[Sportsandrec] Love is the answer

Fri Mar 13 20:00:26 UTC 2009

I am really enjoying the "Dear Abbey" site.

In a message dated 3/13/2009 3:54:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
rockthebike at usfamily.net writes:

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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