Steve's Heart Walk

Friends,

I am participating this year in the American Heart Association Heart Walk.

I have a story to tell, and thanks to Ron and Parker here at Home Theater Forum, it will soon be posted for all to see and hear.

Please stay tuned! Good things happen, and we can all be a part of it.

Regards,
Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Thanks Mike! You've got mail!

Again, this is about making a committment to living a healthier lifestyle. I would be happy, really, if one person--just one person--did that. I did, and it has made a real difference to me and my family. But the reality of the situation is that American Heart Association is doing great work, and they need your help.

One question has come up--for those of you considering a donation by check, there is a donation form you can print off at the link I will send you once I know your email address. You mail the form directly to American Heart Association for them to handle, but it has my contact info on it so it gets credited to the team. All donations are handled through American Heart Association.

Thanks again, guys. It's time to finish picking up the house so we can rock the foundation tonight with 300. Although, quite honestly, I will have to take a break at one point to do my walk.

- Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Thanks Roy. The walks sure come easier when you are in shape to do them. What amazed me was how quickly I got in to shape--this has been going on for less than a month, and just this morning, I walked 3.5 miles. That is the distance of the AHA fun walk, and I am already there after just under 3 weeks of effort!

Thanks for the good vibes--it's truly been a wonderful life.

- Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Thanks, Guys, the support really means a lot.

A lot of the willpower required to keep to a program is something entirely out of our hands... I believe the trite phrase is to just let go... whatever that means.

My success started when I tried NutriSystem for 2-3 months and dropped about 50 pounds. That locked me into some healthy eating habits, and now I can survive on real food--even sit in a room with $500 worth of pizza and not even budge towards it. Now I seem to have turned almost into Jared because when I can eat out, I do go to Subway.

Amazing, guys... I never thought I could do something like this! Again, thanks for the kind words!

- Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Groovy, thanks so much!

- Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Well guys, thanks again for reading / listening to my story. The walk is this weekend, and I am doing my darndest to get ready for it.

The one thing I vow to --never-- do again is to sit on my ass all the time and let my life pass before me. I don't think I am being a drama queen when I say, again, that I could have died back in the late 1990's when all I did was work, eat, and sleep. I am not trying to send anyone on a guilt trip here, except for the one person who emailed me when I shut my site down and told me that I should be ashamed for doing it. In the wise words of Bill the Cat, pfffth!

The walk is early (they are telling us that the best parking will be had if we get there at 7:00am) and all I can say is that the cold drinks better have some caffeine in them if I am going to be out and about at that hour!

Mostly, I just want to thank you falletin me be mice elf again.

(And if you are getting on a funky groove with that Sly reference, then my work here is done.)



- Steve

Re: Steve's Heart Walk

Well, the walk was a success! Some 12 hours after returning home, the feet and calves are still feeling funky, but everything went well.

My company team was small (the guests who walked with us ultimately outnumbered the company participants--one walker brought five guests!) but a splendid time was had by all, whether the team had less than a dozen participants, or several hundred.

There were a lot of familes at the event, even kids in strollers. There were people who brought dogs. One team had a pony. There was entertainment--a live band, stiltwalkers who juggled, a magician, free healthy snacks, lots of water to drink, and many volunteers helping out.

Dallas Mav's Head Coach Avery Johnson fired the starting gun, then at least a thousand folks walked in beautiful pre-fall weather in the streets of Dallas. The weather was perfect.

We started at Victory Park, just outside the American Airlines Center (where the Mavs and Stars play, and where I will be seeing Blue Man Group next month!) We passed the West End, the Texas School Book Depository, and other buildings that graced the opening credits of that favorite 80's prime-time soap where that J.R. guy got shot.

A confession: I took one short cut, cutting what appeared to be a block out of the 3.5 mile walk. Sorry. I took the light rail to get to the event, but showed up late to the train station and ended up standing the entire hour it took to get from north of Dallas to Victory Park.

But the miracle here--and I am truly blessed to be able to say this--is that I could even think of standing for that hour, walking around the event and walking the city for almost three hours, and that I am still here with only minor aches and pains to show for it.

This walking thing is good stuff!

So thanks again to all who read my story, thanks even more to those who thought about making a lifestyle change despite this sedentary hobby, and extra special thanks to those who supported the walk (and I don't just mean financially).

The Dallas Heart Walk raised almost $2 million as of Thursday. Some last minute contributions could very well push us past our goal. There are Heart Walks scheduled in other cities, as well.

The statistic says that for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise, you gain as much as two hours of life expectancy! So what did I do this afternoon?

Well, sure, what else? I watched a movie. I am going to have to really get to the exercise if I am going to be able to watch that new Kenneth Branagh Hamlet DVD.

Anyway, thanks again everyone. Be well.

- Steve