Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Getting Healthy!



My brother and I have been on a secret mission to get our family healthy. It's hard to convince people to exercise, especially when they're your parents, they're over 50, and they haven't exercised in years. We decided the best way to do that was to run in a 44 mile relay race!

When you're in your 20's, it's hard not to worry about your parents' health. My uncle died of a heart attack 2 years ago. He's five years older than my dad and he was only 63 years old. Once you start working in a cubicle and sitting on your butt all day, you realize how years of sitting at your desk could really become your undoing. In addition, you realize how years of job-related stress will help coat your arteries in plaque. You worry about what's going on inside your parents' blood vessels.

So, my brother and I started a quest to get my parents to exercise. We decided to try to run in the Brew to Brew race from Kansas City to Lawrence, KS. It took a lot of convincing to get my mom to do it. My brother and I had probably 10 phone calls each to get her to agree and we weren't even sure she'd do it on the day of the race, because it was COLD and raining/snowing.

But, Team Yay Mom and Dad did it! It turned into a family affair, my 2 brothers, their girlfriends, my 2 cousins, my husband, my parents and I all "ran" in under 8.5 hours. It was cold,windy, and wet, but it was fun. I think that even my mom had a good time. This picture is my parents running the end of their 3.3 mile leg in the snow/sleet. They finished in under an hour and they still look pretty happy!

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