A Healthy Friday Five

Sophia had the Friday Five at RevGals today:

I just got back from an 8 mile bike ride down the beach boardwalk near our home, and was struck with the number of people out enjoying physical activity. Runners, other cyclists, surfers, swimmers, dogwalkers, little kids on scooters.... It's easy to lose track of my physical self-care in the midst of flurried preparation for a final on-campus interview Monday for a college teaching position in the Midwest (prayers welcome!) and the family move that would accompany it. But each day that I do make time to walk or ride my bike it is such a stress reliever that it is well worth the time invested! So how about you and your beautiful temple of the Holy Spirit?

1. What was your favorite sport or outdoor activity as a child?
Football - could not get enough of it. So much that our parents bought us real shoulder pads for Christmas one year. Like many boys in Nebraska, I dreamed of growing up to play for Tom Osborne. Never quite made it, but I still love football, especially Nebraska football.

2. P.E. class--heaven or the other place?
A little of both. I was a mix of the klutz who fell over a lot and got teased and the strong kid, so some days were great and some were awful. I think it's terrible that schools are cutting P.E. - we need our kids to exercise and be active, now more than ever.

3. What is your favorite form of exercise now?
Running, running and running some more. I've run two marathons and several half-marathons/20Ks, and plan to do more. In fact, just yesterday I hung up a running rack in our basement - four pegs for my running medals and various other running paraphanelia, like my first running cap in all its sweat-stained glory. (see the picture above.)

4. Do you like to work out solo or with a partner?
Yes. Beloved and I are trying to find ways for the two of us to work out together more often. We're doing a spin class on Thursdays and I think I've finally convinced her to try running with me once in a while, once we get her some proper running shoes. And I love running with our students or friends from out of town when they visit. I like my solo runs a lot, but it's also very enjoyable to share that time with others occasionally.

5. Inside or outside?
Outside when available. Frankly, the only thing I don't like about our gym is the way they manage the moisture - it's pretty humid all over the place, and the men's showers just reek, though they are fairly new. But we don't have access to weights or machines anywhere else, so inside it has to be for that.

Bonus: Post a poem, scripture passage, quotation, song, etc. regarding the body or exercise.
"The miracle isn't that I finished - the miracle is that I had the courage to start."
John "The Penguin" Bingham