FIT ain't HEALTHY!

Huh?

Yep, being fit doesn't equate to being healthy. I've had to learn that the hard way. For three years I've run and exercised through pains, strains, and illness with constant fear that not doing so would cause me to lose my fitness level.

I am now currently convinced that the nagging hammy and upper respiratory issues that I'm still trying to shake all come down to assuming I could "FIT" my way through anything and come out OK on the other side. Bottom line, just because I was FIT, didn't mean I was HEALTHY and my drive to be FIT, actually has caused me now to be UNHEALTHY.

Anyway, I've resumed cardio on the elliptical machine and I find that thing monotonous. I've altered my lifting routine to be a modified circuit training, hitting all muscle groups in the same workout, three days per week, with cardio planned for the other three.

As it currently stands, I've increased the weight in my final and heaviest set on the bench press by 30 lbs since the first of the year, my weight is staying in the same range as when I was running every day, I've added definition to my arms and shoulders, and best of all, I don't spend all day Saturday dreading that my kids will ask me to play something that requires the energy I burned up on the morning's long run.

At this time, I doubt I will ever return to the level of mileage I was logging before. I will do more marathons, but I will do them to complete them with little thought give to doing them fast. One of my friends who is running the KDF mini this weekend has the annoying habit of bounding up hills with a smile and energy that irritates her two running partners. I'm one of them, and though her weekly mileage has never come close to mine, she handles the hills better. I'm convinced it's the extra 8 years of experience my body has on it...crud...almost 9 years, forgot I've got a birthday coming up. OK, she doesn't log the miles, but she does log tons of time teaching and taking Jazzercise. The result, I believe, is that she maintains her cardio level, but never beats her body up with repetitive running, and running, and more running. She works different muscle groups throughout the week so that overall she stays fresh. Me, when I was running every day, I was always dragging.

Now before any hard core runners jump on me about this, let me say, some individual's physique, genetics, lifestyle, and life obligations allow them to train with high mileage. Personally, I've found that 60-65 hr work weeks, 5 to 6 hours of sleep per night, 9 meals of forced eating out each week, and other demands on my time and energy just are not conducive to me logging the miles that I was and not breaking down. No, 25 miles a week, is not very many, but given everything else, it was too much.

Well, another lesson learned the hard way. I should have paid attention. I had a co-worker who was a former tri-athlete and ultra-marathoner who still logged 20 milers for fitness and recreation every weekend. He was a fine example of the shape I hope to be in when I turn 60. Well, that is except for the throat and prostate cancer he was diagnosed with. Both, slow growing and doctors told him old age would get him before the cancer would, but still, he wasn't entirely healthy. Fit, yes. Healthy, no.

Postscript: I apologize if my writings are not always grammatically correct. I used to read and reread to try to organize my thoughts. Currently, I'm just typing my thoughts as they roll out of my head..yep, like a BB in a box car...anyway, I'm trying to cram in posting along with everything else. Speaking of which, time to go pack to go home tomorrow.