My friend Rich over at Slice of Life posted an amazing recap of a 20 mile mountain run he did recently in the mountains of North Carolina. I encourage you all to go over and read his post. It was very inspiring and as I commented, it makes it seem like there are amazing experiences to be had by all if we can only step a bit outside of our comfort zones and push ourselves beyond our preconceived limits.
It made me think of an article I read in Men's Health magazine a couple of years ago, called The Men Who Live Forever by Christoper McDougall: "In the hills of Mexico, a tribe of Indians carries an ancient secret: a diet and fitness regimen that has allowed them to outrun death and disease. We set out to discover how the rest of us can catch up." This article really struck a chord in me, ironically at a time when I wasn't living a very healthy lifestyle and was so stressed out I had started grinding my teeth in my sleep. I have always been awed by endurance athletes such as professional cyclists, Ironman triathletes and ultramarathon runners. It is amazing to me to see just what the human body can do when it is properly trained and well nourished. Of course there is a mental aspect as well, a mind over matter way of thinking that these athletes need to propel them beyond the physical limits that they, or others, may have set. Please take the time and read the article. If you do, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
My husband and I caught a marathon of The Biggest Loser over the holidays and I was so moved by it, it is one of my new favorites. To see these formally obese people embracing healthy eating and exercise, seeing the remarkable progress that they make over a very short time and not only that but continuing to lose long after the show is over makes me believe that if everyone was just properly educated, and believed that they deserve to be healthy and happy, that the obesity epidemic in this country would be solved. The contestants on the show become so empowered when they realize that a healthy body is achievable and they can do it if they put their minds to it, to see that lightbulb go on, it just makes me happy. And hopeful.
I am in a very healthy place right now, eating well, exercising regularly and doing my best to keep things in perspective and limit the stressors in my life. It feels great to be taking care of myself and makes me wonder how I have ever fallen off the healthy living track in the past. It makes me want to do more, to treat my body with even more respect and set some lofty physical goals for myself and find out just how far I can go, if I put my mind to it.
Comment by Trogog: Lady can go far! Walk up mountains, find cavemans! Red Rocks cavemans!
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