Friday, July 9, 2010

The Price of Fitness

When you are young, fitness hardly gets a second thought. I didn't anyway. I was strong and able to everything I wanted and needed to do. I didn't get tired; I didn't get sore. I didn't know what weakness was. I was blessed with an unending store of energy and strength that surprised even myself at times. My life continued in this way until I reached my late 50's. I didn't realize it at the time that anything would ever change. But it did. I had to work harder to get things done that I would have never given a thought to doing. So from that point until now, I have found myself no longer as fit as I wanted to be. I wasn't as strong as I used to be. I didn't have the energy I used to have...so now I have to work at being fit.

There is a drive within me to return to a level of fitness that allow me to do all I want to do without being tired or sore from strenuous activity. Now I have to pay a price for fitness. It isn't an easy price. It isn't cheap. It requires time and dedication and motivation. And because I wasn't able to maintain my fitness...now I have to pay the price. Surgery and illness stripped it from me; now I have to find it again. So I am paying the price...day by day to retain what has been lost. It's not an easy thing to do at my age; but it is an attainable goal. I have embarked on a walk and ride across America on a virtual trip to regain my strength and stamina. Eventually I hope to get to the place where I can do some running along with the walking and riding. I'm following a virtual road map across America from Virginia to California. So far I have completed two of the 18 segments of the trip and have embarked on the third leg of the journey. Each day as I push onward I am challenged to find the balance of doing enough and not doing too much. I've been sidelined several times from pushing too hard (it's my inner youth crying for manifestation!). The last two days I had to sit out because I walked too much too fast and paid the price. The time and effort I have to put in has a price. Finding time to do some miles every day has a price. As I said in the beginning: fitness has a price.

But I say this in response to that price...it is worth every moment and every effort and every thought that I put into regaining fitness. If you need to regain your fitness or even if you've never really been fit...you are welcome to join me and we can make the journey together. The links below have information about the virtual road map I am following and the second one is a journal of my daily thoughts along the way. I hope you will read them and if need be get inspired to become fit and strong.

I don't intend to go through the remainder of my life and not be able to meet my future life's challenges. I will pay the price for fitness and I will run the race of my life in strength and in fortitude. How about you?

fitness program

fitness journal