lost and found in retirement
I am a winter hiker. That was not always the case. My friend Chuck introduced me to hiking several years back during my local park’s fall hiking spree. I was hooked. Using my northern bicyclist logic, I naturally put my hiking shoes away with my bike at the onset of cold weather. Some time passed, and I decided to venture out on a hike on…
The rain had settled into a drizzle after several hours of heavy rain and periods of clearing. I had finished the very wet Rubber City Race Series Get Thirsty 8K. From my perch on the upper end zone patio I watched the final runners cross the finish line. The official end was 90 minutes after the race start. Yet, race officials and finish line volunteers…
I was ready for a flat 3 miles as I came out of Edgewater Park following the Lake Erie coast. I had put 10 miles of the Cleveland Rite Aid Half Marathon behind me. I encountered something quite different. The Cleveland Shoreway climbed with every twist and turn. The final grueling mile crested the bridge over the Cuyahoga River. It rewarded me with a downhill run…
Success in athletics is measured by the number of wins you chalk up. I learned this on the playground. School team sports amplified that message. I never excelled in athletics and never participated in an organized sport. It wasn’t until six years ago that I was able to move past my preconceptions of what an athlete is. Running, cycling and hiking are the norms in…
I have often said I would never be one of those people. You know the ones; the guy with the 13.1 oval on their car. It turns out that I now may just be one.
There is no doubt that my biggest enemy is me. I see this often in the weight loss surgery community. The post-op reality is that the patient must overcome years of habits and learned behaviors to become a transformed person. I continue to battle this struggle six years after my bariatric surgery.
Spring has sprung in Ohio. The hibernation has ended. The outdoors has come back to life with hikers, runners and cyclists. I am an avid fan of the outdoors and have been enjoying my share of these activities. People watching in one of my favorite pastimes as I run or cycle.
Winter has been harsh in Northeast Ohio and elsewhere across the United States. Relentless snow and freezing temperatures held on throughout March. That icy grip is giving way to warmer more pleasant days. This is a good wake-up call to get outdoors and be more active.
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