We all are busy with jobs and family obligations. It is very difficult to find time for a walk or squeeze a trip to the gym in the schedule.
How many times I hear: "Yes, I need to start walking" or "I have a gym membership, I need to start going..." And next day an invitation from a friend to have lunch/dinner or another "can't-live'without TV show" postpones us from taking some actions...
Day after day as we delay any physical activities to make our heart work to melt all the consumed calories into the energy we mount pound after pound on our bodies...
My friend Lisa is a very busy mom, spouse, daughter, and a director of hospitalist program at the local hospital.
One week she works 12 hours shift for seven days straight, that leaves her with time to sleep and a very little time for family and friends.
Next week she is off but has all those administrative duties as the director, so she is not really off. Let me put it this way, she is off from treating patients.
How much time do you think she has for herself?
However, this April she decided to start running. She didn't just run, she had a schedule posted on her fridge, and she marked every day's routine after it was done. She also told me that she posted on her Face Book page her goals to help her to stay on track. Lisa made her health a priority, day after day.
In June Lisa run her first 5K. I was so proud and so happy for her! First achievement is the hardest one and therefore it is the most rewarding!
Then Lisa signed up for a 10K. Summer in Fort Smith was extremely hot and Lisa bought herself a treadmill to continue practicing.
I was receiving short text messages with numbers only but I knew exactly what it meant: 5.2; 6.0; 8.4 - What? I thought 10K was 6.2 miles.
When I asked her about 8.4 number, she said she changed her mind and signed up for a half marathon in San Antonio! Clarification: half marathon is 13.1 miles (21 km)!
And yes, she did it!
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| Lisa after running her first half marathon... San Antonio, November 2011 |
Practicing for marathon takes dedication and hard work (although Lisa thinks it's fun and I totally agree with her).
And if busy Lisa can find two hours every day to run or exercise six days a week, I have no excuses at all.
This morning I geared up and went to the gym to do my personal best for today!
Have you done something good for your body today?
Until next time,
Cowboy Country Vegetarian
Marina, thank you so much for this wonderful post! I appreciate your support and encouragement along the way. None of it would be possible if you and I didn't sit down on a cold winter day for some Vietnamese food and didn't decide to change our lives forever.
ReplyDeleteTime for exercise is there, you just have to have your priorities straight. To me it is run first and then do everything else afterwards. Be it family time, work or friends. After all, you need to be healthy to be able to work and enjoy life ;)
Wow - that's an amazing post and Lisa is a rock star! I know what you mean, I don't work at all and manage to find excuses. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ann and Lisa for your comments. It means a lot to me!
ReplyDeleteOh, I had a full body massage! And I really enjoyed it!! :-)
ReplyDeleteEfty, everything counts!
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