Getting (Back) on Track ...
In my early 30's a doctor told me my breathing was getting worse ... if I didn't make some changes, I would be carrying around an oxygen tank by the time I was 40. Needless to say, I did not find that appealing and vowed to make a permanent change. In my 20's I was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma and then it just turned into regular good old asthma. Funny enough, to this day, I have never had an actual asthma attack (thank God!) ... I just don't feel like I'm getting a full breath most of the time. Anyway ... when I decided carrying an oxygen tank didn't sound fun I completely changed by diet and increased my workout schedule from maybe 2-3 hours a week to 5-7 hours a week ... and then to 10-12 hours a week and at one point I was either working out or at work ... literally ... I was obsessed.
I was getting up for a CrossFit style bootcamp before work ... riding my bike to work ... after work riding my bike to the gym ... working out at the gym for 2+ hours ... finally to ride my bike home from the gym. I was in incredible shape and felt amazing ... I ate constantly and continued losing weight and feeling incredible! But that was NOT a lifestyle I could maintain forever! My diet was clean ... a shake in the morning with yogurt, berries and flaxseed ... lunch was a salad with chicken ... dinner was salmon, quinoa and veggies. I also had fruits and vegetables to snack on all day as well as two squares of dark chocolate every night for dessert. All it took was life to shake everything up and get me off track!
I ended up moving from Virginia to Florida for a job. Almost instantly, if not instantly, I knew it was not the right choice and to say I was depressed would be an understatement ... I was away from my friends and family while living in a place I was unfamiliar with and no nearby friends. For the most part, I lost ALL motivation. After a few months I came across an ad for a beginner running class on a Saturday morning offered by St Pete Running Company, and even though I had been running off and on for years, I did not know proper running technique (or really what that even meant!) ... so I went. It was just what I needed!
After that I started attending their run clubs twice a week and pulling myself out of my rut. Running and exercise really do make you feel better and think clearer (it is all about getting started!) ... and the people that I ran with were some of the best I have met! On top of running regularly, I started doing a workout called PiYo ... which I fell in love with instantly! It is a combination of yoga and pilates ... which is a perfect complement for running.
Yet again life had to throw me a curve ball, and that fall / winter / spring, I was working 15 hour days and I didn't get the workouts in ... I was still getting a couple runs in every week ... but I was definitely NOT where I wanted to be! The following spring I quit my job and followed my heart and moved to Denver, CO ... the mountains were calling me!
I've continued to battle with creating balance in this crazy thing called life that I crave so badly. Physical fitness and diet play a huge role in this for me ... and here is where I will share my journey while I find my way to a healthy body and mind! I am 38 and refuse to carry around that oxygen tank that doctor told me about ...