pastor. 

Have a great day!  

- Tim Harris