Here Goes Nothing…

Hmmm…. How am I preparing for the Quad Games? This will be the first time I’m competing in the Quad so I will be making it up as I go. I had long thought the Quad games were only for the very competitive and I stayed away from all 32 of them! I see now that the games are for all levels and match up with my own philosophy –  get healthy, have fun, build a support group and get outside. So I am excited and ready to go!

A few years back I had to make some decisions about how I was going to go through the rest of my life.  I started eating better and exercising.  I lost about 90 pounds and found myself getting into shape. In the process I also rediscovered my love for the outdoors. As I biked, ran and kayaked around Presque Isle, I discovered it was much more than beaches. Running along the trails opened up my eyes to all its beauty and has helped me develop a healthier heart and soul.

We’ve all noticed it’s been a long cold winter and for me it has also been a lazy one too. Step one in my QUAD training will be making up for the ground lost since November and lose those couple of pounds I put on during the holidays (darn Christmas cookies).   

I also need a plan for my two biggest challenges: the swim and cross country ski.  I swim like a rock and it’s been 30 years since my last cross country ski. I teach at a school that has a nice pool and I am organizing staff swim times after school; these should kick off next week. My goal is to swim for a half hour even if I have to grab hold of the side and catch my breath after every lap.

At school we are also involved in a health challenge. Each of us been put in teams of three and challenged to log 500 miles before the end of the month.  I spent some extra time on the elliptical last night making sure I got all my steps. The elliptical will be my friend until the snow and ice melt on the roads around my house.

I did take up snowshoeing this winter as a running substitute and found out I really enjoy it.  If the skiing thing doesn’t work out I can only snowshoe next January!

I am fortunate enough to have groups of friends who I run and bike with and once the weather breaks there is an activity going on almost every weekend.

Stay tuned for an update on my first pool workout but don’t expect any pictures of me flailing around….it won’t be pretty!

Mark