For reasons I can’t say with any certainty, I am healthy.
No aches or pains. No injuries. No creaking back or ailing knees.
All is well. Feeling wonderful — which is quite annoying to some people.
It’s strange. I’m running pretty much every day, which I really shouldn’t be doing because once you’re over 50, they say you should take a few days off from running each week, but I don’t because I don’t want to. Instead, I’m running relaxed, enjoying the mornings, feeling good, breathing easy.
And the reason it is strange is because I don’t know why. It was just last year I was hobbling around with an ailing hamstring or sciatic nerve, not sure which. It’s not like I began taking a magic supplement or stumbled upon some new workout or hired a personal trainer (which I may do some day).
But I can offer some general observations that helped me recently run my fastest marathon in years, recover quickly and start gearing up for the Old Koloa Sugar Mill half marathon on Nov. 9 and the Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 8.
And please, before I get an email from a doctor telling me I shouldn’t be giving medical advice, I’m not suggesting anyone steer clear of doctors. By all means, see one if you need to. And I’m certainly not making any guarantees about life. Only God can do that.
So what have I found that works when it comes to being healthy?
It’s not rocket science, as they say.
It’s about the basics.
A lot of being healthy boils down to the lifestyle choices we make.
Little is more important when it comes to health than diet, exercise and positive outlook. If you ask pretty much any medical expert, trainer, athlete, what are the two keys to fitness, they will tell you, watch your diet and exercise.
Now, and again, this is my opinion, by diet I mean don’t drink a lot of pop, but drink water instead. Don’t eat candy bars and fried chicken, but try fruits and veggies and oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal. Avoid sugar and white flour.
They say sleep is important. If you can, get your eight hours. I don’t, however, so I won’t tell you need to sleep a lot.
It can be easy to let our problems drag us down, to think about all that is wrong or could be better. We all have personal challenges that most know nothing about. But there is always much to be thankful for, and that should be the focus.
I love mornings. I’m a morning person, so I’m usually pretty anxious to get up and get the day going that starts with listening to piano music and reading the Bible. It’s hard not be be excited to wake up in a place as beautiful as Kauai. The birds were going crazy outside the window this morning. The sun was shining. Skies, blue. Good to be here. We so often convince ourselves of what we can’t do when we should be telling ourselves what we can do, what we have the opportunity to do, and then do it.
An important aspect is my morning workout, at home, before running, which can take about 30 minutes, sometimes longer. It’s then I go through a routine that involves, in one form or another, hopping, jumping, skipping, planking, balancing, stretching running in place, push ups, repetitions with light weights and a series of core exercises that keep my lower back solid.
I also have two cups of coffee and a bottle of water each morning before I run. I don’t know how anyone starts a day without coffee. I know many athletes who drink coffee and many who don’t. But all of them drink a lot of water. The general rule is drink half your body weight each day. Others go by the standard eight 8-ounce glasses a day. And there are those who promote guzzling a few liters a day.
And as for the running, I get in about 40 miles a week. A long run on Saturdays of 10-20 miles and a workout on Wednesdays that includes a lot of half-mile repeats. The rest is 3-6 miles at an easy pace.
Many of my miles are along Ahukini Road to Kapule Highway since we live in Lihue. While there can be a lot of traffic, I enjoy it as I often see people I know who give a quick honk and wave, like my friend Jim Jung did Tuesday morning. Jim Jung, by the way, was an outstanding athlete in his day and a fine runner.
And speaking of Jim Jung, another key to good health is being an encourager. Tell others what they did well because you can bet they get enough of what they did wrong or should have done better from everyone else. Jim Jung is one of the most upbeat, encouraging and kind people I have had the good fortune to know. Always a pleasure to see him.
OK. So, the final point.
I’m not saying you have to drink coffee and run to find happiness and feel good. And I’m not saying I know what works and what doesn’t.
I am saying, in six words, is this: Exercise often. Eat well. Encourage always.
•••
Bill Buley is editor-in-chief of The Garden Island. He can be reached at bbuley@thegardenisland.com
