Marshall Ramsey

People ask me, “Marshall, how do I get started exercising?”  I usually break into the song from the Rankin/Bass classic Christmas special Santa Claus is Coming to Town:

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

Seriously, that’s not far off.  Check with your doctor to make sure you’re able to exercise safely.  And get going.  If you want to be a runner, walk first and then walk/run.  Join a class (the accountability is awesome). Do what you love to do.  You like to bike? Then bike. Walk with a friend. Run with a friend. Have a pool at your disposal? Swim.  There’s no better exercise.  The point is: Take action.  I was motivated by my failing health and expanded waistline. I did Fit4Change with Paul Lacoste (watch Mississippi Public Broadcasting tonight at 7:30 see a documentary on the program) and lost over 40 lbs.

Gradually increase your activity level. Your body is very resilient and will adjust to your workout. You have to keep stressing yourself and then resting. And remember to have a little patience. I know it takes me about four weeks after I start a program to see a body change.

You can do it. I know you can.  I did. And I was rotten shape.  Just get out there and be the Nike commercial. Just do it.

I ran 5.1 sweaty miles this morning. It was a solid run.

I don’t have time to exercise. I make time.  I get up and run way before most people hit the snooze.  I’m not saying this because it makes me superior. Or special.  It’s the only time I can get in my hour of exercise.  It’s my choice. I roll out of bed at 4 a.m. ready to run.

I work from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the week.  And usually 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the weekends.  There’s no way in the world I’d be able to pull off hours like that without being in good shape.  I know — I tried it when I weighed 248 lbs. and drank sodas for cheap energy. And it nearly killed me.

Exercise gives me time.  An hour invested every day allows me to get more done in the other 23.  I have more energy. More stamina. More ability.

So I view exercise as an investment.  And the payoff of that investment allows me keep moving forward. I won’t work hours like this forever.  But believe me, as long as I am, I’ll make sure I keep exercising. I don’t have time not to.

I had to take off a pair of jeans today. They were too big, too baggy and didn’t fit me. They were size 36s. That’s a long way from the size 41 waist I had back in January.

One reason why I’ve tried to reduce the amount of body fat I have is because of the threat of cancer recurrence.  I’ve read studies in the past that seem to hint that the higher body fat you have, the more likely you will have a melanoma recurrence. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is very difficult to fight once it comes back.  (although you need to read the story of Kevin “Stenny” Stenstrom who has had it recur twice and beat it back both times.)  Also other types of cancers are linked to obesity: Esophagus, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), colon and rectum, kidney, pancreas, thyroid, gallbladder, and possibly other cancer types.

Been there, done that. Got the scars to prove it. Don’t’ want to go back to Cancerland.  Nope. Nevermore.

So I run.  And watch what I eat.  Because I know that Benny Franklin was right: An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Today, I ran 5.18 miles, burned over 860 calories today. For 2012, I have burned 64,428 calories while running. That’s a lot of calories.  And I probably sweated off another half-dozen pounds today because of the humidity. We’re getting into the miserable time of the year for running.  It was nearly 80 degrees at 4:45 a.m.  To quote my friend Meteorologist Ethan Huston, It was Mother Nature’s morning breath.  Very apt description.