Log a Laugh

By Trina VerSteeg Wilcox

We change in many ways as the years go by.  Our bodies change, our habits and routines change, and even our humor changes.  Just as many people decline in physical activity, as they grow older, their sense of humor tends to plummet as well.  Oh sure, you might fill your day with several chuckles, ha-ha's and smirks; but how about those gut wrenching, eye watering, nose snorting cackle-laughs?!

A few days ago something struck me as funny.  As I laughed, this great feeling rushed through my body.  When I finished my laugh, I realized that I had not had a hearty laugh in quite some time.  Isn't that sad?  I LOVE to laugh.   And I love it for good reason - It's good for you!  I bet you've read the headlines about how humor makes for a happy heart, or that laughing is relaxing because it reduces the stress hormone cortisol.  Laughing may even have a positive effect on blood flow. 

I don't think that people actually lose their sense of humor, as much as it just takes a back seat to the adult jumble we call "responsibility."  If we are going to be responsible for our health then we can’t let laughter fade into the background.  Perhaps we should be logging some extra laughs along with those Miles. I don't know about you, but I'm up for some gut-busting laughter more often, especially if it's going to make my abs look better.   Here's a start for you: Click Here to Read More...

Book Review

By Christine Blanchette

Marathon Woman - Running The Race To Revolutionize Women’s Sports
By Kathrine Switzer
Published by Harper Collins Publishers 
ISBN -13: 978-0-78671-967-9
ISBN -10: 0-7867-1967-2

I love this book! Why? I am a marathoner, and I found it quite inspirational.  This book, however, is for runners and non-runners alike.  It is a story about how one person can make a difference! 

Kathrine Switzer is best known worldwide as the first woman to officially register and complete the famous Boston Marathon in 1967.  Her 405-page memoir, with photos, is both easy to read and entertaining as she recounts events from 1946-1984. This book is also a great history lesson.  Little did I know, as a female runner, how many strides women have taken to become recognized and acknowledged in distance running.

During the Boston Marathon, the race director attempted to physically remove her from the course because she was running in a men’s-only race.  At that time, women were considered incapable of running 42.2 km. I asked Switzer for her favorite part of the book.  Her answer?  Her first experience running Boston.

The book has been given the honor of “the most important running book of the last 10 years,” by Marathon & Beyond Magazine.  Marathon Woman is not just about running; it’s about overcoming the impossible and changing lives.

Switzer is the author of Running and Walking For Women Over 40 (St. Martin’s Press) and co-author (with runner, author and husband Roger Robinson) of 26.2 Marathon Stories (Rodale Books).