A couple of weeks ago I read about a fellow Marathonfest runner who became a heart attack survivor at the age of 31. She’s since created a blog about her experience and her road to recovery. We’ve not met, but being her same age and a newer runner myself her story really resonated with me and made me think about my health and life in general.
At 31, my brain still thinks I’m 21 but my body often reminds me that those days are long behind me. Yet, I still embody the belief that nothing will ever happen to me and that I have my whole life ahead of me.
While discussing the rarity of having a heart attack at 31 on one of our morning runs, my group leader Sue said something that stuck with me: “You know you’re really getting old when your friends start dying of natural causes.” At the time I chuckled but I came home and asked Donnie if we were at that age yet. I don’t even remember how he responded, but we got an answer in the worst way possible earlier this week.
On Thursday morning Donnie lost a good childhood friend to a heart attack. He was 33 and he left this world too young.
I missed this morning’s run to drive Donnie to the airport so he could go to the funeral this weekend. But truth be told, I have been going back and forth on skipping the run since Wednesday. My body is tired, and I can’t seem to get my energy back. I’ve been joking that it’s because I’m soon to turn 32.
It’s likelier that I’m tired from the incredibly busy month I had at work, and the marathon that I ran and only gave myself a week to recover from. And the horrible food I’ve been eating all week so that I didn’t waste our leftover Super Bowl food hasn’t helped one bit. Nor has my busier than usual social calendar, which has also lead to poor food choices.
In the effort to kickstart my energy, I’ve decided to clean up my eating habits and I need to figure out how to do it on a budget and make it fit into my schedule. Unfortunately in today’s society, eating good is neither cheap, nor convenient. And while the higher costs of healthy eating are a bit depressing, it’s the finding time to grocery shop and cook that are my biggest challenges. I will conquer and divide and it will be well worth the extra effort.
Besides, one day I want to be turning 81 and complaining that my body just isn’t like it was when I was 32.
Any words of advise on meal planning?
I Sweat Pretty 
Heart attacks in the early 30s? That’s scary! So sorry to hear about your friends.
Thanks lady. Again, one’s a stranger and the other is Donnie’s childhood friend, but it really does make me take a closer look at my own decisions!
wow. let me know when you find that balance with healthy foods and making it cost effective. i need that too. i think i’m getting old also. ugh.
but that’s why we’re making conscious decisions to change our lives. cheers to healthy living!