I took a blogger break but it's good to be back. Since I last posted I've been in France, England and Italy, and next weekend I'm heading back to Haiti. On all my travels it's been a blessing to see new sights, experience new situations, reconnect with friends and family, and return home safely. The other thing my travels have brought me is a better understanding of the journey I am on with respect to my personal wellness. My "cardioswag chronicle" continues to amaze me because I am constantly having opportunities to take it to another level placed in my path.
I define cardioswag as the feeling of complete calm and composure experienced after a great workout. Back when I was 248 pounds and started to do something about my weight, cardioswag was easy to get by walking up a few flight of stairs instead of using the elevator. That simple, short activity would leave me winded, but pleased that I had done it. Most importantly, it made me want to do more. I remembered being a decent year-round athlete in college, and I felt capable, so I bought a bike. I used to ride it around a trail, and felt extremely cardioswagalicious doing so, that is until I saw people running on it, so I started running too. The next level came when a friend was moving from the DC area to Philly and wanted to off-load some old weights. I started using them, and in combination with my runs and a significant drop in sugar intake, things started changing dramatically for me. Over three years I went from 248 lbs to just under 200 lbs. In 2004 I ran my first half marathon, 2007 a full marathon, and 2008 another half. In the process I dropped down to 180lbs, but somewhere in there I lost the swag. I was on a grind to make the distance, but I was not really "dialed-in", and while I was getting in better shape, I wasn't in my best shape because my mind was not in it all the way. I kept hitting the runs, but I did not maintain good eating habits, and I let the stress of work pile 10-15 lbs back onto my frame.
Late in 2011 I rediscovered the motivational energy of friends who I had helped get started as "runners. I discovered tabata intervals, kettle-bells, more yoga, and burpees. I found a way to "shock" my body in a way I only felt during parts of P90X and Insanity, and I found my cardioswag returning. Now that I am 7 months into training at a CrossFit gym I am beginning to feel what it means to have greater control over my body. The power of a clean(er) diet is evident when I pull on a pair of jeans and have to pull the belt tighter to hold them up to my 175 lb frame (body composition data coming next week). My improved posture makes the difference between a 60 second break between sets being upright and breathing deeply, versus in a heap heaving on the floor. This cardioswag journey has led me to a place where I have more respect for treating my body in a way that has it perform better every day. I approach a pull-up bar or loaded barbell ready to literally snap it, knowing that a personal record is seconds away. That calm and composure is paying dividends in every part of my life, and I am grateful for the many motivators who keep me pushing physically, mentally, and spiritually.
However you accumulate your cardioswag I want you to get it. Walking, dancing, kettle-bell swinging, yoga, hand-stand push ups in the office, as Black Sheep said, "you can get with this, you can get with that. The choice is yours!" While I was away I trained at CrossFit facilities in Florida and London, and even did thrusters with luggage and jumped rope in my hotel room in Rome. The journey is personal, and not always pleasant, but it should please you, so do what you like. Just like traveling to new places, it will give you experiences no one can take from you.
Peace,
PV
