Sunny Saturday

Thanksgiving was great, and Black Friday went just as I planned, I didn't do anything. I got up late and had a restful day. On Saturday, however, I was up early, read the paper, and got started on a full host of activities including running, yard work, and the movies.

Although I try to stay active throughout the day, running is my main form of exercise. Like diet and nutrition, my running experience has evolved over time, and I have seen my share of ups and downs. So I would like to tell my story by starting in the here and now, and describe what I did yesterday.

I run 5 miles a day, 5 or 6 days a week, on a tree lined paved trail that is shared by cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, and dog walkers. My run is slightly downhill on the outbound, and thus uphill on the return. There are a few small streams along the way and a few rather nice homes close to the trail.

I'll walk about 1/4 of a mile before and after the run, to and from my car, as a form of warm up/down. I'll start out pretty slow for about a 1/2 mile + and try to finish strong. I do not time my run, or look forward to running in any kind of race in the future. Many people, young and old, pass me by, and that's perfectly okay. I do run with a smile and try to say hi, or at least just nod to everyone as we pass each other by. I no longer bring my Ipod, I just relax, run, and enjoy my surroundings. I have perfectly flat feet, but I don't worry about under/over pronation or worry about heal/mid foot/ or toe strike. I studied about all of those things and came to the conclusion that for me the best way to run is the Nike way "Just Do It". After my run I'll take a hot shower, do a series of stretches, and call it a day.

How I came to this relaxed place as a runner was an evolution of trail and error, learning to understand myself, and the effect of some outside influences. I look forward to sharing this part of my story on my road to healthy living.

An amazing web site: www.takethemagicstep.com

Take The Magic Step is an international organization founded by Uta Pipping. Uta was the world #1 ranked marathoner, having won 3 consecutive Boston races, the NYC marathon, and many others as well.. Her organization has an amazing amount of information on healthy living, running, yoga, nutrition, etc.. They are also involved in a number of charitable efforts worldwide.

I didn't get to finish my raking, it was getting late and we needed to get to the theater to see Lincoln. It's a great film about a great man by a great film maker.

Happy feet,  Don T