I can’t lift weights………I don’t want to get bulky.

The following guest post is from Kevin Brookshire, a Recreation Ministry Leader and Fitness Enthusiast.

One of the greatest misconceptions is that if you lift weights you will instantly get huge and look like a professional body builder - male or female.  The thing missed is that resistance training, lifting weights, is one of the greatest ways to slim down and burn fat.  And when you combine cardio and resistance training, it takes you to a whole new level of physical fitness. You see, it takes years….even decades to get to that size and muscle tone.   It takes working out twice a day for 7 days a week.  Eating 10,000 calories a day when bulking and cutting that down when you are getting ready to lean out for a competition.    It takes commitment to a lifestyle of getting that….bulky.  In every fitness lifestyle, you have to have a goal, a goal to work toward. It could be to just lose weight, to improve overall health, or to be a competition bodybuilder.  It’s actually no different in our lives as Christians.  God lays before us the plan, the training to become a totally devoted follower of Christ.  Do we strive each day to become closer to him, to know him more, and to be totally in his will?  Do we train daily by reading our Bible, being involved in Bible studies and praying more and more each day?  

Choose wisely

I often feel as though I am in the constant state of “dieting.”  With the scale staring at me every time I enter our bathroom, I’m daily reminded of the need to “take that run” or say “no” to that ice cream.  Summertime is especially the worst for me, as the hot air and full days keep me from any chance of a consistent exercise routine.

Several years ago, Steve and I were challenged to make some simple “swaps” when it came to our eating habits.  Without noticing a huge difference, and watching some “easy pounds” melt away, it became a lifestyle choice for us.   On rare occasion we will “splurge” and indulge in the “good stuff”, but for the most part, we adhere to these healthier options.  (Although I've never read them, I know there are several books that include great swap options.  They are "The Biggest Loser - Simple Swaps" and "Eat this, Not that!")  

Here are some of the easy swaps we made, and 8 options for you to adopt as well!  

1.     Turkey Meat – In our home, it will be a rare day for you to find anything other than turkey meat!  We’ve swapped out turkey bacon, turkey hot dogs, and even ground turkey for the “real thing” and hardly noticed a difference!  With nearly the same consistency and taste of beef, you’ll smile at the hundred of calories and high percentages of fat you’ll save by simply swapping out your meat!

2.     Cut off the fat! – Okay, this really isn’t a “swap” but it sure does save you calories!  Whenever we buy chicken (or steak) from the grocery, one of the first things we do, before putting on a marinade or letting it travel out to the grill is to cut off any excess skin or fat we see on the meat!  Once it cooks, it can be hard to see, and easy to eat, but if you cut it off, then you don’t have to worry about eating empty calories.

3.     Pudding – Here’s a swap that I challenge you to try!  Rather than sitting down on the coach to watch the biggest loser and indulging in your bowl of decadent ice cream, try eating pudding with a dollop of cool whip on the top instead!  Again, you’ll save yourself 100 calories (or more, depending upon how much ice cream you eat!), without even noticing!

4.     Coffee Creamer – Are you a devout coffee drinker?  We are!  Steve and I typically go through 1-2 FULL pots of coffee every day, and sometimes even more!  Without even realizing it we were “sipping down” hundreds of calories in creamers, and not feeling full in the least. That’s when we switched.  Instead of half-and-half I use skim milk instead, and save myself nearly 40 calories a cup.  Steve (not a huge milk fan!) has switched to sugar free creamer, which saves him 20 calories a cup – quite a difference if you drink several cups a day!

5.     Popcorn – Do you get that evening “munching” feeling?  We do!!  We usually wind down at the end of each day by watching something on our TV, and when we finally sit down and stop, it’s not unusual for one of us to ask the other “do you want a snack?”  Early on we would head to the pantry to find Oreo cookies, chips, or something even worse for us!  Now, we head to the pantry to pop a bag of 100-calorie popcorn!  With the delicious flavor of Kettle Corn, and only eating 50 calories each, we’re not left longing for a thing.

6.     Diet Soda – Okay, so the nutritionists in your life will probably not agree with us here, but one of the best switches we have made is to choose “diet” soda, rather than drinking down that 100+ calories per glass in the regular stuff!  Steve can’t quite stomach the truly diet options just yet, so he’s sticking to Coke Zero, etc., but I challenge you to give it a try!  The tastes may take a little getting used to, but the pounds you’ll save in the long run, are worth the change!

7.     Part-skim cheese – One of the easiest swaps you can make, without really even noticing, is purchasing part-skim, or low-fat cheese in the grocery.  I’m sure there is one, but we really can’t tell a difference!

8.     Fresh – Okay, so this one may seem obvious to everyone, but instead of buying processed snack food, dosed with sugars and who knows what else because we can’t understand the ingredient list, buy fresh fruits to snack on instead.  Apples and Peanut Butter (low-fat) are one of our most favorite snacks!  Strawberries are also a great choice, and even yummy watermelon can be a delicious treat.  Here’s the bottom line – if you don’t buy the other stuff, it’s not going to sit and tempt you at home.  Instead, your healthier options will entice you and your slimmer waistline will thank you!

What about you?  What simple swaps have you made to save yourself calories and pounds?  Let us know!  We’d love to hear from you!

“I am doing something…..that counts, right??”

The following guest post is from Kevin Brookshire, a Recreation Ministry Leader and Fitness Enthusiast.

There is a big misconception that just being active is enough to become physically fit, that taking a walk around the block a time or two a week is good enough.  Some believe being healthy is eating a salad a couple times a week, or going to the gym and doing a little of this and a little of that is just fine for me.  Fact is…it’s not.  It should be considered only a start.  Being healthy is a way of life.  I hate to call it a routine, because it is more than that.  It’s a way of life in that you have to commit to getting better each time.  It’s about digging deeper and really finding out what you’re made of.  It’s starting out walking around the block or treadmill.  Then it becomes jogging, and then running.  You put yourself on a workout plan that suits your needs.  You start an eating program that fuels your body and makes it capable of functioning at peak performance throughout the day.  You eat 5-6 small meals a day to ensure that you are always running full bore.  And once you have everything in motion, you stop and think.  This is really not that much different than our walk with God.  He doesn’t want us to just go through the motions.  He doesn’t want us to just be active.  It’s not about just memorizing verses or showing up at a worship service.  He wants to be part of our life.  He wants to live life through us.  He wants us to be so focused on our relationship with Him that it becomes a way of life.  It’s not something that is just done or said…..it is lived!

Cold Mythbusters

As a pre-teen, I would trot down the stairs in our home on a cold morning with wet hair.  Fresh out of the shower and often running late, it was not uncommon for me to cut time by not fully drying my hair.  My parents, with the best of intentions, would send me right back upstair to dry off.  Then came the familiar catch phrase, “You wouldn’t want to catch a cold.”  Winter in my childhood home was made up of this scene playing out over and over again.  This ingrained a belief that wet heads create wet noses.  Now, years later, it turns out standing in 40 degree weather with wet hair may be stupid, but it won’t give you a cold.

This is just one myth that the Huffington Post busted recently about colds.  In the midst of cold and flu season, there is apparently a lot of misinformation out there about how to prevent getting the sniffles.  For example, did you know that cold weather is not the cause of “getting a cold”?  Though common thought to be associated with the common cold, cold weather has gotten a bad wrap.  The weather is not a determining factor in weather or not you will catch the cold virus.

In a season when sickness is prevalent among much of the population, here are some other myths busted or proven by the Huffington Post…  Click Here

If you are like me, you are willing to go a little out of your way to prevent being taken out by the cold and flu season.  When it comes to our health, knowing the facts is always half of the battle.

The Short Question That Makes All The Difference for Keeping Your Health Resolution

This morning, gyms across America will be packed.  It is January 2^nd, which means that resolutions have been made to get in shape.  As the year draws on, some will end up keeping their resolution toward greater fitness and others will not.  What’s the difference between those that attain their health goals and those that don’t? 

When we set a resolution concerning our health, often we answer a series of one word questions…

What? Lose Weight = 10 pounds

Who? Me.

When? In 2012.

Why? So I can be healthier for my family and myself.

Often this is as far as the questions go in setting a resolution.  It is good that these questions have been answered.  There is a goal, a timeline, and a motivating factor within the resolution.  There is just one questions missing.  It is perhaps the most crucial of questions when it comes to getting in shape… HOW?

There are thousand ways to get in shape.  Running.  Biking or spinning.  Lifting weights. Participating in a sport.  Counting calories.  Cutting sugar and fat intake.  The list goes on and on.  Unless you choose a course of action you will not make it to your goal.  Answering “How?” is so important.

If you are looking for some good advice on which pathway to choose, a helpful source may be to talk with someone who lost some weight or got in shape in 2011. They have usually answered the “How?” part.  They can give you practical insights and inform you of potential pitfalls along the way.

Make 2012 one of the healthiest years of your life!  Start with answering “How?”

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!!!

We hope that you are enjoying your Christmas with Family today!  We sure are!!

Our daily, 'Navigating the rope' posts will resume January 2nd, 2012!  For this next week, take some time and enjoy being with family!  

Coming soon!  

Tips on how to make New Year's Resolutions Last, 

as well as a list of attainable New Year's Resolutions! 

Ho, Ho, Health! Lessons We Can Learn From Santa

He may be jolly, old, and a saint but Santa has been taking some serious health risks for generations now.  The following health concerns were taken from “The Huffington Post” which outlined some of Santa’s unhealthy holiday habits.  As they are listed below, perhaps you can relate to a couple of the these concerning fitness trends (I know I could)…

Pulling An All-Nighter – Santa does it once a year.  Who hasn’t done this before, especially at the end of a semester or to get Christmas preparations just right? 

That Heavy Sack of Presents – Hope that he lifts with his knees.

Excess Weight – Enough said.

Overexertion After A Sedentary Lifestyle – For 364 ½ days the guy kicks back while the elves do the work and then he jumps into action.  He’s got to be sore the next day.

Lurking Germs in His Beard – It’s cold and flu season.  Santa has been in close proximity with a lot of kids who sneeze and cough as they list their presents.  Pass the hand sanitizer…

A Lack of Visible Sleigh Safety – Does that thing even have a seat-belt?

Too Many Cookies and Too Much Milk – Not to mention, that milk usually sits out for a while. 

Those Trips Down the Chimney – Black Lung?

A Vitamin D Deficiency – Not a whole lot of sunshine there at the North Pole.

That Thin Red Suit – Santa has got to be a member of the polar bear club.

Traveling Too Quickly – He got to be quick to get to all those homes, but honestly – who is going to pull over Santa?

The Night Shift – Working late is sooo depressing… especially during the holidays.

Santa may be a role-model of Christmas cheer, but probably not the kind of guy you want to model your health habits after.

Read the original article by clicking here!

The Gift of Knowing

Most people do not enjoy going to the doctor’s office.  The thought of sitting in a waiting room, listening to a chorus of coughing, thumbing through 2 year old copies of Time Magazine is not appealing.  Having someone poke and prod you before telling you something is wrong never feels like fun.  Maybe the only thing worse is going to see the dentist.

We tend to follow the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality of healthcare.  We try to avoid seeing the doctor unless something is actually wrong.  Unless we are bleeding, broken, or running a temperature, we think we don’t need do be cared for by a physician.  But if this is our attitude toward healthcare, we are missing a crucial element to healthy living… the gift of knowing.

All too often, we can be surprised by an unplanned health event in our lives.  It can seem like something out of left field.  We ask ourselves, “How did this happen?”  In many cases, going to see the doctor when you feel healthy can prevent these kinds of health events.  While the doctor cannot foresee every potential problem, he or she can catch many of them.  Your doctor can also help you chart a course toward greater health. 

Children go through regular check ups for school or to play sports.  But adults rarely have to go through the same kind of examination unless they are taking out some life insurance.  While this may be the case in much of our culture, wellness checks are KEY to prevention of many conditions.  The good news is that many health insurance plans actually cover an annual wellness check-up with the doctor.

So do yourself a favor that could impact your future health and wellbeing.  Give yourself the gift of knowing what is going on with your body and potential hazards that could arise.  Schedule a check-up with your doctor.  You are not a hypochondriac if you do.  You are simply being proactive about one of the most important things we are blessed to own… our health.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

I am not a fan of cold weather.  When winter comes, I dread the thought of Jack Frost nipping at my nose.  Even as I write this, I am less than three feet away from the fire burning in our fireplace.  This can have a dramatic affect on personal fitness.  The colder it gets, the less likely I am to be active.  In fact, winter time is when I am most likely to pack on the pounds.

Maybe you can relate.  Winter months may contain the most wonderful time of the year, but maybe you are not a fan of climate when this magical time occurs.  So what do we do?  Hibernate and hope to sweat off the excess weight when summer comes?  Surely we can still be active without turning into a human popsicle.  I have a few friends who dislike cold weather (some even more than I do).  Here is how they beat the cold and stayed in shape.

"The P90X Challenge"

Some take the opportunity to go inside for 90 days and participate in an intense video workout challenge known as P90X.  Tony is your guide through three months of workouts that are as physically challenging as any other workout available.  This is not your mother's old VHS "Jazzercise" (no disrespect to those out there who enjoy sweating to the oldies).  This is a demanding and time consuming way to get into shape or maintain fitness while staying indoors.  The price for ordering the package online can be steep, but if your know someone who has been through it you cannot argue with the results.

"Seaonal Gym Memberships"

Some friends have opted to buy a gym membership in the winter months.  Usually, this means paying the monthly rate without signing a long term agreement.  Using the gym's treadmills, cardio equipment, and weights can be an excellent way to stay in shape when the conditions outside aren't the best.  The biggest deterent with this option is a lack of commitment.  (If you are considering this approach, read last week's post entitled, "Do Gym's Work?")

"Discover An Indoor Sport"

Games of pick-up basketball, indoor soccer, hockey and so many other sports can be found during the winter months.  If you have a few friends you a trying to stay in shape with, get them together for the sport.  Make sure you are playing with enough consistency to make a real difference.  If you are only playing racquetball once a month during December, January, and February it is not going to make a real difference.

There are plenty of options to stay warm during workouts throughout the winter months.  Don't let the cold be an excuse to let yourself go!

Do Gyms Work?

You see them everywhere.  They come in the mail with a glossy finish on card stock.  You find them on the table or counter top of local restaurants.  They may even be tucked under your windshield wiper when you come back to your car in the parking lot.  Gym advertisement flyers pepper the landscape of our lives. 

Some make broad promises as to what their membership will cause in your life.  Others show how affordable a membership can be.  If you are already thinking about your health, when you find these little flyers it seems like a no-brainer to sign up.  After all, aren’t gyms supposed to help you get healthy or maintain fitness?  Maybe.  Maybe not. 

A few years ago, we signed up for a gym membership at a Rec Center.  The rates were very affordable and we were looking for an indoor environment to exercise during the winter months.  When we showed up for the first workout we discovered a few problems.  The machines and weights we intended to use were already taken.  In fact, there was a waiting list for most of the machines.  In addition, the times when we could work out were the peak times for that particular gym.  This meant the gym was over-crowded and offered benefits only if we could commit additional time to wait your turn in the midst of all the other gym enthusiasts.

Within a few weeks, we stopped attending the gym because it offered no real value in a workout experience.  The membership eventually expired, having only been used a handful of times.  This taught us a number of questions to ask before jumping into another gym membership.

1. Does the Gym offer enough options and equipment to handle its members?  Most of the employees of the gym can tell you which machines and weights are used the most.  You can also ask gym members who will give you the honest scoop on availability of equipment.

2. When are the peak times of use?  If you don’t like working out with a lot of people around, you need to know what times are crowded.  Then you can plan your schedule around it or decide it doesn’t fit with your time constraints. 

3. Can I try it out for a trial period?  One of the best ways to decide if a gym is for you or not is to try it out for a week.  In this way you can get a real feel for what working out there is like and if it is a good fit for you.

A gym membership is not a guarantee of a healthier you.  It is not a silver bullet.  However, it can be a tool toward health.  A tool is only good when it is used.  You can have a hammer, but it will not create a new roof on a home unless its owner uses it.  You can have a gym membership, but it is only helpful if it is utilized. Ask around to discover if a gym membership could be right for you.

The Hefty Holidays

This week begins the onslaught of holiday happiness.  With the arrival of Thanksgiving our calendars are about to get booked, our debit cards are about to get charged, and our days are about to get a little bit merrier.  This time of year also means an endless stream of dinners, parties, and baked goods.  Many people fear the holidays will derail their efforts to get fit.  After all, doesn’t everybody gain weight during the Thanksgiving and Christmas?  Not necessarily…

According to the American Dietetic Association, the average American only gains about one pound during the holiday season.  There are some Americans that gain much more than that, but weight gain is not the certain destiny of each person simply because there are increased opportunities to eat yourself silly.  Whether or not you agree with the research that went into those statistics, it does point us to an important truth… You do not have to fall off the wagon in reaching your fitness goals during “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Here are a few tips to help you think about staying on track during the next few weeks.

1. Pre-Count Calories.  This is where you have to get proactive with your food intake.  Many people use calorie counting reactively, counting after the food has been consumed.  This can be a helpful practice if you are in your normal environment and routine, but this often goes out the window during the holiday season.  Often you can know what kinds of foods to expect at a Thanksgiving dinner or holiday party.  By counting your calories ahead of time, you are giving yourself some boundaries to help you stay on track.

2. Know when to put down the fork.  Just because the spread includes every food item imaginable doesn’t mean you have to eat it all.  Choose to eat your food a little more slowly during meal times at special events.  This gives your body time to let you know when it is satisfied.  Try not to eat to the point of feeling overfull or sick. 

3. SPLURGE (kinda) There will be host of holiday treats to choose from.  Its okay to eat those special treats, just not 5 of them.  Choose the one or two things that you really want to enjoy and stick to those choices.  It doing so, you are not denying yourself some of the things that make these kinds of gatherings special, but you are not overdoing it either.

There are other strategies out there.  Upping your exercise during the months of November and December to burn off excess calories is one way to do it.  Losing some additional weight coming into the season to off-set any gain is another possibility.  The point is to find a way to maintain your fitness goals so you don’t reach January in a state of regret.  

Taking It For Granted

Growing up, our family always parked our vehicles in a carport built off the side of our home.  A carport is like a garage without walls.  There was a roof over the cars to protect them from the elements and a concrete slab for the cars to rest upon when they were not in use.  A few stairs came down from the porch of our house toward the carport and our family’s means of transportation. 

Each and every day in grade school, I would run out the door and leap off the top of the 3 stairs leading down to the carport.  Each time I jumped I braced myself against the window of our car when I landed.  This was a quick thrill for me.  The joy of careening through the air for a brief moment before landing with arms outstretched against the car window was something I became accustomed to.  I took for granted that my little moment of fun would bear me no harm.  This all changed one day when I was in the 5^th grade.

Following my normal routine, I got ready in the house, exited the front door, got a running start across the porch toward the carport and launched myself into the air toward the car.  In an instant, I knew something was wrong.  Up to this point, the window of the vehicle had always been up.  I took it for granted that the window would always be up.  After all, I had heard my mother make the request a thousand times to put up the window.  On that day, as I soared through the air I realized that the car window had been left down.  I contorted my body as best I could to avoid hitting the car, but there is no use in backpedaling when you are in mid-air. 

My hands and arms entered the car.  The rest of my body did not.  My skull crashed into the frame of the vehicle above the empty window space.  I collapsed to the ground in a heap, sure that I was going to die from the impact.  What actually resulted was a lump just over my eye that eventually became my first black eye.  At school, friends and teachers asked how I received my first shiner.  I told them that I got into a fight.  I conveniently left out the detail that this fight was with my mother’s 1986 Pontiac. 

Many of us often find ourselves in the same life situation I did when I was in 5^th grade.  We are going along just fine, doing what we always do, taking for granted the things that have always been in place.  Then, in a single instant we realize we have taken something for granted, believing it would always be there.  By the time we realize it has been removed, it is too late.  There is no way to turn back time, reverse decisions, or change your mind before you come face to face with the outcome you set your life toward.  This scenario is particularly true with our health.

I will never forget having a conversation with a man who was entering his retirement years.  He told me about the many things he had to look forward to.  This would all be possible because he said, “I have my health.  I’ve got a good, strong heart.”  Less than two years later he had a massive heart attack.  He took his health for granted. 

I find myself in that place many times as well.  It is easy to take our health and well being for granted and to not be proactive in developing a healthier lifestyle.  However, when we take our health for granted we will be surely surprised when it is taken away.  While we cannot plan for all the scenarios that may affect our health, but we can certainly be proactive in the things we can control. 

Being healthy requires being proactive in diet, exercise, and awareness.  We do not naturally drift toward better health.  We cannot take it for granted.  We have to take conscious steps to improve our health continually in each stage of our lives.  Put another way, if you are not taking steps toward a healthier you, then you are slowly shifting to un-health.  Don’t take your health for granted!  What proactive steps can you take toward improving your overall fitness?

Balancing Two Necessities for A Healthier You

You hardly ever see them anymore.  In a movement to make all playgrounds safer for the children who use them, most have been removed.  Occasionally, you may find one and when you do it is often being utilized.  Kids love it.  The “See-Saw” was a favorite playground attraction when I was growing up.  Using the weight of a friend to counter balance your own, you could push off the ground to new heights.  Then you could switch and elevate your buddy upward into the atmosphere.  It was part catapult, part balance, and was sure to create recess friendships.  You couldn’t do it alone, you needed the two of you to make it worth playing on.  Otherwise, you were just a loner sitting on a board.

This “See-Saw” picture is what many of us need in our quest for fitness.  Let me explain.  There are two predominant ideas about how to get in better shape by losing excess weight: dieting and exercise.  The tendency is for many people to chose one or the other and place all their goals at the mercy of a single strategy.  This is because we are often led to believe that a single strategy is enough.

Infomercials boast workout machines that can help you get into the best shape of your life.  Never mind that you may have just had a fast-food Number 1 and a Number 7, large-sized, with a milkshake, and an apple pie.  The 30-minute spot seems to suggest working out each day is the only thing that you need in order to look and feel great!

Other programs imply if you simply follow an eating plan, shake system, or make sensible eating choices you are sure to see the pounds roll away.  Never mind that there is a large groove in the couch where your southern end is parked for 5-6 hours an evening.  This follows an 8-hour workday where the greatest physical exertion was a trip to the water cooler.  The program promises that eating their products is the lone silver bullet to your dreams come true.

Both of these strategies are not bad, until they suggest that you do not have to be involved with the other.  There are always two necessities when you are seeking to get into better physical condition: diet and exercise.  Doctors know this, which is why they rarely refer to one without the other when advising a patient to lose some weight.  Like two sides of the See-Saw, these two things must be in constant motion in order for you to obtain your goals.

So here are two questions to ask yourself:

1.     How Am I Tracking My Food Intake?  Whether you are using a system or simply counting calories you need something to track your food intake.  There are a variety of helps online (such as Calorie Calculators) to determine how much you should be taking in so you can begin losing weight.

2.     How Much Time Can I Commit To Exercise? Do this on a weekly basis, spreading it out across three or four days to begin with.  Make sure that you are making significant contributions of your time so that you can reach your goal.  (At least 30 minutes at a time of elevated heart-rate activites.)  If you cannot afford a gym or a product, there are a number of activities that require little to no equipment.  Choose one and get to it.

Our bodies need both good nutrition and physical activity to help us achieve the goals we seek.  Figure out which one you have been neglecting, create a plan to better implement it, and do it.  When you do, your results will improve and you will find yourself on the fast-track to your ideal weight and fitness level.

I Thought The Sign Said 2.62 Miles…

The moment was tense and exciting as the crowd of people anxiously awaited the sound of the gun signifying the beginning of the race.  More than 500 people were bustling behind the Start Line ready to get out on the course and see all their hard work in training pay off.  I was one of them for the first time.  Ahead of me there was a man whose shirt read, “What!?!  I thought the sign said 2.62 Miles!”  Beside me was a retiree with another shirt that said, “Waffle House. I Run So I Can Eat.”  Young, old, tall, short, broad, and skinny – there was a collection of the most unimaginable people possible gathered in Greenville, SC to do one thing… Run a marathon.

This was my inaugural marathon experience.  I had been training since July for the last Saturday in October when the race was to occur.  A lot of good advice had come from friends about what to expect. Still, there was a sense of the unknown as I trotted out onto the racecourse and we all began together.  Weeks of training and 26.2 miles later here is what I learned.

1. Preparation is A Priority – Not more than a mile into the race a middle-aged man pealed off from the pack announcing, “Not today.”  Throughout the race, I saw a number of people who said the same thing in different ways.  Preparation in training is key to any large physical accomplishment.  Admittedly, I skimped on a few training days on my scheduled plan for vacation, visitors from out of town, or rainy mornings.  On those days I ran less than the required distance according to the guide I used.  On race day, I felt each and every missed day of training.  Preparation is more than a nice thought… It has to be a priority.

2. Hydration is Huge – On the day before the race we traveled to a location a little closer to the marathon site.  Since we were out of our element, I didn’t drink the amount fluids I should have consumed.  The morning of the race I drank a lot of water, but my body was not properly hydrated.  As a result, around mile 15 I experienced some major leg cramps.  Nothing in my training prepared me for the cramps.  I had not experienced them before.  For the final 10 miles of the race I struggled to run, walk, and limp through the tension in my legs.  In talking with other runners, I learned that a lack of hydration was the likely culprit.

3. Support Gives You A Surge – During the last mile I was hurting, badly.  The miles already run had left me physically exhausted.  The leg cramps had hurt my time and my pride.  Until mile 15 I maintained the exact pace I desired in order to finish with the time I had in mind.  When the cramps came, it added several minutes to my time.  Slowing down and getting passed by other runners can be demoralizing.  It was in that last mile that I saw my wife and little boy ahead.  My wife rolled the stroller out on the course and ran next to me (in boots) for a couple tenths of a mile.  Her words of support energized me and I surged toward the finish line.  Support is necessary for the training, the race, and the recovery.  Make sure you have it.

I could go on and on about the lessons that I learned through this experience.  However, I wanted to zero in on the above three points because I believe they hold value for anyone seeking to achieve some physical feat.  Preparation, Hydration, and Support have to be in the mix if you are seeking to complete your goal in any physical competition. 

Let me end with this thought… YOU can do it!  I was shocked at the variety of people who competed in and accomplished this marathon.  As I reflected back over the last couple of years, I was surprised to find myself out there with the crowd.  Maybe it isn’t a marathon, but there is something else that you would like to achieve for your health and fitness.  It is more possible than you might imagine.  Unless you have doctor’s orders not to, go for your goals!  They are within reach.  

Courage

“Sure!  We’d love to go for a run with you,” we said.

Even as the words exited my mouth, Beth and I were thinking of a way to get out of it.  Another couple asked us to go for a Saturday morning run with them.  He was a “Wilderness Triathlete” meaning that he ran triathlons through wilderness-style terrain, as if it were not difficult enough under normal circumstance. She had just finished placing first in her age group in her last 5k.  We were experts at napping, lounging, and general leisure.

“We’ll just go for a short run.  Maybe two miles or so,” they replied.

I had never run two miles in my life.  If my life depended on it, I was not sure that I could physically pull it off.  Beth was in better shape than me, but two miles was still a stretch.

“Sounds good” was what we said.  “Get ready to be embarrassed” is what we thought.  For the next couple of days we tried to think of excuses, but none sounded like they would stick.  Besides, if we dodged the other couple this time they would just ask again.  The truth was that we really enjoyed the other couple, but didn’t think we were up to the challenge.  Trapped with no other place to turn, we showed up on that Saturday morning and went for it.

All of us have been there at one time or another.  The desire to get in shape is eclipsed by the fear of embarrassment.  Thinking of going to the gym seems like a good idea until you consider the person next to you who is lifting twice your weight.  Jogging around the neighborhood sounds like a good thought until you begin imagining what the neighbors will think of you as you roll on down the roadway. 

Fear of looking awkward or out-of-shape keeps many from beginning their journey toward improved physical heath.  Sadly, this is a downward spiral.  The more that you feel awkward about physical activity, the less likely you are to do it, the more likely you are to feel awkward about it.  At some point the cycle has to be broken.  This requires a word that many people associate with heroic deeds, but few count as important to get in shape… Courage.

Courage does not mean that you are unafraid about what other people will think.  It simply means that you do what you have to do in spite of how others may react.  Being courageous is an important part of taking the first steps toward improved personal fitness.  Without it, you are liable to shy away from bettering your health forever.

Each of us would like to think that when everything is on the line and there are no other options, we would do something courageous when called upon.  There is a desire to be a hero in our hearts, if the situation calls for one.  Well, truthfully, when it comes to your health, everything is on the line.  It is time to stare down the fears that keep you from taking steps to better yourself and act in spite of them.  Be courageous!

By the way, we did finish the run with our friends.  It wasn’t pretty and we were definitely out of breath.  To our surprise, our friends did not laugh at us, chide us, or revile our lack of physical ability.  Instead, we went to breakfast.  I ordered biscuits and gravy… After all, I just ran two miles…

The Payoff

As the wind cut through my sweatshirt on the a November morning, I wondered to myself… “Why am I doing this?”  The chill made consider going back inside to retreat to the warmth of our home.  There had been dozens of moments before this one where I stepped to the thresh-hold of our home and turned back in light of these kinds of circumstances.  That day, I deeply considered retreating from a morning run once more.  After all… what difference would one day make?  What is the point of making this kind of small investment in the grand scheme of things?

It can be very difficult to see the difference your daily investments in personal health make. As you beat the pavement during a run, you may wonder about the value of your steps.  When aching muscles cry out in protest against your efforts to get in shape, you may be inclined to ask, “Why am I doing this!?!”  When the server comes to offer you desert and you decide you pass, you might feel like that decision is too small to make a difference in life.  Our investment healthy living can be very difficult to see in the mirror each day.  But consider the payoff…

Looking in the mirror and not feeling ashamed of the pathway you are on.

Keeping up with your son or daughter on the court or the field.

Being able to actively participate in your children’s life milestones.

Sitting down on the floor to play with your grandchildren.

Living out fulfilling days with your spouse in the latter years of life.

Reducing the risk of diseases that have ravaged the life of many of those around you.

Feeling like you gave your best effort with the life that you have been given.

Setting the example for your family to develop healthy habits.

And so much more….

What would you add to the list?  The reasons abound to get healthy and stay healthy.  The greatest payoff for a healthier you come in terms of life moments that you get to live to the fullest.  Keep striving!  It is worth it!