Do you have a goal for ’23? Go for it!

When I was younger, I was always active. As I grew older, I continued to be busy, but did fewer aerobic type sports or activities. I walked a fair amount in the summer and would play sports with my husband and son. In the winter, I would walk on the treadmill some, but at that point, our treadmill was in the basement and, sometimes the thought of the cold basement was enough to keep me from walking regularly.

Unbeknownst to me, I have a heart condition where the main valve blocks very easily. My numbers, the ones that cardiologists monitor, were in a good range. I had some symptoms, but they came on gradually and I thought they were attributable to stress and getting a bit older. Then, I had a heart attack. My lifestyle was not crazy but I had to reduce stress, exercise more, take meds and adjust what I ate.

This year, 4 years later, I decided to train to "complete" a 5K. I thought about it when I was younger, but never did it. So, I set out exploring what it would take. I talked to my doctor. I read about "couch to 5K" programs and talked to my son, who was a track coach. I bought a good pair of shoes and began to increase my length of walking on the treadmill. I spoke to a few relatives who have run 5K's and helped another relative run them. They offered some advice as well.

At this point, I am walking and jogging (short amounts of time). I am currently working on a goal time for a 5K. Some days, I walk longer and do more incline walking. Other days, I try to walk without the incline and walk faster. Yes, sometimes I don't feel like walking at all. On those days, I try to at least walk a quarter of a mile. I find that once I am walking, I often go further than I intended. My original goal was to walk/jog a 5K by fall.

I am putting my basic goal out there to keep myself accountable and maybe to inspire some of you to increase your healthy habits, even a little. Please don't start any exercise program without talking to your doctor first. Good luck with whatever your goal is. Maybe I will see some of you at a 5K.