And They’re Off!

Maybe it’s just me but I think you should practice what you preach. Can you really take advice on weight loss from a doctor who could lose 50? Has the professional that is recommending a colonoscopy had one themselves? Hey, I know I’m no stud muffin but I make an effort to keep my weight in check and work out regularly and aggressively. The aches and pains you take Tylenol or Aleve for are my regular companions and a reminder of the workout. I feel guilty if I don’t have an ache or pain because it means I haven’t pushed myself in a while. Although I have my regular exercise routines I think it’s also important to mix it up a little and one nice way is to do some event. There are 101 charity events with some run / walk seemingly and probably literally every weekend. You get out of the house, you test yourself a little whether you run or walk, you have new experiences, meet people you know and make new acquaintances. What’s not to like? Plus it’s usually for a good cause and not usually expensive. Winner Winner chicken dinner.

Earlier this year I did a charity run for Hope for Bereaved … you know I love that organization. I hadn’t run again until an event came up last weekend to which I made a donation and promised to do the run … I don’t run much anymore but these folks do my compounding when I want to use topical meds and I think they are nice people and it was in support of 9/11 with Todd’s Fund. Etc …

So there I was cruising down a country road en route to a 5k run at Vernak Farms Store somewhere nears Skaneateles … I don’t know how long the run is or what the course is like but it’s a beautiful day and by using the Chi-Running technique I can usually power through most races. Not winning any awards but plugging away … never stopping … getting ‘er done. No matter how long or short the race I will look near death at the end. I see a sign on the side of the road —presumably a country church— as the sign says … “Whenever 2 or 3 may gather in my name there I am.” Mathew 18:20.

Now what goes through my mind first is that this is a nice affirmation that even a little group has the attention of God. Then, on pondering a little further it occurs to me that this implies that you need at least 2 people to get things going. So does that mean if I were to pray alone at night, which many people do, that I don’t have God’s ear? It doesn’t say “Whenever one person” no … it says  “Whenever 2 or 3.” Seems like a minimum to me but I know that can’t be right. Now I have this conundrum in my head while I am getting my race game face on. You’ve seen my regular face … race face is no prettier. I am trying to think of some Biblical passages that might provide more insight at the same time I am double knotting my sneakers before the race. I got my mind right before the race by listening to some Bob Marley … the question of the utility of singular prayer put away for now.

The whole event was nice … They have a yearly wellness fair and expo with an impressive layout of vendors and informational booths. The race was tougher than your usual 5K. It starts out uphill … short flat section then what seemed like a mile and a half slow steady up hill. It was an out and back course so there is a turnaround but I didn’t know that because the pain of going uphill for so long would have been mitigated by my knowing I have a long downhill on the last part of the race … At the top of the long slow … for me … uphill part there was a steep downhill with the turn around at the bottom … So you know you are going to have to go back up the steep uphill once you turn around but beyond that is the blessed long gentle downhill part … I can shamble like a corpse from the Walking Dead indefinitely on the downhill and I am not alone. Everyone who beat me looked much younger than me so I wasn’t disturbed by my performance.

I hope you see more and more health professionals at these events. It’s good to show people we are doing the things we recommend. It might be one more way to make a difference.

Until next month … get well … stay well.

Dr. Barry