Friendship and Fitness

There's nothing more heartwarming than sharing the endorphin rush of a good walk, workout, bike, or run with the ones you love. It is a great way to be updated on current events, brainstorming for a solution, venting over hardships and conflicts, or just having a great laugh over situations that are funny enough to share. Creativity can be enhanced, fresh ideas can rise to the surface and friendships can be empowered. Time flies and what can be drudgery can be fun and rewarding. It's a powerful way to get fit and happy, all in one package! It works with dogs, too. They're great listeners!

"The Sweet Spot"

There's nothing more rewarding than accomplishing a physical challenge: one that involves nothing but you and your body (oh, and gravity!). If we seriously, intentionally, make a challenge for ourselves and set the goal to achieve it, IT CAN BE DONE!  Realistic, true goal setting.
In yoga, the challenges often are postures that defy gravity and body weight/build, etc. But given a challenging posture and a DESIRE to achieve that pose can be one of the most simplest rushes one can experience. The self satisfaction of knowing that no one and nothing had anything to do with this but "me, myself, and I". I become motivated, very present with myself and start the inner dialogue ("Can I do this" or "Why am I doing this"). Then comes the conversation with myself ("No, I think the pelvis should tilt more" or  "I need to engage my core more and stop thinking about my feet").  Believe me, much effort and energy is needed to have these conversations with myself. But then comes the stillness of the "SWEET SPOT": all becomes quiet..........the inner dialogue diminishes.... the adjustments have been made...and BAM! I'm in my pose with effortlessness. SWEEEET!  

Able minded/Able bodied

Okay. Race is done! 13.1 miles in Central Park and I did it!! It was so zen. What I find so amazing about the whole experience is the physical preparation I went through (with alot of help from my walking buddy! - Thank you!!), the mental preparation, then the mental/physical preparation (aka "the head trip").  Do we psych ourselves up for an event or do we psych ourselves out? Hmmmm! Through this whole process I realized it was both - all the way up to the last minute!
I was well prepared physically, nutritionally, psychologically for the race. Then came the "head trip" of "what if.....?" "What if I can't do 13.1 miles?" "What if it is too cold?" "What if it's too hot?" "What if it rained?" The answers to all the "what if's" became : THEN DON'T DO IT!  I already walked 13.1 on my home turf, who needed this old race? Blah! Blah!Blah!
All the way up until the day of the race came these questions/doubts. But then it dawned on me that I am ABLE to do this (I did it at home, why not NYC?). I am ABLE to get through this whether or not I finish in time. I am able to get through this because I had my kids there rooting me on! How could I not succeed?
The reality of all this is not that I was able bodied, but able minded. My mind just needed to RE-MIND my body. Mind over matter = success!
And so these fleeting thoughts passed. The race was run. The day was absolutely perfect. The support team (my 3 kids) were by my side. It was a complete success.
And so the  moral to the story really is to have that glass of chianti and that tiramisu the night before a big race and everything will be alright!!