Sometimes You Have To Get It To Get It

42 floors, 809 steps, 100% effort until you collapse... Who wouldn't want to climb the Corning Tower? Once each year the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) puts the Corning Tower race on to benefit the people who are suffering with Cystic Fibrosis.

I'd done it two times prior to this year because, as the cliché goes: it was there. As I signed up, wrote a check to the CFF and scheduled it in my calendar I got thinking that I didn't even know what in the world CF was.

I read about it and became upset as I thought about how people suffer so. Well days, weeks and my upset quickly passed and last night was the race. I don't know my time but let me just say, I never stopped and climbed as fast as I could go. Good job, Ron! Thanks.

When I reached the top I staggered to an open space, collapsed onto my hands and knees and struggled for my breath for about 5 minutes. The dust (and ???) in the stairwells gets deep into people's lungs as they exert and creates havoc for for the competitors trying to breathe for a few hours to a few days after.

On my hands and knees, literally gasping for air, for those few minutes-I got it. CF creates severe symptoms including lung infections that make breathing difficult...oftentimes unto death. I knew I'd recover in minutes. Many will never recover.

Some runners will have just enjoyed their time, some will give more to CFF in hopes of a cure. Both are fine. I'm grateful that I was forced to pause-and in that moment connect a bit deeper, through my temporary suffering, with my own humanity and with those whose suffering will not subside so quickly.

Grateful for Health,

RR

Enthusiasm's Revenge

I wrote recently about a neck injury I suffered -and still am dealing with. I'd been working out and getting in the best shape of my life, when I suddenly had to stop.

For the first couple of days I found myself enjoying the much-needed rest both my mind and body wanted and needed. During the next few days I lamented that the program I was on would have to be abandoned for a time. As I now head deep into the second week of my inability to do that work out, my enthusiasm for exercise has waned yet my appetite or rather my desire to eat has increased. Sort of an, "If I can't workout, I'll find pleasure here then!" deal.

A couple days ago, I realized I was in a downward slide. I leveled with myself and got that if I didn't change my attitude and my eating -and exercise lightly the few muscles I could, this short-term injury might have a serious impact on not only my exercise routine but worse, cause me to lose enthusiasm in general.

Though I confess I feel a bit lame (literally and figuratively), I 'm not going to let this injury take me out and make me change how I want to do things. If enthusiasm is one of the distinguishing traits, Universal Standards, of The Uncompromised... then I have to have it!

I'm not going to feel bad about myself just because I'm not as strong as I want to be. My life is about bigger things.

What I'm aware of right now, is that enthusiasm is a choice and it doesn't end with one decision...

RR

Inspired by Insanity

Insanity is a relatively new DVD workout program but it's more.

Look, at our best, we all want to be great, know we're stretching and achieving. In order to do that we need a good plan, we need to get off our soft-sides and we need someone who believes in us deeply -sometimes more than we believe in ourselves.

Shaun T not only puts together an incredible workout program (Insanity) which I'm being both broken and built better by, but he engages me, believes in me and demands more of me. He wants me to mind my form and won't let me compromise what I'm capable of. If this man can pull this off on DVD, I'd like to meet him for real.

Hey, who is your Shaun T? Who is there for you -to both comfort you and expect more from you, for the sake of you being something better?

Man, I can't wait to pop that DVD in today, get my Shaun T hit, then sweat, hurt and believe in me -'cause I survived another challenge, another day.

Grrrr,

RR