
sculpted, set another running record Sunday in the Knoxville half-marathon with a time of 3:03:56. And that came despite warm temperatures – creeping into the low 70s by the afternoon.
I don’t know how much longer Mike will continue running these long races but I hope he sticks with it till he passes the magical century mark – only nine short years away. Anyway, I treasure each time I have the chance to be with him at a marathon. On this trip, the time was even longer since we drove together from Cincinnati to Knoxville and had the chance to chat, always an opportunity for me to learn from this fountain of wisdom.
A lot of people dread old age. I remember reading a blurb by Donald Trump about how he hated getting old. He hated losing the vitality of youth. And, being obese as he is, he probably suffers from obesity-related disease, although his medical team keeps him supplied with the necessary medications. When I posed this question to Mike, he joyfully replied that being old is fantastic! Obviously he invested well enough to provide for a comfortable living, another important facet of being a LifeNut. And his relationships with his wife and children give him satisfaction as does his yearning to help others to become healthy, although many don’t want to listen. Mike is what old age can be like, not like what old age in America is usually like – wheelchairs, nursing homes, dementia. No one wants to be like that. But having a healthy mind and body – as Mike does at 91 –
represents a rosy picture of life, especially if you enjoy having fun with your loved ones.
We had the chance to be on the speaking program for the Knoxville expo and give our message about longevity and vitality to runners and their families. Hopefully they’ll take it to their city councils and, if they’re wise, their city councils will adopt the LifeNuts program. But time will tell.
We also explained that one doesn’t need to run marathons to be a LifeNut … but one needs to be physically fit and have a low BMI. Diet and exercise play an important role but stress management is equally powerful. It’s hard to work three jobs to make ends meet and squeeze in six hours of intense
exercise each week. Financial management is a skill, which many lack – even celebrities and well-known athletes.
Since we’re now in April and, after a long, long winter, spring has finally arrived in Ohio and, with it, golf season has begun. And so, my blog postings will slow down. Maybe only one per month. I will resume weekly postings
in November. Meanwhile, if your city wants to become a LifeNuts community and
you have any questions, please notify me via the contact form on this site. Have
a great summer!