Add Life to Our Years

7.1

I'm now in my 10th year of my wellness journey, and it's encouraging to see how the benefits and return on my investment are compounding. I'll probably run 5 Spartan races this year, and I'll complete my third Spartan trifecta (a combo of a short mid-range and long Spartan race, in the same calendar year.)

As our kids grow up and move on with their own lives, it's interesting to see them choosing sushi as a take-out food of choice, instead of the box of deep-fried stuff from the convenience store, or anything from a fast food place. And our older daughter is trying out being a vegetarian, just to see how it goes.

Around work, I end up having wellness conversations weekly. Some folks are starting their own wellness journey, and I'm honored and grateful that I might be able to speak into that. Others are refining a certain aspect of their physical activity, or following up on doctors orders to overcome a recently revealed health challenge.

I crossed paths with a good friend the other day who happens to be a runner and cyclist. He's turning 60, and looks like he's in his late 40's. To celebrate his big year, he's working through what he can give, what he can get, and where he can go. And his wellness pursuits will include an 'extreme' race or two (think 24 hour trail run, etc.) I appreciate friends like him who give me a vision of what's possible.

Yesterday, while it was snowy and slushy in PA, I did my Saturday morning sandbag run, and then went to our local climbing and obstacle course gym with two of my kids. We're thinking about a Spartan Stadion race for late spring, so now is the time to get training and develop our work outs for the next four months.

That's what a wellness journey looks like... It has some adventure, some friends, many unknowns, and pulls us to what's possible. How about your journey? Are you grasping a vision for your health that will stretch what's possible, grow your capacity and likely add years to your life and life to your years?

By the Way

Wherever you are in your journey, start there. Two business friends are starting a new phase of wellness to lose weight or find some more energy. Those goals send us back to the fundamentals of clean eating, great choices, and finding our own wellness groove. Then,  as we build our own wellness tribe around ourselves, we gain momentum, accomplish goals, and set new ones. At some point, we live into being our best selves, and taking others along with us.

On Track

6.16

Nine years into my wellness habit, I'm fitter and stronger than any other season of my life. I was often sickly as a kid (tonsils removed, appendix removed, life-threatening accidents and surgeries... it was rough.) In college, while my general health stabilized, I started with underlying gut issues that persisted until just a few years ago. That's a long time to weather a daily grind of ill-health.

Now things are different. After all the years of research and challenging my food and physical activity choices, I'm fitter, stronger, pain-free and loving life. My mental focus is consistently on-point. My joints and back are healthy and perform great, even under consistent physical exertion.

What's the secret? There is no secret... It's just a relentless pursuit of a simplified pantry, eating real food that my body appreciates, and regular physical activity that challenges me weekly, monthly and yearly.

What we eat matters... be aware that we are, literally, what we eat. My diet is mostly Paleo-style right now. Meat and veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and sugar. I have found that my body does well if I avoid grass grains (wheat, oats, rice, corn, etc.) and nightshade veggies (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and such). 

Combine this with a commitment to Spartan training and physical rigors of a good sweat 6-7 times a week, and I've found something to sustain me for years to come. My muscles are toned, and my gut is healthy. I have endurance to take on all kinds of challenges (including the mental and emotional ones that come with work and family life - ie, improved wellness improves numerous facets of our lives.)

Your journey is different, yet we all benefit from investing in a clean pantry, vigorous physical exercise and goals big enough to lead us on. So make great goals today. Find a wellness buddy, and better yet, a whole wellness tribe. Challenge yourself to something you thought you could never do, then go do it. Make wellness a habit, and you'll be on track to exceptional physical and mental health.

By the Way

I have my next Spartan race coming up this weekend. I'll be at the Palmerton Super to log my 2nd of 3 races this season (for a 2019 Spartan Trifecta). While this wasn't my original plan for this year, I'm in race-day shape physically, and excited to hit the mountain hard (this race is at the Blue Mountain ski resort, so the course trails are literally up and down the ski slopes).

Roll with It

6.15

We're almost half way through 2019, can you believe it? I have realized in the last several weeks, since I ran the Spartan Ultra in April, that I need a new goal. I had my race calendar lined up for 2019, I thought, and then things changed.

Originally, I was going to do a couple of Spartan team events (they call them Hurricane Heats), but circumstances for our summer schedule have ebbed and flowed, and now those events may or may not work. Even with all that up in the air, I'm still training hard. I decided to roll with it.

I've realized after years of having a fitness habit, that it's best to keep in shape and keep things going. If I pull back and don't have a daily and weekly investment in my fitness, it is harder and harder to get back into the groove. In the next couple of weeks I'm going to look at the summer and fall schedules and see what will fit, and I'm confident that the final plan will likely be way better than the initial plan.

How about your fitness and wellness this year? There is plenty of time to make 2019 your best year yet, with a few PRs and some traveling adventures, and maybe some new wellness habits in your pantry. Recommit today to your health, to creating and living out great habits, and to taking someone along on your journey.

By the Way

Even when you don't have a well-designed workout or race plan, regular and consistent fitness will keep you ready for when the right opportunity arises. Keep your head in the game!