Part 2 of Tocci’s Wellness Program – Fitness

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man running on pavement with mountains in the background

At Tocci, we just completed a company-wide phase of nutrition.

It was just a time when employees learned about nutrition and were encouraged to establish healthy diets. As our next phase of health and wellness approaches us (which is “exercise more”), I thought it would be fitting to share how much fun, yes fun, I had this Summer while participating in a speed series race challenge.

Who says it’s a marathon, not a sprint? Not The Winner’s Circle Running Club of Salisbury whose motto for their Speed Series 4-3-2-1 race combination is “It’s all about running faster”. I decided to take on the challenge of completing 4 separate races with the goal of improving my per-mile pace for each race. The four races consisted of a 4 mile, a 5K, a 2 mile, and a 1 mile. Awards for personal performance were given to every runner whose average per-mile pace over all four races was faster than their average per-mile pace for the first race. Race profits benefited organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Alzheimer’s Association, A Safe Place, the Jeanne Geiger Women’s Crisis Center, and Adaptive Sports Partners.

I don’t consider myself a runner, by any means. I have exercise-induced (accompanied by allergy-induced and weather-induced) asthma and sometimes just the thought of running gives me anxiety. When a friend of mine, a certified personal trainer who runs half marathons for fun, suggested that we participate in the race series I was hesitant to commit. The competitor in me immediately thought, “She’s going to kick my butt.” And the asthma-prone scaredy-cat in me thought, “Will I be able to make it through without losing my breath and stopping?” Well, I decided to take on the challenge and truly enjoyed every minute of it.  With each race, I felt more and more motivated to beat my last race time. With each stride closer to the finish line, I felt more and more proud of myself.  And I realized, for me at least, that running in races is far more exhilarating than running on a treadmill. My favorite part was having strangers cheer us on – no matter what your goal, people were rooting for you. I loved running in the sea of people, all moving together toward the finish line. And after all of that worry, I ended up coming in first place in my age/gender division. I look forward to signing up for the 2014 speed series!

For the “Exercise More” phase of our health and wellness plan, I encourage all of you to do something outside of your norm. Push yourself, conquer a personal fitness goal, and feel great about yourself!