Friday, January 2, 2009

Start Healthy Living Today!

Vickie and I enjoyed a great New Year's Day run. It was a great course! We celebrated our victory with PiggyTail and Elaine at Northstar! Yum.
PiggyTail gave me a training journal for a New Year's gift and I'll use that as a reminder to stay on course. I want to live a long healthy life. I had better stay away from too many cookies and I had better be sure to keep up my exercise plan.
May this year be a fresh start for everyone. It's never too late to take care of your body. I often fall off the wagon and it's hard to get back on track. I don't like to exercise. I like to play sports. So if there is no sport involved, I'm not interested. But that's such a sissy way of dealing with my health. It's not responsible and I hope to stay on track with my exercise this year.
I've spent the majority of my holiday either at the nursing home, the James Cancer Hospital or the OSU intensive care unit. I've been around heart breaking illness. I've listened to families grieve over losing the people they love. And I've seen this horrible disease take the wind out of Mom's sails.
I don't ever want to end up in a hospital like this. It's nearly unbearable to see these people suffering this way. I am just so thankful to be healthy (for now). I want to live; I want to be physically comfortable and emotionally strong. It's very important that I take very good care of my body so that I don't suffer the consequences later in my life. The damage that I do to my body now could show up in 10 years. I want to avoid that.
I encourage you to allow my mother's illness to inspire you to stay on course with your health.
Get out there and enjoy the fresh air. If it's cold outside, then put on a coat and mittens. Each time you have the urge to skip your workout....just remind yourself that if you were in the intensive care unit....you would wish that you were strong enough to get outside and exercise. I will be giving myself that reminder each day. When I try to talk myself out of my next workout, I will remember these patients and I will remember that it's important to celebrate each day of my life. If I was stuck in a hospital bed, I know that I would be wishing that I were running instead.
Gems....we gotta stick together and stay on course. When one of us falls off the wagon, we must nag and get everyone back on track. That's what training groups do...we keep each other going.
Now, most importantly...call your mother. Tell you love her. Call your girlfriends. Tell them that you appreciate their friendship. Hug your children. Don't waste any energy on negativity. Take a few moments to appreciate your life.
Eat healthy. Exercise. Laugh. Enjoy.
Note: Because Mom's health has taken a turn in the wrong direction, I might not be at Midwest on Sunday. We start our run/walk at 5:10 p.m. If I am able, I will be there to join you. If not, I hope you'll celebrate your life by walking/running anyways. If I am there, we will plan to lift upstairs after our walk/run. We'll meet upstairs around 5:40 and lift until 6:10.

6 comments:

Amber/Jazzy said...

I will be there on Sunday ready to go!

Vickie said...

Count on me for Sunday.

Emily-our thoughts will be with you and your Mom on Sunday if you are not able to join us.

This post was very touching to me as I think we all have so many things for which we should be grateful that we have the ability and the strength to do. I for one, will think of this eveytime I say "I just don't feel like running"-I am just glad that my body is capable.

I hope to see many more of you on Sundays!

Katie R. said...

I know I have been conspicuously absent the last couple of months. I hate the cold weather with a passion. When I signed up to do this I really didn't think very far ahead! But I have been continuing to work out and to run (on the treadmill in the warm gym). I'm up to 2.5 miles and have been taking cardio kickboxing, yoga, and core classes. I plan to step up my workouts to 5 times per week in 2009 and to improve my nutrition. Constance has really been helping me set some realistic goals and I think I can do it!

I promise as soon as the weather warms up I will rejoin you and I will run a race with you.

I am so proud that you guys have stuck with it!

And a plug for Constance - if you are interested at all in getting some coaching around your overall wellness, she really does a great job. She helps you set long and short term goals (for each week) and holds you accountable for those goals. I suggest you contact her to discuss her program in more details.

And one more thing....she talked me into going to one of her Yoga classes. I have always "poo poo'd" yoga as something that really didn't help with fitness. I was REALLY wrong. Her class was great and I was sore the next day. It helps with strength and flexibility and I'd recommend it for anyone!! She teaches at Good Bodies in Dublin.

Keep it up and I'll see you soon!!!

Vickie said...

OK-well Amber and I ran on Sunday and after we worked out with Emily. I must say that it was quite the workout. Most everything on my body is sore today. But, despite all of the whining and complaining, last nights' workout is probably exactly what my body needs. Actually, it was even fun-well laughing with Amber and Emily was fun-my body didn't find it quite as amusing:)

So, for those of you who are avoiding the cold, meet us inside!!

Vickie said...

There is a race in Marysville on Saturday, January 24th for anyone interested "The Frozen-Nose 4-Miler" http://www.alliancerunning.com/frozen4miler.htm

I really should get to work now-I am having such a hard time motivating today!

Amber/Jazzy said...

Yes, for anyone that wants to avoid the cold, come join us inside. Emily has put together some really good workouts.
Last nights workout was fierce and I had to stretch this morning just to get out of bed and walk. I think she hit every muscle group and some that I did not even know existed.