6.12
There's a quote I appreciate that circulated a lot some years ago:
"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"
This is a calling to genuine and daily gratitude, and is a valuable way to live life. This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, and all the freedoms we gain from the hard-fought liberties we enjoy in America. We remember the sacrifices made on our behalf, whether centuries ago on foreign lands, or in our present day, right around the corner.
I often share guidance from Dr. Josh Axe, and he has a great article on the benefits of Positivity, see the full article here: 6 Health Benefits of Positivity
Gratitude is fundamental to living a positive life, and it works much better when we have a peer group to share in our thankfulness. When we identify our tribe, and if together we are a positive bunch, we will all benefit from the life we share. (Remember that we become the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with.)
So as we launch into summer 2019, wherever we are on our wellness journey, whether advancing or retreating or resetting, make it a goal to be grateful for right where we are. Find a group to help keep you accountable not only to your wellness, but also to an uplifting life and future.
By the Way
Our neighbors who serve in the military have done so sacrificially... be sure to remember everything soldiers and their families invest in our nation, and thank them.
6.11
Living a wellness lifestyle works. My journey started about 2010, and now, less than 10 years in, it has truly become a lifestyle that is repeatable and sustainable.
Yesterday my family and I enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day visit with my mom, my wife and our daughters. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and just right for traveling, visiting and dinner out. We found a nice restaurant with great, freshly prepared dishes, all with a bit of a German flair.
Making healthful choices is important to me, and I consistently try to consume 90% of my nutrition from foods my body will appreciate. The other 10% can be whatever happens to be available, or an occasional 'cheat' meal, etc. Yesterday's dinner out had some of both - a great steak with sweet potato fries, and a berry cobbler with ice cream for dessert.
Others around the table had wonderful entrees of chicken or fish or salad, and all were healthful and nutritious. We're thankful for the few, if any, health issues we have in our family, and that for years our kids have seen us model healthy eating choices and are now able to repeat those kinds of healthful choices themselves.
And my overwhelming proof that a wellness lifestyle works, is the training and race journey I've been through lately with my Spartan Ultra. While fulfilling a fairly grueling training schedule, I was also focused on eating well and eating clean for about 5-6 months. By the time I got to mid-April, I was literally the healthiest I've ever been in my life. While I thought the fairly harsh training might strain muscles and ligaments, and sideline me from completing the race, that was far from reality. My body rewarded my clean eating with strength, stamina and endurance.
So here's to healthful choices and the benefits we reap. We have the opportunity to revolutionize our wellness journey through faithful healthy choices.
By the Way
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Your commitment and dedication may seem to go unnoticed, but please know that you are loved and appreciated!
6.10
AROO! Last Saturday, April 27th, I completed my first (maybe my only) Spartan Ultra. It was 14 hours of grueling trail running on the ski slopes of Mtn. Creek Resort in northern NJ, and I loved every minute of it. (An 'Ultra', in the endurance running world, is any race longer than a standard marathon's 26 miles...)
The race was 30 miles (my Garmin logged 32) with over 60 obstacles, and 10,500'+ of elevation gain. We ran, climbed, slogged through mud and cold water, ran more, climbed more, lifted, dragged and ran and climbed some more. All the while I know I was eating some dirt too... It was truly an experience of a lifetime.
[One power pantry item to note is the value of 'eating dirt'. I've been aware of this vital connection to the earth for many years, but haven't written about it yet. There is a whole body of research on the value of soil-based organisms, and being sure to include these in our regular diet. For some great reading on this, check out Dr. Josh Axe's article on 'Eating Dirt' here. He even has a book out which covers the topic in detail.]
But back to the Ultra:
Interestingly, I got to race with two well-know You Tubers, Mack and Damer of OCRKings, who posted a video of the NJ Ultra obstacles. Mack and Damer are accomplished OCR (obstacle course race) participants who travel all around the US, and enjoy the thrill of obstacle course racing as much as I do. Check out their post from this past week: Spartan Ultra - NJ, all obstacles. You'll see I didn't make their video...
Note that Mack and Damer didn't finish (!) - so they only went through the obstacles one time, and logged about 17 miles. They decided it was too cold, and tapped-out just past the half-way mark at about 7 hours. Granted there is about a 30-50% DNF (did not finish) rate on Spartan Ultra's, and there were numerous racers brought down off the mountain for exposure and hypothermia...
I trained faithfully for over six months for this race, but I realize my success comes from more than the training; my wellness lifestyle (with some Spartan guidance) gives me what I need to complete something like a Spartan Ultra. So it isn't about six months of focus, it's about a daily dedication to wellness.
Your bucket list surely has some great things on it as well, and hopefully 2019 is your year to check one or more of them off. Commit today to focus on those goals, develop the physical skills and necessary disciplines to succeed at it, and go get 'em.
By the Way
This race is likely a bucket-list item that I'll not soon repeat. I don't think I'm done running ultra trail distances, but the Spartan Ultra presents the opportunity to beat up your body, a lot. I got away with no broken bones, but I'm still healing from many abrasions and a nasty bone bruise on my right shin. It's all part of the race, and I welcomed every minute of it.
