This is how I feel after a long run.  Pure bliss, nirvana, happiness and satisfaction.  Running has been my hobby for over 30 yrs.  My two younger sisters and I have completed several marathons and sprint triathlons.   I am now happy to just run my 25-30 miles a week.  I don’t need to compete with any one else but my self and I don’t feel the need to race anymore.  Running and a healthy diet also helped me lose some baby fat as a teenager.

One of my undergraduate degrees is in Nutrition. I have tried over the years to tell friends and family about the joys and benefits of running and eating healthier.  Some got it, but others scoffed.  That’s ok.

One of those scoffers, is my 68-year-old mother who has gained twenty pounds in the last five years.  Most of the weight gain has been from inactivity and eating badly while traveling the world.  She has been told by her doctors to lose those pounds.  Severe acid reflux, foot and joint pain, tiredness and the inability to walk distances are symptoms of her weight gain.  Even a ten pound weight loss can reduce her ailments.  I talk to her every day about making sure that she gets her walks in.  Walking is an excellent way to lose weight.  She has good days and bad days.  Most people don’t realize how sedentary they are.  On the days that I don’t run, my steps are astonishingly low!  She has finally agreed to wear a Fitbit and log her meals into a fitness app.  This is going to be a quite a challenge for me and her!  I am crossing my fingers.