Tag: Walt Disney World Resort

Lane 8 Behind the Scenes

Body
Body

Hello everyone. Hope you had a healthy week.  It’s challenging isn’t it?

Diet and exercise.  Sounds so simple.

Then why are we an obese society? An unhealthy society? Why?

Can someone help explain why this is so, and even more compelling, why we as a society, just put our heads in the sand and pretend like it doesn’t exist?  Why we pretend like it’ll go away if we ignore it long enough?

It’s a grand wish that our son (9) will get and stay healthy as a lifetime goal. With Inflammatory Bowel Disease, he’s 20 times more likely to develop colon cancer than the average person.

Last time I looked, colon cancer is bad news.

Lane 8 is a metaphor for life.  For trying your best to do important things – like lead a healthy life.

And it started over a decade ago, with me running one mailbox a day for a week.

As my health improved, my desire to maintain it became harder to find.

Christmas Eve Lane 8

This Is Your Year
This Is Your Year

A Lane 8 Christmas wish to all of you.

May Santa bring you one or all of the following:

  • Lower Cholesterol
  • Lower Blood Pressure
  • Higher HDL
  • Great Triglyceride Levels
  • Lower Resting Heart Rate
  • Lower BMI
  • Appropriate Weight Gain or Loss
  • Better Eating Habits
  • Proper Equipment for Your Activity
  • Motivation
  • Inspiration
  • Focus
  • Discipline
  • Impossible Goals
  • Fun, Friendship, Fellowship
  • Another Day to Smile

Long lists are good sometimes.  Hoping you get it all this year.  You deserve it.

And, oh yeah, one more thing from Santa, hope he brings you an indomitable will.

The Obvious is Invisible

Lane 8
Lane 8

Because we see it every time we visit Lane 8, we don’t see it any more.

The tag line.

Huh?

The tag line beneath the title, Lane 8, at the very top (header) of this page”

“If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.”

As soon as I start taking the most important things for granted, I lose. Are ya with me?

Tiger Woods Told Me

Hey, just know upfront that this post is waaaaaaay longer than I like to write.  So, since it’s rare, would you please consider indulging yourself?

May, 2008.  Nearly 18 months ago, just before Tiger Woods went to California to win the US Open and in the process, injure his knee, I had three brief opportunities to speak with Tiger.

First I asked Tiger Woods, “What one piece of advice would you give to anyone who wanted to be world-class?”  Tiger said, “Out work ’em!”

As he was getting up to walk away I asked, “Do you ever get tired of being famous?”  Like I stated in yesterday’s post, Tiger said, “Since day one.”

As luck would have it, Tiger and I crossed paths a second time, “Tiger, if you had it to do all over again, would you go the famous route?”  Tiger said matter-of factly, “It’s not about being famous, it’s about winning!”

I thanked Tiger for his time and wished him luck and success on his rehab and upcoming US Open.

At the end of each Gold’s Gym workout, I finish up in a small, carpeted room (maybe 16′ x 16′) to work on some core exercises.  The last of these core exercises is called a plank.  Similar to doing a pushup, face down, but you’re on your elbows and you simply hold a stiff position for one minute.

When I look up to leave and pick up my son in the Kiddie Gym, who is lying next to me but Tiger Woods. I mean, what are the odds?

I promised myself I wouldn’t “bother” him anymore.  And besides, I had less than a minute to make it to the Kiddie Gym before it closed.  No time to talk, even if I wanted to.

With my son (7) on my back (he couldn’t walk this day), and sweat pouring down my face, we head to the Gym exit.

But wait.

A voice inside my head, “You will regret this for the rest of your life if you don’t do it.  You’ve been coming here for two years and you’ve never seen Tiger Woods, and you may never see him again.”

“Do it, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life”, I whisper forcefully to myself.

We reverse direction, and find Tiger.  At this point I’ve convinced myself that I don’t care what he thinks, all I care about is not living with regret.

“Tiger, I’m not afraid of no.  I have big dreams about things I want to accomplish.  I’d love to have 30 minutes of your time.  We could meet for coffee somewhere.”

“Give me your number”, he said politely.

While Tiger has never called me, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am not living with regret.

I hope Tiger can say the same thing.

Man, It Felt Good

Sure felt good to go for a short run and work out at Gold’s Gym yesterday.

Why?  Because it’s been nearly a week.  Why?  Because I’ve been traveling and working hard.

Got home (from Anchorage, Alaska) about 1AM Thursday morning, got a few hours sleep and taught all day Thursday. Then taught all day yesterday (Friday).

But I refused to let another day go by without exercising.  Sure, I had to get up at 4AM to run and the run wasn’t even half of my usual distance, due to time constraints.  And yes, I was very tired on a Friday afternoon (from travel and a six-day work week).  Did I feel like changing clothes and driving to Gold’s Gym?  Nope.

So what motivated me to go the extra mile?

Simply this.  I’ll be darned if I’m going to give up a decade’s work of life changing health habits because my schedule continues to be challenging.  Here’s a no-brainer: our efforts to get healthy do not matter if we don’t fight hard to win the battle to STAY healthy. Ya with me?