Getting Fit 2015! We Are Never Too Old To Become The Persons We Were Always Meant To Be. Take The Challenge – It’s Time For Change!

 

by Danielle Bussone

 

I was healthy until I wasn’t. When a surgeon inadvertently severed a crucial part of my anatomy during a procedure he assured me he could “do in his sleep,” my life plummeted into an abyss of illness and infirmity. For six years I was on a roller coaster of pain, medications, multiple surgeries, complications, and near-death experiences. Thanks to discovering plant-based nutrition I was able to give my body the nutritional support it needed, which allowed me to hang on until a final procedure, performed by a talented group of surgeons from Florida Hospital in Orlando, repaired the problem. Finally I am able to live a normal life. While not entirely pain free, I am at a point where my life is manageable and I no longer need antibiotics just to stay alive.

 

After  years of relative inactivity and with my 60th birthday come and gone, I am looking forward to doing things I could never dream of six years ago, when I needed help from my 94-year old friend just to shop for groceries! With my 61st birthday only two weeks away I thought, “What better way to celebrate the new year than to run a marathon!” Then my better judgement stepped in and scolded, “Baby steps, Danielle, baby steps!” OK, then, a half-marathon.

 

Optimistic Beginning

Optimistic beginning on the Virginia Creeper Trail. Phoenix, Coal (our  beloved monsters), Rich  and I are beginning the first day of training.  We completed three miles, one mile  of it at a slow jog.  We don’t care about how fast we finish, just that we finish!  It is cold!  I’m in long johns, pants, two sweaters and a thick jacket.  Next time I’ll know not to wear so much clothing.  By the time we finished I was burning up!

Inspired by VOAA’s new writer, CD Davidson-Hiers, a fit and sassy 20-year old triathlete with a wealth of knowledge about training to prevent injury, and our own Kate Strong, 2014 World-Champion Long-Distance Triathlete, I have decided to give it my best shot!  With ever-game husband, Rich, and my two beloved monsters, Coal and Phoenix, at my side and our friend Dave Corman coming to train with us periodically, we are signing up for the Roanoke half-marathon on  March 1st! According to some running manuals we are exploring, we have just enough time to train safely if we begin right away!

 

There are some caveats to this plan. My legs have atrophied to an alarming extent and I have some physical obstacles to overcome. I have a rod in my leg from a ski injury 15 years ago, in which I also compromised the cartilage in my right foot. I am hoping with gentle training, my foot and leg will hold up. Also, before we begin the program outlined in the manual, we have to already be capable of running 3 miles. So… I have until Sunday, January 11th, to get up to three miles or I have to scale back my goal to complete a 10K run, rather than the 13.1 mile half-marathon. It’s all good! Baby steps, Danielle, baby steps! If my foot fails entirely, we’ll switch to swimming and biking. There is always something we can do!

 

First Day Conquered!

First Day Conquered!  I ditched the jacket and am thrilled I was able to run a mile, though I fear it was not much of a challenge for Rich who was kind enough to run at my slow pace.  (If  you can call my pace running!)  Phoenix is covered with mud.  She and Coal had a great time. Now home to wash the mud off with warm water before letting them back into the house. Monsters!

 

Join me in a commitment to make 2015 our healthiest year ever! Let’s turn back the clock on aging. We never know when our lives will be snatched away from us so let’s grab all the joy and love and radiant health our bodies and souls will allow while we are still on this amazing ride called life! Let 2015 be the year we prove that age is just a number; that we are still capable of running, dancing, swimming, and having fun in bodies created for expressing boundless energy, enthusiasm and joy. What the heck are we waiting for! Let’s DO IT!

Co-founder and editor of Veggin’ Out and About, Danielle writes restaurant reviews, profiles and interviews of people making a difference in the plant-based community. She author is of, “Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health,” available January, 2015.

Danielle’s region is SW Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, and anywhere she happens to stop for sustenance along the road. Contact Danielle directly to share your restaurant finds, to make comments or just to say hello.

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