Still Kicking Butt at Age 100
"I'll still be kicking butt when I'm 100 years old!" OK, so that wasn't one of our official wedding vows.
But I constantly remind my gorgeous wife Maggie of this promise, a couple times each week at the very least.
You see, not even a year and a half ago, those words seemed highly unlikely as I lay unconscious in the hospital, gasping for every breath as tubes sucked all kinds of mucus and bronchial fluid out of my lungs.
Fast forward to today and you'll find me at age 57 successfully exercising my way through the TV-famous Insanity Workout.
Apparently there's power in words - not so much in the words themselves, but in the intention and emotion backing them.
Ever since I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in April 1999, I've maintained a very strong, even rebellious attitude about my departure from this Earthly realm.
I absolutely refuse to accept the doctor's prognosis (aka death sentence) that more than likely I won't live to see my 60th birthday.
Instead I replace it with my long-term goal to be going strong and 'still kicking butt' when I am 100.
The Long and Winding Road to Recovery My road to recovery during the year 2010 was long and slow.
It took a full seven months before I could even walk around the block without having to stop to catch my breath.
And I coughed non-stop for the full year as my lungs fought to recover from the viral infection that nearly claimed my life.
Nonetheless, I began pushing myself to exercise more and more as the year progressed.
By October 2010, I was back to running the stairs in my 22 story condo building, something I hadn't been able to do for nearly 18 months.
Each week I saw progress as it took less time to complete a circuit.
Soon I was running two and then three circuits up and down the 22 floors, eventually getting my total time well under 18 minutes! It wasn't until February 2011 that I coughed my last cough.
By this time I was adding resistance training to my daily workout regimen, using a combination of Bodylastics Resistance bands as well as the free weights and chin-up bar in our building's gym.
The more I did, the more I was able to do.
The more I was able to do, the more I wanted to do.
I was well on my way to fulfilling my dream of kicking butt at 100 years old! One night while channel surfing, I caught the infomercial for the Insanity Workout.
It is purported to be the hardest workout series ever made available on DVD.
I knew I just had to see how I measured up.
At this writing, I've completed 24 out of the 63 days in the program.
I'm finally over the dreaded stiffness and soreness that derails many - if not most - people during the first 2-3 weeks.
And the change in my physical appearance is such that even Maggie is noticing - and COMPLIMENTING me for my efforts! How cool is that? Not By Bread Alone To be sure, there isn't only one thing in particular that I can point to for my remarkable physical recovery.
It's more like three main sectors - Exercise, Nutrition and Mental Attitude.
As well, maintaining balance in all departments is essential.
Struggle in even one segment can have a detrimental effect making progress and satisfying achievement slow and unattainable.
I'll continue to explore the six areas of life as noted by Paul J.
Meyer in his Wheel of Life/ Total Person Concept as follows:
You, too can be kicking butt when you're 100 years old.
I know you're gonna Love That Feeling.
But I constantly remind my gorgeous wife Maggie of this promise, a couple times each week at the very least.
You see, not even a year and a half ago, those words seemed highly unlikely as I lay unconscious in the hospital, gasping for every breath as tubes sucked all kinds of mucus and bronchial fluid out of my lungs.
Fast forward to today and you'll find me at age 57 successfully exercising my way through the TV-famous Insanity Workout.
Apparently there's power in words - not so much in the words themselves, but in the intention and emotion backing them.
Ever since I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in April 1999, I've maintained a very strong, even rebellious attitude about my departure from this Earthly realm.
I absolutely refuse to accept the doctor's prognosis (aka death sentence) that more than likely I won't live to see my 60th birthday.
Instead I replace it with my long-term goal to be going strong and 'still kicking butt' when I am 100.
The Long and Winding Road to Recovery My road to recovery during the year 2010 was long and slow.
It took a full seven months before I could even walk around the block without having to stop to catch my breath.
And I coughed non-stop for the full year as my lungs fought to recover from the viral infection that nearly claimed my life.
Nonetheless, I began pushing myself to exercise more and more as the year progressed.
By October 2010, I was back to running the stairs in my 22 story condo building, something I hadn't been able to do for nearly 18 months.
Each week I saw progress as it took less time to complete a circuit.
Soon I was running two and then three circuits up and down the 22 floors, eventually getting my total time well under 18 minutes! It wasn't until February 2011 that I coughed my last cough.
By this time I was adding resistance training to my daily workout regimen, using a combination of Bodylastics Resistance bands as well as the free weights and chin-up bar in our building's gym.
The more I did, the more I was able to do.
The more I was able to do, the more I wanted to do.
I was well on my way to fulfilling my dream of kicking butt at 100 years old! One night while channel surfing, I caught the infomercial for the Insanity Workout.
It is purported to be the hardest workout series ever made available on DVD.
I knew I just had to see how I measured up.
At this writing, I've completed 24 out of the 63 days in the program.
I'm finally over the dreaded stiffness and soreness that derails many - if not most - people during the first 2-3 weeks.
And the change in my physical appearance is such that even Maggie is noticing - and COMPLIMENTING me for my efforts! How cool is that? Not By Bread Alone To be sure, there isn't only one thing in particular that I can point to for my remarkable physical recovery.
It's more like three main sectors - Exercise, Nutrition and Mental Attitude.
As well, maintaining balance in all departments is essential.
Struggle in even one segment can have a detrimental effect making progress and satisfying achievement slow and unattainable.
I'll continue to explore the six areas of life as noted by Paul J.
Meyer in his Wheel of Life/ Total Person Concept as follows:
- Family and Home
- Financial and Career
- Physical and Health
- Mental and Educational
- Spiritual and Ethical
- Social and Cultural
You, too can be kicking butt when you're 100 years old.
I know you're gonna Love That Feeling.
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