Yesterday was not a “gym day”, but that does not mean I took a day off from training.  Given the weather was a bit unpredictable, I decided against a riding my bike as I did not feel like getting caught in the rain far from home.  I settled for a “run around the block”.  As we live in the country, my run around the block is a dirt road loop of just over three miles.  I jogged the first mile without a break, did the second mile with two “walk breaks”, and the third was a series of intervals of 30 seconds run, 30 seconds walk.  It was a not a great run, but it served to provide an adequate cardio workout for the day.

By the way, I hate to run.  Truth.

Why do I run?

Habit.

Several years ago, I broke my elbow.  Long story short there was a fight in the woods.  I was abruptly launched off of my mountain bike and a fight ensued between a small rock (fondly referred to as a “baby’s head”), and my elbow.  The rock declared victory and I ended up seeing a skilled orthopedic surgery team who put me back together again. 

During the long months of healing, I could not ride a bike.  Thankfully, part of my orthopedic team was a lifelong friend, skilled physician’s assistant, and fitness buff.  Rather than put a cast on my arm for healing, he fitted me with two splints… one long, one short.  The long splint was for everyday wear.  The short splint, for times I wanted to be more active.  That is where running came in to play.  Despite my disdain for running, I learned to embrace it for a simple form of exercise that would serve to help me stay fit while my elbow healed.  It became a habit.

Lately I have talked to many people about nutrition and habits.  In our society, food is more than a way we nourish our bodies.  It is tied to our culture, our families, our social lives, and it can be an emotional security blanket.  So often we eat for reasons other than a biological need to fuel our bodies.  Our bodies readily store that extra food and we rarely like the result. 

We gain weight.

Over the past six months, I have been looking at my own habits related to food and nutrition, and slowly working on those I feel are in the way of a healthier “me”.  I have been challenging other people to look at the habits they have in regards to food.  I ask them to pick just one habit they believe creates the biggest barrier to eating they way they want to eat.  Most folks can quickly identify that habit.  That is where the journey begins. 

Just pick one.

Once the habit is identified, make a change in that behavior.  Begin the work of making that new behavior a new habit.  Habits need attention to make them “stick”.  Be patient as you learn.  Many things, such as driving a car, once required you to learn numerous steps.  Now, you perform those steps as second nature.  Sure, when you get a new car, there is a bit of a learning curve.  It works that way with habits too!  A job change, family stressor, or health issue can rock the foundation of your habit. 

Stay the course!

Do yourself a favor and look at your habits.  If there is one that is holding you back from your health or fitness goals, change it.  If I can run, you can find a habit and make a change that will launch you closer to a healthier you!