As a very young boy I remember watching Ron Thompson win Gold medal for marathon walking at the 1960 Rome Olympics. The 50km walk or 31.06 miles was completed in 4 hours 25 minutes and 30 seconds, roughly speaking a 7 mph pace. The very odd Thompson walked through the tape and off out of the stadium without stopping to collect any accolade. The journalists described his exit as similar to someone walking to the bus stop. Thompson trained in his steamed filled bathroom and regularly fainted from the fumes of the paraffin oil heater that he set up in there to create the sensation of the heat of Rome. He fervently believed all roads lead to Rome.
On the Annivirusary of Covid 19 ( I borrowed that from Private Eye ) I look back on the last year as the year I finally woke up to the fact I needed to shred the pounds and get back to my Athletic best of 50 years ago when I earned more playing Soccer than I did working. My chance meeting a Cardiac Surgeon on my morning walk kicked off matters. He told me in passing and very pleasantly that I needed to lose 70lbs. I told him that I had began walking a mile a day which he greeted with disdain by ‘ double it ‘ and halve your plate size.
I boasted to others that my medical stats were all great including blood pressure and oxygen levels though on BMI I failed miserably. I thought of Thompson that funny man known as Mickey Mouse and started walking. My daily take is now 4 miles on average per day and my frame is shrinking as I removed everything I liked from the plate. I feel much better than I did and with a long way to go I’m beginning to enjoy my new regime though I’m along way off 7mph I am doing well at 3 mph. Fitness however is still not the guarantee of a long life, Ron died at 73 from a brain aneurysm. The inventor of the treadmill died at 54 and the inventor of Kentucky Fried Chicken at 94.
Covid 19 the year the world went on pause caused more people to think of their mental health and walking is therapeutic without doubt. Losing weight can be a drudge but if you see yourself looking better and when the trousers start falling down it’s time to celebrate. During my walks this last year I’ve met a High Court Judge, a Cardiac Surgeon, a Psychiatrist and many dog walkers. I’ve seen many who are like running skeletons as they surely suffer from self image or bulimic tendency and from the painfully thin to the obese it’s all be quite a learning curve. The year has been an illumination and somewhere surely the pursuit should be balance in exercise and eat. That difficult balance in all we do those scales that must just be so in mind body and limb. The enemy can of course be average but one thing for sure life’s battles are all in the mind, our own mind which if you can sort that out you will have life’s Olympic gold.
Around the time Ron was walking for the bus Helen Shapiro recorded her hit song ‘ Walking back to Happiness’ and that’s still where it’s at I reckon. Try it. Half plates mean whole lives and walking gives you something to think about.
qbitblogger 