Seatbelt Required to Read this Post

...just bear with me here...I need to vent/rant/rave.

I pretty much Facebook like I blog.  What this means is that my Facebook is pretty much status updates about a run, a swim, a race, articles/links about nutrition, exercise studies, you get the idea...very rarely do I put anything out there that lets people in on the comings and goings of the other hours of my day/night/weekend.

Therefore, on NUMEROUS occasions I get comments about how running has taken over my life, how I may or may not shove what I guess is taken as arrogance about the importance of being active/healthy can be to a persons overall health.  Trust me when I tell you this is not the case.  Its information.  Daily I read status updates about political views, religious views, etc.  I do not, and never will slam someone for what they believe to be gospel.

Most recently as yesterday, a particular comment got me all kinds of riled up.  It was about day 31 of  31 days of running.  Now...heres the thing...most days I ran 4-6 miles, thats 45min to an hour give or take.  A day.  A couple of days (2-3 I think) I ran a mile.  Oh boy...stop the presses...I just wasted 10 min of my day...and on Saturday mornings I would spend a couple of hours running at hours where the majority of the population is still in bed.  Man...I dont know... 7-8 hours of running a week...well crap on a stick, thats just dumb.

le sigh.

Here is what I want to know....how does that little bit of time constitute 'taking over my life'...the way I see it, its an INVESTMENT in MY life...AAAAAAAAAAAAND...I enjoy doing it...I have more energy...I feel better...I look better...I'm healthier for it.  For the most part, an extra hour in bed is not necessary...an extra hour in front of the television?  Nope.  My DVR is full because OUTSIDE of that hour a day, I DO have a life outside of running...Just because I dont Facebook every time I eat a taco, go to Starbucks, go to dinner, meet friends...doesnt mean that I am sooooo tired from 'running all the time' that I am comatose on the couch not able to socialize...I have a very full life.

I don't particularly care for the innuendos that I have no life...again the way I see it, is there are a lot more people out there that aren't LIVING life...

What I want to say to so many is that if you choose to do whatever it is with your life; sleep late, come home from work, so tired, that you only want to lay on the couch, ok.  But I guaran-damn-tee you that if more people spent ONE hour a day or every other day doing something physical, even just walking, you wouldnt be tired all the time, you would feel better...you'd live life, instead of life living you.  You wouldnt be so cranky, you might not even have some of the health issues you currently have.

I fully believe that due to my WOE and my choices as it pertains to health is one of the reasons why I havent encountered any allergy issues this year for the first time in I dont know how long...

Yes, I know its hot outside.  Yes, I know its uncomfortable.  Yes, Yes, Yes.  But I promise you that pushing through things such as that will make you feel victorious that your mind, YOUR MIND, has power over any thing uncomfortable.  People for the most part, I think, are just afraid to do something that doesnt feel good...eventually it WILL feel good though...and yes, somedays its gonna suck.  Even for me.  Even for everyone...

They say it takes an average of 21 days to form a habit...I think that if for 21 days someone spent an hour a day doing something GOOD for them, and give up an hour of sleep and/or television, drinking at the bar...whatever it is...you would understand maybe why I do what I do...

I know people are tired.  I'm tired sometimes.  But I'm tired for a different reason.  Being tired from doing nothing is NOT good...that is unhealthy.  Most of these people are younger than I am too...wth?  I am in my 40's people...and I feel, most days like I am in my 20's...some days its 30's...and yes, some days I do feel my age, but that doesnt happen often...its been proven that a poor diet, non activity, just to name a couple will subtract at LEAST 12 years off your life...

I am not going to a) stop FB'ing what I want or b) start FB'ing what I dont feel is anyones business...what I do in my private life is just that...private.  I blogged for YEARS (this is my 3rd blog) about private, extremely private things and as life changed, so did I...therefore the blogs have evolved into more about information and documentation of running/healthy living...rather than all the drama that honestly, drained me and WAS a complete waste of time...I am sorry if my lifestyle makes you feel like a slug...not the intent...

I spent WAY too many years drunk, smoking, very little sleep, being unhealthy is SO many ways, that becoming more in tune with what is important to me and being OK with that regardless of what others may think has finally allowed me to be who I was always meant to be.

At the end of the day I feel that if more people 'wasted' an hour a day on trying something outside of their comfort zone, they might just very well be ADDING hours/days/weeks/years to their life.

And maybe, just maybe if more people did that...there wouldnt be a huge oil spill in the Gulf or Tiger Woods wouldnt have had 20+ hookers on the side...

OK well maybe it wouldnt have changed either of those, but thats the kind of stuff along with so much other crap I read on Facebook that TO ME, makes no damn sense either...

OK, so after all of that, I swam for an hour today...no I havent run.  Nor do I think I will...Wasting that time in the pool was physical enough for me... :o)

We'll return to our normal running schedule tomorrow...

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And for the runner readers of this blog, I leave you with this little ditty:
You're running on guts. On fumes. Your muscles twitch. You throw up. You're delirious. But you keep running because there's no way out of this hell you're in, because there's no way you're not crossing the finish line. It's a misery that non-runners don't understand.