The Power of a Slice of Bacon

Nothing to do with a Army PT test,
but this was at the "Beat Beethoven 5K"
on the 13th of April



I have always been a big supporter of setting personal goals and making a plan to follow through with them, especially when it comes to athletics and performance.  But I also know that these goals really are a personal endeavor, and no one can make another accomplish the goal.  The motivation and effort has to come from the individual setting the goal.

But I may be wrong.  A slice of bacon might have the power to help a person accomplish a certain goal.

Let me explain.

Ever since my husband entered the Army, just shy of 2 years ago, he has been saying he was going to get a perfect score of 300 on his PT test.  I believed in him, and kept waiting for him to come home from his PT tests with that perfect score.  But he seemed to always come shy of the elusive 300, by just a couple of points.   

How could I help him achieve his 300 I knew he could do?  As hard as I tried to support him and motivate him to get it, I finally realized that I really couldn't do anything except love him for his efforts and all he does (for he is an amazing soldier and husband).  The amazing thing is that this worked. 

A week or so before the scheduled PT test, he woke up early to do 50 push ups and 50 sit ups before leaving the house for PT.  A week later on test day, I was woken up by a text that read,

"80 PU's!!!

87 Sit ups!!!" 

He needed to get 75 Push ups and 78 sit ups, and a 13:00 2 mile run, all of which he did!! ( He actually got a 312, which is better than perfect).

Oh, about the bacon.  Monday night I told him that if he got a 300 on his PT test the next morning, he would get an extra slice of bacon for breakfast.  He joked about this, saying that as he was doing his sit ups he would be thinking to himself, "bacon...bacon..."

I guess I don't have the ability to make him get a 300.  But my husband's determination and work ethic does.  And a little bacon doesn't hurt.