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My father is an inspiration to me. He's over sixty, and has never been particularly athletic in his life. He's trim but really not into exercise. Recently, though, he began worrying about his cholesterol levels. He decided to begin running.
When my dad does something, he doesn't do half measures. He runs every single day, rain or snow or shine, sleepy or awake. His thought is that as soon as he starts accepting one excuse ("oh, it's pouring") he'll start accepting another ("I'm really tired") until eventually he isn't running any more.
This is all the more impressive to me when I realize he has no experience with training his body to do things. He's starting something completely new to him and he's doing well at it.
Well, I'm not quite so gung ho as to run every day, no excuses accepted. My training chart gives me rest days and I use them. But I did try to figure out how I could adapt to having minor surgery. (Is laparoscopy minor?) I figured okay, rest day should fall on the day after surgery, so I should run the day of -- before, of course -- and that leaves Saturday to do cross-training, for which I will happily count a day of square dancing.
So I got up early enough to do the preparations the doctor had asked for ("yuck" is all I'll say there) and run two miles as well. Hey, it kept my mind off what I was about to do.
I phoned my dad yesterday afternoon, told him I was "recovering nicely", and then told him how inspirational he was. "You know, Dad," I said, "I really remembered what you said about running. As soon as you start accepting one excuse -- abdominal surgery, for example -- why, you'll accept anything."
He laughed heartily and told me he was glad he was such a good example. :-)
I really love my dad.
When my dad does something, he doesn't do half measures. He runs every single day, rain or snow or shine, sleepy or awake. His thought is that as soon as he starts accepting one excuse ("oh, it's pouring") he'll start accepting another ("I'm really tired") until eventually he isn't running any more.
This is all the more impressive to me when I realize he has no experience with training his body to do things. He's starting something completely new to him and he's doing well at it.
Well, I'm not quite so gung ho as to run every day, no excuses accepted. My training chart gives me rest days and I use them. But I did try to figure out how I could adapt to having minor surgery. (Is laparoscopy minor?) I figured okay, rest day should fall on the day after surgery, so I should run the day of -- before, of course -- and that leaves Saturday to do cross-training, for which I will happily count a day of square dancing.
So I got up early enough to do the preparations the doctor had asked for ("yuck" is all I'll say there) and run two miles as well. Hey, it kept my mind off what I was about to do.
I phoned my dad yesterday afternoon, told him I was "recovering nicely", and then told him how inspirational he was. "You know, Dad," I said, "I really remembered what you said about running. As soon as you start accepting one excuse -- abdominal surgery, for example -- why, you'll accept anything."
He laughed heartily and told me he was glad he was such a good example. :-)
I really love my dad.
