....Or, St. Augustine supposedly wrote. Translation: "It's solved by walking."
Over the years, I have never been 'obese'. Plump, occasionally; Paunchy, sometimes 'guilty, as charged'; 'out of shape', well, round tummy is a shape. Then, a few years ago, a cardiologist noted that I was experiencing PVC's (premature ventrical contractions) at a greater than normal rate. [You have them, so I'm told. Everyone apparently has the occasional 'skipped heart beat'.] Medication has reliably brought the matter under control. And, I dropped a few pounds. Then, gradually, ever so gradually, I began 'packing on a few'.
Came the inevitable day when the cardiologist reprimanded, no, outright scolded me for the girth. Furthermore, he did it in the presence of my wife and enlisted her as part of the 'team' that would help me trim down. (In her defense, we ate no fried foods and other 'unhealthy stuff'.) Well, I took offense at his audacity and delayed the 'suggestion' for a time. Then, in September of 2011, I earnestly launched into 'the program'. And, over the next year and few months, I 'lost' 30 pounds. . .Nothing Spartan, just being attentive to portion size, sweets, etc. and walking for a half-hour to an hour for three or four times weekly. Beginning around last Christmas, I have 're-located' several of those pounds. Nothing huge, just enough that I can feel the difference. And, there are several good 'reasons', 'rationalizations', 'excuses' . . .'it's been a cold Winter'; 'chocolate is good'; 'I am too tired to walk after a long work day' . . .
After avoiding the scales for a few weeks, I 'stepped up' last Friday. OUCH ! Being away from work for a few days this week, I decided that the time has come to 'get back on the wagon'. To wit, for the past three days, I have walked 5, 4, and 4 miles and restricted desserts and 'second helpings'. My goal is to retrieve the 185 # mark that I had earlier achieved.
In earlier posts, I noted that once I was a long-distance runner. My personal bests were three 15 mile runs when I was 50-52. The marathon remained beyond my commitment , except in fantasy. One of my brothers did qualify for and run the Boston Marathon in his youthful forties. Running has been largely replaced by walking for both of us.
Writing this, I recalled a doggerel from those days that this brother passed on. Replace run and its forms with walk and its derivatives:
Why do I run? Ain't no mystery.
Wanna have a good medical history.
Doctor told me, 'running is great',
Helps those blood cells circulate.
Great for the legs, great for the ticker.
Can't nothing get you in better shape quicker.
So, it can go like this: If you are officially 'old age' according to gerontological labels (65 or soon to be), 'take the pledge' and begin walking regularly and then by Labor Day, 'walk' your event, whether alone or with others. When you have accomplished your goal, post that fact on 'comments' section of blog. Now, you know who you are, so I will not name names . . .though the temptation was strong to post your initials !
The usual warnings apply. Check with your health care provider before initiating any program of physical activity. TRAIN SENSIBLY. Few of us are on a par with a college fraternity brother, an All-American, who told us in 2010 at our 50th Class Reunion that he still played Senior League Basketball (full court). And, I know that some of you have health situations that preclude participation and I do not mean this brainstorm to be insensitive to you.
Several titles for this post occurred to me: Step Right Up;
Step this way; One Step at a time; Fit as a Fiddle; Take a hike; Happy Trails; WALK, Forrest, WALK !; [No doubt there will also be some pejorative suggestions , like, Have You Lost Your Mind !]
One of my 'heroes' was Dr. John Pianfetti who died at age 97. Four years before his death, a newspaper feature about him carried the title, "The Fact that I Run is Why I am 93" . Maybe walking can be a close second.
The original Satchel famously inquired, 'How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?'
Satchel
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