Rain Or Shine

Rain or shine, this is where I am most afternoons. In fact, as I write this post I'm getting ready to put on my running shoes and walk out the door. I'm fortunate to live in a town that's not far from several parks and has countless walking, biking, and hiking trails. Not to mention the high school track. I basically schedule my day around my youngest daughter's school schedule and this track. Boring? Not to me. When I walk in the woods I'm constantly looking at my feet so I don't trip, so I really appreciate being able to look around without falling down.

Just about a year and a half ago, walking around this track just once had me gasping for breath. But that's how my year-of-better-health came to be. Now I can actually run around it, but I'm not a runner. I'm a very fast walker who occasionally runs to test my endurance. I can walk 2 miles in about 30 minutes. Is that good? Bad? It's good enough. I also do a series of exercises that my generation would have called calisthenics or aerobics. Although I do like my Bowflex and Ab Glider, too, I just prefer to be able to sit, lie, or stand on the floor and get something done. Oh, and I love my bike.

In addition to exercise, I eat as healthy as I possibly can. The reason I bring this up is that I am constantly being asked, "What did you do?". I wised up. I realized I wasn't 20, or even 40 anymore. I was a middle-aged, soon-to-be-statistic if I didn't do something about it. So I did. I switched doctors and then I went to see a naturopath, chiropractor, and acupuncturist. I threw away all of the processed food in the house. I started shopping at the organic grocery store. And I kept at it.

I drink lots and lots of water and I make my everyday food more interesting by cooking recipes like Orange Chicken Stir Fry. I eat clean meats (certified organic), lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, good fats (olive oil, almonds, avocado), and no processed foods. Do I cheat? Sometimes. But I pay for it. My body now craves good food like it used to crave bad food. In all honesty, I didn't cheat for the first 6 months at least. (Email me if you really, truly want to know what I eat each day.)

As the temperatures start to drop, I'll have to put away my bike and exchange my running shoes for a pair of warm boots, but I will be out there every day I can until the snow prevents me from walking on the bare asphalt. I'm told we're in for a snowy winter. That's when I'll hit the snowmobile trails at the state park while my dogs keep me company—rain or shine.