Obscure Rocky 3 reference....Busy month so I'll be writing when I can - spent the weekend at Orange Beach, but we stayed at The Wharf for the Make A Wish Stars and Stripes 5K. Normally we do Peachtree, but we got such a great deal on the condo that we stayed for 2 nights what Atlanta would cost us for 1. 10 years in a row of doing Peachtree and we missed the last 2 years...eh, variety is the spice of life, or so I'm told. Try explaining 'variety is the spice of life' to your spouse....oops! Anyway, Saturday (7/3) we went to the Gulf State Park and ran around the lake, a perfect 5.5 mile run. Not much traffic, pretty, and the weather was great! They've also made an off road trail so you can turn this into a 10-12 mile run with shade. It's still hot, I mean c'mon...Alabama, Deep South, the beach, July....carry your own water and enjoy it. It's great! Then Sunday was the 5K - my plan was just to run as I felt. I'd run Saturday then biked 15 or so miles so I knew it wouldn't be fast and it wasn't <24:00, but it was fun!!!! Not all races ARE fun, they can be immensely rewarding and still not be fun but yesterday was fun. Then we had to drive back and leaving is always a bummer. I get a lot of e-mails from 'older' people (don't even TALK to me about age...I'm so old I have to take ginkgo biloba to remember to take my viagra! Ahhh, I'm just messin with ya, I don't even take ginkgo biloba.....), wanting to run. I hear all the time about 'life time couch potato' never been an athlete, I'm over weight....blah, blah, blah....I like the 'Moonlighting' school of therapy...SNAP OUT OF IT! The great thing about running is that it's never too late to start - just start where YOU are comfortable! I had TL in my last group, a 50 ish school marm, who's cardiologist encouraged her to start running AFTER OPEN HEART SURGERY! It's great for your heart, it' great for weight loss, just know that if you've been inactive for 20 years it'll take a while...but it won't take another 20 years! Within 6 months you can REVERSE most of the effects of a lifetime of inactivity. SIX MONTHS! That's incredible! But, YOU have to do it! TL was determined, she started slow and easy, doing the C210K program and in the end ran a 10K. I was there at the finish and it was incredible, she was so excited. We all get 2nd and 3rd chances, we just may not know we're getting them...she KNEW and she made the most of it. Her time? I have no idea, didn't matter - what mattered was that she DID IT! Her heart is stronger than it's ever been, she's got some nice legs, and a world of confidence that she didn't have. So if you're wondering if you can do it, wonder no more - take life by the horns! YOU happen to life, don't let life HAPPEN to you. If you're already running, be proud of what you're doing and keep yourself healthy. The Animals (60's British rock group) had a song "It's My Life" and one of the lines...."and I can do what I want". You can, but you have to WANT it. It won't just 'happen'...YOU have to HAPPEN...and you can and when you do you get a 'lotta mo' life and fun, and health, and happiness, and....... Lastly - Runner's Boot Camp - Mt. Brook YMCA 7/13 6:00 - 7:00 a.m. each Tues/Thurs for 4 weeks. $150.00. Core work (trust me, we'll find some muscles you didn't know you had), form and efficiency. The smoother and more efficient you run, the further and faster you can run with less effort. Let me know of any questions.....more later......