Race Up Boston Place

Today I wanted to give a big thank you to all the patients of Franson Family Chiropractic who supported Dr. Ryan, my Aunt Denise and me in the Race Up Boston Place to support the American Lung Association and the Everyday Hero’s Foundation this past Saturday.

It was a great event in which we had to race up 42 flights of stairs (792 steps) in the Mellon Financial Building.  Over 1000 people participated in the event, including over 30 local fire department teams that had to climb all 42 flights in full equipment while carrying their oxygen tanks.  Dr. Ryan finished in just under 7 minutes and was 3^rd place overall in the Health Care Providers category (of course he had to wear a weight vest just to make it harder), I finished in 9:31, and my aunt finished in just under 19 minutes.

Dr. Ryan will be the first to tell you that when I get an idea, it’s a bit scary.  However, he is always one of the first ones to jump in.  I found out about the event a bit late, so on a whim so we had three days to raise enough money to participate.  With the help of the awesome patients as FFC this was easily done.

By far the biggest reward of all was to be able to have my aunt, who has been a FFC patient for years, not only be able to come to cheer Ryan and me on in just another event, but this time to actually have her be healthy enough to participate herself.

As we stood in line getting ready to ascend 42 flights of stairs, I turned and asked her “What’s your goal?”  She said “Less than 30 minutes.”  I said “I think you can do it in twenty!”

Ryan and I finished and waited at the top – then it dawned on me that at this time last year, there was no way my aunt could do this!  I started to get really excited to see her finish.  As we waited there, it also dawned on me that a little less than a year ago, she was not only 70 pounds heavier, but was also still a smoker, which made this even more amazing!  When she crossed that finish line in under 20 minutes, there was nothing more rewarding than seeing her beaming smile at the top.

To fully understand the magnitude of this event that the patients at FFC helped make happen, I think it might be necessary to share some background information for those who do not have the privilege of knowing my aunt.  Last year she was named most improved patient of the year for a reason.  You see, like so many women, my aunt had tried every diet under the sun.  She had lost the same twenty to fifty pounds over and over again, only to be completely frustrated at gaining those pounds back - but she has never stopped trying, and for that I give her all the credit in the world.

In 2009 she hit a tipping point.  She got so committed to getting healthy, and she was determined to do it the right way to see if she could make it last.  She started listening to all the resources available at FFC, she watched all the DVDs, she did nutrition consults, and she got educated on what she needed to do to make her lifestyle healthy on a consistent basis, rather than a yo-yo method that only worked temporarily and often left her right back where she started.

Today she is 70 lbs. lighter than she was last year, and she has done this with no packaged fake food, fad diets, weigh-ins, diet pills or drastic surgeries.  That is an amazing feat in itself, considering we live in a world that revolves about drastic measures to achieve short- term gains instead of creating a lifestyle that leads to long-term change.  She made a plan, set short-term goals that she could easily reach, and now she is determined to reach her goal of losing another 50 lbs. by 2011. 

Call me a hardass, but in my book there are absolutely no excuses not to take control of your health the way my aunt did.  If you have two arms, two legs, a heart that beats, and a brain that functions relatively well, you owe it to yourself to get moving.

Check out this short video for a little added inspiration:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA]

I know she will reach her goal.  This event was a milestone of proof of what is possible.  There is also nothing more inspiring than seeing someone you love reach a goal that just a year ago seemed impossible.  What do you need to do today to get back control of your health?  The FFC community is a good place to start, and so is the Bonfire Health Program.  For those of you who need to start a new journey toward health, remember – as Doc says, work toward progression, not perfection.  For those of you are already living a lifestyle that has provided you with great health, what have you done to challenge yourself lately?  Set some goals for yourself.  Who knows?  You just might surprise yourself when you reach them faster than you expected, as my aunt did this weekend.

No excuses!  Sign up today for the Get Moving! workshop that Dr. Ryan and Dr. Nick are teaching on the 24^th of February.  It’s going to be an awesome hands-on talk that will feature fitness experts from around the North Shore.

In health,

Kendra