Share your athlete journey! What keeps you striving and active?

Better with age.  When I was young, I was athletic at a high level, with scholarships for various sports.  After school, life got in the way, and like many, I got out of shape from sitting at a desk, eating too much, and exercising too little.  At some point, my wife and I realized that we needed to make a change - we weren't happy with where we were (physically, mentally).  Turning back to exercise - we began with walking, running and cycling, and over time, this become almost an addiction - where we used to enjoy slumping on a couch watching a movie, we now enjoy time outdoors and being active.  Exercise has become our mood moderator, and we are fitter and healthier than ever.  What keeps us going is knowing that we are investing in a future of health, happiness, and longevity.

Thank you for sharing this. Not all of us are born high-performing, talented athletes, but I believe we can all relate to going through different phases of activity in our lives. Life does get in the way 😌. Knowing your why becomes the force behind fueling your consistency. It's old news that exercise has countless physical and mental benefits, but I am thrilled to read that you and your wife have incorporated it as a pivotal tool for your wellbeing now, and for many years to come!

I played soccer in high school. After that I was at a very small college where there were no sports or extracurriculars. I started running to lise weight. My journey and relationship with running and my body have changed over the years. Now I run ro challenge myself and meet little goals I set, to stay healthy physically and mentally, have a habit, and am very intentional to try to NOT as a response to guilt...though it's hard sometimes. It's my unique hobby.

I also love hiking and have been called a peakbagger because I like to see how many miles and summits I can get in a day. There's something wonderful about slowing down a bit a spending the day exploring the woods.

It's all just fun and feels good, makes you proud of yourself, and there's always something new I'm learning about myself or the activity!

I just love running, the feeling of being inside your head and if I don't have a set course then the mini adventure of exploring and getting lost, I'm pretty good at that, especially if I go into some woods! Once added an extra 5k but that's a story for another day..

I like to compete with myself and love comparing my stats against myself as I can surprise myself by smashing my decade old PBs every now and then!

Multiple peaks in a day? This sounds like quite a feat to many of us, but is just a regular day for you, impressive! Thanks for sharing, it's really nice to take a moment to reflect on your personal journey and how it's changed over time. Keep striving!

I think that forests and deserts are some of the most common places to get lost in... 😬 I always say "if we don't get lost, is it even an adventure?" -- I'm curious about your extra 5k story now, feel free to share that whenever you like. Seeing your personal growth and improving your stats is true fuel for the mind, body and soul!