Ticker to Goal

Monday 31 December 2012

Saving myself

Did you read this post from LBG? It's about a friend of her's who saved her own life from the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia by running up stairs for over a mile! And I seriously doubt it was running up stairs like I run up stairs to grab my phone or go to the bathroom. She must have been sprinting up them to get away from that water because it came fast. I mean those things come in at 50-60 mph. Faster than cars on standard roads around the UK. About a mile a minute! With a 3 minute head start, you may out run it doing a 4 minute mile!!! Seriously. 15 mph. Can you run that fast? I can't. Even doing 30 second intervals. I can't. Not even remotely close. And that's on the flat. I couldn't have saved myself. I would have been one of the people she passed on the steps, unable to go faster, unable to catch my breath, even though I am fitter than I have been in years, even though I can run hard intervals, push my heart rate into the 170s, lift weights heavier than my dad and run up two or three flights of stairs, I could not have come close. I said as much to LBG. I told her I would use this story to get my arse back into exercise mode. I will tell it to myself every day. I will say over and over again, "I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAVE MYSELF!"

The thing that gets me most though, is that she didn't just save herself, she picked up a toddler and carried that child from certain death to safety. She's a heroin. I couldn't save myself and she saved another person. How many parents, climbing those stairs, couldn't pick up their own child and run with them?  How many of us bandsters couldn't pick up our children when we started our journeys? How many of us could pick up a child and run down the street? For a bus? Out of a tube station?

I made a decision today. I want children. I always have. I want to be a good parent. I've waited to meet the right man and to start a family when the time is right. Today I realised that I have to be able to save my children in an emergency. I'm not talking running a 4 minute mile carrying a 30 lb toddler but I have to be in the best physical shape of my life. I will be. I am not just saving myself, I am saving my children.

I started today. I kicked arse at the gym. Yes, I've been away from there for nearly as long as I've not blogged. I pushed hard. I did my old program but added on weights and used a harder level on the bike and cross trainer (elliptical). I dripped sweat on everything. It was disgusting. The result was 560 calories burned. I am proud. Have you made yourself proud today?

7 comments:

Cat said...

I absolutely LOVE this post!! Yes, I read LBGs post and thought a very similar thing. I need to be able to run UP stairs for a mile. I think I'm going to really work on making that a goal this year! : )

Great job on your workout. SO very proud of you!

Linda Sherwood said...

My reaction to LBG's post was very similar to yours. I love what you shared, and great job on the workout. :)

Vanessa said...

Hot Damn! Great post! Crush it!

Run, Chelle, Run! said...

Way to go! I read LGBs post too and thought about myself and my kids. Oof. Powerful stuff.

Momee3021 said...

Before I was banded I couldn't save my children nor would I have had the energy to try. This is an inspirational post. You are already an amazing mom thinking about saving your babies even before you've had them. You workout is something to be proud od and take to the New Year with you. Yeah you!!!

Sam said...

It was a great post, thanks for sharing, because I missed that one. I think it some thing we all need to really think on and work towards :o) you have your goals firmly in place now, wishing all the strength and continual motivation you need to get there :o)

Skeeter said...

What a fantastic post!!