Yes, You Can!

Since last Sunday morning I've spent waaay more time than I intended at my local Apple Store.

My beloved Macbook began sending me some strange behavioral signals and, in an attempt to avoid disaster, I checked her into the Genius bar for a little "tune up." (I even watched The New York Marathon results on the gigantic 32" Mac - boy do I lust after this thing - in the store.)

This morning was check-out time for my baby and as I waited at the Mac concierge's desk a woman approached me rather sheepishly. She was in her mid-fifties I would say, and probably 50 pounds over her ideal weight. Friendly though.

"Excuse me," she said. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how do you stay in such amazing shape like that? What are you doing?"

I always love to get this question. I see it as a kind of invitation to evangelize.

I smile. "I'm a runner," I say. I've been running for nearly 20 years, and let me tell you - I have very few menopause symptoms, I feel great, and I can eat just about anything I want without gaining a pound!"

"How much do you run?" she asks. 

"Well, right now not as much because I am retraining after a minor injury, but ususally between 25 - 30 miles a week."

The woman grimaces. "I could never do that," she says..."I can't even walk a mile, let alone run one."

This is my cue. "Yes! Yes you can! Just start by walking every other day for 20 minutes. Do that for a month until its easy. Then, just jog a little...everyone can run...you just have to start - that's all."

I could tell she didn't believe me. Or maybe she didn't want to believe me. So many of us think of exercise as torture - something that we HAVE to do. I know different. I know this is a lifestyle issue, like deciding to be a vegetarian or to volunteer your time. Our body is our gift in this lifetime and we are free to do with it what we will. Be sedentary, smoke, eat tons of sugar and your body will react in kind. Like going to the doctor and taking pharmaceutical drugs? Stay on the couch.

I gave the woman in the Apple store the Traxee website address. I told her about Couch to 5K and I reassured her that we all started at one point just like her - we all started with "can't"

I hope she visits Traxee and I hope she sees this post. And if there's anyone else out there reading this who thinks they can't run, let me assure you - Yes, you can!  

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