March 9, 2017 STILL THE ONE

Got through 5 LONG MILES on the treadmill the other day--with a little help from a friend. After forcing myself to go to the gym, I stumbled across the floor--half asleep and disheveled-- to the treadmill--and spotted a FRIEND. WHEW! What a relief. Running on a machine is really BORING and having a friend to chat with really helps the time pass more quickly. Friends always make everything in life easier.  Not even sure if I would still be running  if it weren't for the encouragement of my comrades and all the positive people I meet on the streets and at the gym. Running, working out or whatever you do to stay in shape takes real COMMITMENT-- that's why so many people fall off the wagon. It really has to become part of your regular schedule-- like any other appointment. I have it fixed in my brain--I HAVE--to find 4 days to run every week and I really try to plan those days out before the week starts. I find that's when I'm most successful.  If I know the schedule ahead of time it keeps me on track. NO EXCUSES. Even if it doesn't work out for a particular reason,  I WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN the next day. Stop and think about --ALL the time we waste doing ridiculous things--usually for someone else--Then REMEMBER TO carve out time doing one thing that's all about you.  I RUN. Talk about commitment, I just finished a great book about an inspirational woman called Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.

First of all, it must be noted that the idea for this book is the result of Knizhnik's creation--Notorious RBG TUMBLR which is a tribute to RBG and Carmon, a national reporter for MSNBC. It is an interesting, informative and  at times laugh-out-loud peek into RBG's life and work--complete with  photos and interesting antedotes. RBG is quite a woman. She has dedicated her life to seeking justice for several causes including feminist rights, family rights, same-sex marriage just to name a few. She is committed to women and all underrepresented people and works tirelessly as a Supreme Court justice--but that's only one part of who she is. She is also a woman who was married for almost 60 years to her best friend Martin. She is also a mother of two,  and surviver of cancer. This book is a hodge podge of interesting information about RBG. One chapter is dedicated to her workout routine--I'm pretty sure she can do 20 push ups. Another chapter is dedicated to the many lessons she has learned during her life--I loved that part. There is even a section dedicated to her husband's favorite recipe--after all he was the cook in their unorthodox family! This is an important book not only for women but all people as she is a role model we can all learn from. It's about 200 pages total--with lots of great pictures--or a 4 mile run--that you won't regret reading for a minute.