13/07/2020
What did this mom do after dropping the kiddo off at daycare on a rare day off from work?
Hit up the local track for a workout, of course!
While I was running on the track this morning, I started thinking about how much my life has changed from my high school track days 16 years ago. It's not just that I'm a lot slower sprinting (nothing humbles you like seeing how far off you are from your 400m PR), but the way I view health and fitness has completely changed.
While I was active throughout HS and college, I never cared how the foods I ate or the products I used were impacting my health and performance. I didn't need to. I could eat what I want and I had no effect on me. Or so I thought. It wasn't until I had a health scare in 2013 that I finally opened my eyes to see the bigger picture. The food you eat and the products you put on your skin DO affect the way your body performs, it just sometimes takes a while for your body to tell you.
In many ways, I feel like I'm fitter now than I was in HS. I can lift heavier, run further and (fairly) fast, and keep up with a busy toddler. My outlook on fitness has definitely changed. Instead of training for sports, I train for life--staying injury free at work and having energy to chase my son. The biggest difference...I now eat real food and scrutinize the ingredients on every product that enters my home, especially personal care products. These last two things go hand in hand. If you care about what you put IN your body, you should definitely care about what you put ON your body. Your skin is your largest organ after all.
My husband often asks me if "If you could go back to high school again, would you?" and my answer is always "No". While I loved high school, and I especially miss competitive sports, I don't wish to go back. I am a different person now, with a much better understanding of the impacts our choices have on our health. I only wish I could go back and teach the younger me everything I have learned.
If you could go back to high school again, would you?