[Sportsandrec] Love is the answer

[Ron & the bears]

Hi Danielle,

I thought I'd send out my $.02 cents on your roommate situation.

I think positive peer-pressure is a powerful motivator. As I look back on my
life and the different phases that I went through, I can see it a lot.

I was barely 13 When I moved from Pittsburgh to Clearwater, Florida in 1981,
I was into disco, skating parties,  and high-top Pro Ked basketball shoes.
My new Florida friends were more into Van Halen and low-cut Nikes. Once I
got over the ridicule and noticed that they actually accepted me, I
gradually assimilated into their culture.

That same year, I met a guy who mentored me into cycling. None of my other
friends were into that, but I met a lot of supportive riders who lovingly
taught me literally how to ride at their level. I was only 13 and I was
riding 60-mile rides with men and women who were in their 20's through 60's.
If I can only catch up with them now, some 27 years later. I'd love to
celebrate my accomplishments with them and express my heart-felt gratitude
and credit to them. They believed in me. Many times, riders would have to
come back from the pack to catch me up to their speed.

The same happened when I got my first apartment. I met some friends who were
into drinking beer and playing quarters. I ended up with a girlfriend who
was into all that and I unnoticeably went down into that direction. A few
years later, when I became a Christian, my bar-hopping friends went away
when I no longer wanted to carouse with them. However, my new church friends
surrounded me and lifted me up with love and support. My GPA in college went
up an entire point in one semester.

Even at the age of 40, I gain so much strength and motivation from my peers,
whether it be from teammates, friends, family, or friends and teammates who
have become family. I have learned that lesson the hard way, especially
since moving to Texas. I unknowingly isolated myself and brought my life
down to a stand-still. "You know I've been to the edge, and then I stood and
looked down. Ya know I lost a lot of friends there, baby, I got no time to
mess around." Van Halen

United we stand, divided we fall. Bad company corrupts good character. If
you want to win, you gotta start hanging out with winners.

Perhaps you can be the same for your roommate. If you are going for a walk,
invite her along. If the conversation is good, she will not even think about
the fact that she is walking further than she has in some time. On long bike
rides, it is that conversation that takes my mind off the exercise. I am
having too much fun to be exercising!

For me, I have to be at a certain fitness level to walk into a gym. Your
roommate may be actually telling you the same thing. I have also had riders
come ride with me alone on the tandem, because they were not yet strong
enough to ride with the team. She needs to start at whatever level she is
comfortable. With cycling, like any other activity, you need to first
establish a base level of fitness before you can start building on that
foundation with intervals and strength training.

Maybe a thirty minute walk and a frozen yogurt might be a great, subtle
introduction for her into your world. Once she becomes acclimated from
improved conditioning, maybe raise the bar by seeing if she might want to do
a 5K charity walk with you. Introduce other fitness friends into your
walking group so that they will become her friends, too.

"Are we alive, or just a dying planet. What are the chances?" England Dan & 
John Fort-Colley?

Good luck!

Ron & the they don't care how much you know until they know how much you 
care bears
Austin, TX

"Danielle Nicole Larsen" wrote, snip Sort of on sort of off topic. My
roommate is totally blind, and she's not a
: big fan of the gym and working out.
: Okay I'll be honest... she despises it. But she really wants to lose some
: weight and she's been on diets forever. She knows she needs to sort of
step
: it up and change something. Has anyone ever had someone like that in their
: lives? Is there a way to try and get her to go? I don't want to seem mean
or
: harsh... she really knows she needs to . She just has no desire to go. She
: feels like it's never worth her time. Thoughts?



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