Lane 8 Is Happy

Lane 8 is happy the left heel pain was minimal yesterday.  It’s sort of funny how easy it can be to find joy and happiness.  We get so busy in our daily activities that we can rob ourselves of the simplest of joys.

Every morning I check out the window as dawn gives way to sunrise. The sunrise is always beautiful, even when it is “ordinary”.

Two days ago there was a Facebook post on my wall, asking for prayers for a teenage friend who committed suicide.  This is a horrific tragedy.  One none of us can comprehend.

The basic act of thinking of a Family (one you never met) and the grief that is overwhelming everyone they know, can be a humble joy. Believing that your thoughts and feelings for them may in some way comfort them.

Part of what makes Lane 8 blog posts about health and wellness so much fun to write about is that every once in awhile, if I feel like it, there is editorial license to blog about something else.  This also makes Lane 8 happy.

Stay Focused – Lane 8

Lane 8, you need to stay focused. You have to. You need to.  This is the arguement that goes on, constantly, in my head.

Lane 8, you have to.  No, Lane 8, you need to. It’s like this vicious circle that can’t be broken.

You know what would be the easy thing to do?  Just drop it.  Just walk away. Simply move on to some other thing that would be infinitely easier, way more fun, and probably take less time too.

The reality?  There is not quitting.  Ever.  Period.  End of story.  Get a grip. The list of phrases that speak to me is endless.

Just last Thursday I was reminded of exactly why I can never quit. A high cholesterol report.

Got Ideas?

Got ideas?  Yes indeed.  The challenge is ideas aren’t worth the paper they’re written on if you can’t make them work.  This is true in our business life and our personal life.

People constantly come up with ideas to run the government better. Or ideas to help their favorite sports team do better. Or ideas their boss ought to use to become a better leader.

But when do we actually use any of these ideas on ourselves?  When do we look at ourselves with the same level of scrutiny as we do others? When?

And when do we ever attempt to take one of our ideas and apply it to ourselves?  When?  Seriously, when?

My advice is simply this.  I don’t give advice unless a person’s situation is life threatening, or, they ask me for advice.

So, when talking to myself – which is everyday, all day – I’m constantly looking for ways to become better.  Lane 8 is only one of five daily blogs I write.  Why?  Because it’s an idea that’s being implemented.

Level Of Fitness @ Lane 8?

Yesterday’s Lane 8 blog post ended with me promising to share today the level of fitness that was unknowingly gained on the journey to become a world class Master’s athlete.

And by the way, the goal was never to become a world class Master’s athlete.  The goal was, and always will be, about getting and staying healthy to contend with the hereditary predisposition to both physical and mental illnesses.  I am, after all, 50 years old.  🙂

Here’s a jeff noel midlife You Tube video which highlights the strength of the body’s core.  And just before heading to Lahti, Finland for the 2009 WMA Master’s Track & Field World Championships, I increased the time from “20-count” (in this clip) to 30-count:

Guarantee you, if you try to put both feet up at a 90-degree angle, you won’t be able to hold it for more than a “2-count”. Don’t believe me? Try it. Carpe diem!

Skipping Is Easy

Skipping a day of exercise is an easy thing to do.  In fact, it’s actually one of the easiest things to do.  How do I know? Because I did it yesterday.

It was easy.

Just don’t go to the gym.  How hard is that?  It’s not.

However, the intent was to pick up our son at school and head to Gold’s Gym like we commonly do.  The reason I really wanted to go is because I hadn’t been in four days.

Too much time in between workouts does several things:

  • Too much rest negates previous efforts
  • Too much rest makes us lazy
  • Too much rest makes it easier to skip

Skipping a day of exercise is an easy thing to do.  When it comes to taking care of yourself, are you an example or a warning?