After the before and after
Today I found myself surfing the Obesity Help forums. I am not a very frequent poster these days but like to catch up on the happenings of my OH pals and offer support to newbies and those struggling. These forums have been great support to me through my weight loss surgery journey. I have formed strong friendships with several of my OH chat buddies.
Standing over your shadow
Last Friday was a spectacular spring vacation day. The sunny warm morning was perfect for a run. I had a 5K on Sunday and had been pretty remiss about running this past week. I desperately needed the practice and set out for a 3 mile run through my neighborhood.
Peace + Love + Summer + Bicycle
No, this is not an episode of TLC’s My Strange Obsession reality series. A few months back the series featured man who was sexually involved with his car. I am not suggesting that type of love affair with your bicycle. I am encouraging you to fall in love riding your bike this summer. Let’s look at the ways this love affair can spice up your life.
Succeeding by helping others succeed
Last summer a friend and I cycled an eight day 325 mile bicycle tour. Both of us are bariatric surgery post-ops in our mid-50s, casual cyclists, and having no experience in a ride of this length. Like most guys, we figured we knew enough and could improvise those not-so-clear details. This was going to be the ultimate male bonding wilderness trek.
Experiencing the inside-out approach to life
I love exploring the dynamics of change. I am a liberal person and am a believer in supporting change through politics, religion and in just about any other scenario. I realize that this is at odds with my analytical nature of over thinking and often erring on the side of caution. The truth is that change is what moves this world forward.
Inspiration, perspiration, dedication and celebration
A partially cloudy eastern sky came alive with the morning colors as the sun awoke in Kent, Ohio. In the pre-dawn hours, I had prepared myself for my first 5K. Running shoes laced and tied – check. Blue and gold identifying my allegiance to my alma mater– check. iPhone queued to my C25K playlist – check. It appeared that I was ready. The big question of the morning was if I was mentally ready for the day.
Of knots and nots
I can never just approach something new with a “what happens is what is going to happen” attitude. In my mind, knowledge, precision, and planning swirl about conjuring up a seemingly endless assortment of scenarios. I am a pretty anal retentive person. This is both a weakness and strength to me. I am getting pretty good at exploiting my traits when they are a strength and minimizing them when they are a weakness.
Five weeks ago I started a Couch to 5K training program. As predictable as I could be, I began immersing myself in running web sites and discussion forums. I also discovered John “The Penguin” Bingham and his books. You can find my reflections on his latest book in an earlier post on this blog. I am a fan of his running philosophy and writing style.
and there will be cake
Those are the words that my coworkers use to tell me that a special celebration is at hand. I work is a typical corporate America office. Healthy eating isn’t particularly a top priority. Doughnuts and bagels, preferably Panera Cinnamon Crunch, are standard birthday celebration fare. Pizza is the go-to choice for recognition lunches. If the occasion is special, there will be cake.
Reflections on the book, An Accidental Athlete
I was quite surprised to find myself reading An Accidental Athlete, a book about running. Since adopting an active life after bariatric surgery in 2008, I cycle regularly and hike when I get a chance. Three weeks ago I started a couch to 5K program which trains participants to run a 5K in two months. I had set completing a 5K as a personal goal for 2012.
Giving yourself permission to slow down
There is no denying we live in a fast-paced world. Work, home, and extracurricular activities place a demand on our time. Add to that the demand we internally place on ourselves. This is a fundamental problem that we need to understand. Too many demands can make for an unhappy person.
