Swimming is my new love

This day was a reminder that fortitude pays off.  I couldn’t ever imagine me swimming.  The fear I had of the water was great as I came to the pool back in 2007.  I have continued to stick with it and as with all things in His name you can accomplish that which are afraid.

I am not completely comfortable in the water and had been swimming with short fins for a while.  Last week I swam 30 laps without any fins, pull buoy, or paddles.  I was amped and at the same time proud of the fact that I have stuck it out.  Keep it Moving DC and know that when you are consistent, persistent, and unwavering to your commitment to a goal it will happen

Together for our 10th Year

Ten years of togetherness hasn’t always been grand.  We have had our ups and downs, but through it all we have worked to build a family, fight for our community, and strive to leave the world a better place.  This photo was taken at Chu and Nisha’s wedding in June 2002.  Lu and I had been together about 10 months.

Keep It Moving DC!

Keep It Moving DC

The D.C. Department of Health has embarked on an initiative to assist citizens improve their lives.  The initiative has 10 basic tenets one of which is Move More. This tenet has Community Coaches from each ward who have volunteered to lead the fitness challenge, serving as role models, and encouraging residents to move more and stay motivated.  

“Live Well DC!: “Makes it easier than you’d think to get healthier. Whether you live, work or play in the District, Live Well DC! Has a wealth of activities and resources to help you start-and follow- a healthier and happier lifestyle. Make a commitment to you and your family’s healthy living goals, and begin your campaign to Live Well in DC!” excerpt from MyLiveWellDC.com

The challenge and my personal experience
Accepting the challenge as ward 7 Community Coach comes on the heels of my completing my first marathon (Suntrust Nations Marathon, March 26, 2011).  As a former cigarette smoker the idea of running a marathon once seemed impossible, but with desire, commitment, and motivation I quit smoking and began running. I currently commute to work by bike, swim laps regularly, and run frequently.  My ultimate goal is to compete in a triathlon and finish regardless of the time.  

My story is of an average guy who followed the script: as a child most of the adults in my life smoked, drank alcohol, had poor diets and rarely if ever exercised. Sadly, most of those people are not with us today and many died of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, liver disease, and other preventable illnesses. My wife, children and grandchildren are motivation for me to be as healthy as possible with the hope I can be around for them and serve as their primary role model.

Prior to quitting cigarettes my now 8 year old granddaughter and I would go to area pools to cool off.  On one occasion she at age 5 asked why she and I never went “over there” pointing to the 10-12 foot depths of the pool.  My answer shamefully was that Pop Pop couldn’t swim.  At that point she indirectly triggered a desire in me to get her lessons.  I also took a second set of lessons having never fully grasped the basics in my first class through DC Parks and Recreation.  We both now swim.  She competes and has mastery over the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle.  I on the other hand am able to swim laps for sustained periods of 30-90 minutes and yes she can swim faster!  

 
The health problems facing our neighbors
Statistics tell us that Wards 7 and 8 have many smokers, people who consume large amounts of fat, sugar, and salt, overweight, diabetic, hypertensive, and inactive citizens and the largest number of children under the age of 18.  To further complicate matters Wards 7 and 8 have limited numbers of obstetricians, pediatricians, primary care physicians, hospitals, and wellness clinics. Additionally, fast food restaurants, corner, and liquor stores abound throughout these two wards.  

The hope and solution
The good news is that health education, health initiatives, and activism can combat these issues. The challenge becomes educating the masses coupled with advocacy geared at holding community leaders, politicians, and businesses accountable to the health of our neighbors. There are many resources available for our neighbors and us to take advantage of. My effort as Community Coach uses my personal experience, my professional expertise (I am a master’s prepared nurse experienced in medical surgical, psychiatric mental health, and intellectual and developmental disability nursing whose graduate work focused on community health literacy) and my hope for better health for everyone as its motivation.

As the noted American cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead, once stated “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”

This statement motivates me as I know that Ward 7 is smaller than the world and the task of educating our neighbors versus waiting on a hero to come and save us is what I will do.  

Individual Steps  
First and foremost educate yourself and your neighbors on diet, exercise, and primary health care.  Know what and how you should eat, how and what exercise is safe and appropriate for you, and seek primary health care that focuses on age appropriate screenings such as mammograms, Pap smears, prostrate exam and screenings, diabetic screenings, HIV status,….etc.        

Exercise: begin a basic, consistent, and user friendly program that fits your life.  Most people believe this has to be some grand and elaborate effort. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Keep it simple. Get approval from your doctor.

Diet: limit sugar, salt and fat intake. Use resources from LiveWellDC.

Primary Health: see your doctor regularly and get age appropriate health screenings.

Join me and Keep It Moving and lets improve our lives and those of our neighbors be the change you seek.  Log onto www.livewelldc.com and follow me on twitter @WinslowRuns.

Winslow Woodland, Community Coach Ward 7
Hillcrest Resident

March 26, 2011 Suntrust Marathon Finish

I completed the Suntrust Marathon today in 5 hours and 40 minutes. This was the goal to finish as my training got derailed with a bout with the flu, throwing my back out shooting basketball, and not running any long runs past 18.2 miles.

I hurt now and lost three pounds and actually am looking forward to visiting an orthopedic doctor to correct the pain in my ankle that comes to me around 12 mile mark.  The 19-26.2 miles was the hardest and I am so thankful to my wife and running partner for encouraging me to run through the challenge that hindered my training.

Long Runs Every Week

January 1 I ran 13.1, January 8 I ran 14, and tomorrow I will to complete 16. Running is becoming a true passion for me. I haven't run since Saturday and hope it won't be much of a challenge.

New Shoes: Adidas Supernova Sequence 3 M (ASS3M)

Today I broke down and went into Pacers, a local running store on 14th and P St NW, to get advice and a fitting recommendation. I,it seems, need a stability shoe and tried a Saucony, a Mizuno, and the Adidas. The Adidas felt the best in the store and I ran home (6 miles) and must say thus far I am impressed. The pain in my foot led me to the experts. I may have to stay away from the off the rack shoes. ASS3M will be the abbreviation to look for as I hope to move on with my training without pain, discomfort, and the wondering if going to the running was worth it. Stay tuned.

Long Run Experience

Christmas day 2010 Saturday. I started running and knew I needed it to be a long run so I ran from the house to Southern avenue to Marboro pike. From there I follow Marlboro pike to Forestville Road to Pennsylvania Ave to Silver Hill road to Old Silver Hill road to Branch avenue back home. 11.993 miles finished in 2 hours and 15minutes. I felt good afterwards once I got over the chills, got some fluids, jelly beans, and a shower. Sunday December 26 2010 I feel good with minimal soreness in the quads, calfs, and lower back. I have the most pain in my left foot/ankle...my knees were a little achy. I respect every inch of the 12 mile run.

Gummy Bears May Have Saved a Life

Today, I am reminded of the fact that our steps are ordered. I rode my bike to work for the challenge of facing the cold and continuing my journey toward fitness. When about to depart work I decide to run to the pool where my granddaughter practices so I can walk her and my wife to the car. A hand dancing class was going on after the practice and out of the blue the wife decides she wants to try it. It was only a half an hour. We danced it was not pretty and we left early. I wanted gummy bears so we stop at Branch and Penn at the CVS. I don’t want leftovers for dinner so we head to KFC. A large body Benz is blocking traffic and everyone ahead of us go around this car. The wife is driving and as she passes the Benz states that the driver may not be okay. We stop and find the driver is not conscious and not breathing. We activate EMS and begin CPR. Of all the things couples have done together this probably is not a likely activity they usually share.

I was proud of us. We don’t know if he made it as the paramedics came and took over ending with the transport to the hospital. We left our contact info with the police. So now I am wondering a couple things. Suppose I didn’t decide to run to the pool, or we didn’t stay for the hand dancing class, or me continue wanting my gummy worms, or lastly what if I was okay with the leftovers? All these steps could have changed us being present to possibly help save a life. So when you think your decisions are solely individual think of my today and know you and I are but pawns in a large game of chess. Guess who is moving the pieces?

Suntrust Marathon Training

Challenging myself again and have signed up for the 2011 Suntrust Marathon. Lately running 26 miles non stop seems a bit crazy. It fits though I love that crazy mode when I am able to say I did something that no one else I know has done.
The worst that can happen while training for this is that I have a goal with small steps to reach it and another reason to complain. Last week, from Sunday to Saturday I ran 30 miles total and completed 5 consecutive days of running between 4 and 7.5 miles.

5.5 Southern to Marlboro Saturday November 27
Last night I ran 5.5 from the house to Southern Avenue to Marlboro Pike to Alabama Avenue to Minnesota to 30th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue to Branch. It was a night run kind of cold it took 60 minutes. I should note this run ends with several large hills (Penn ave and Branch).

6.5 1125 Office to Deanwood Recreation Friday November 26
L street to Mass. to New York to L St to Florida to Benning to Minnesota to Sheriff to Meade to Minnesota.

4 Home to St. Barnabas to home Thursday November 25 Thanksgiving Day

6.5 1125 Office to Home Wednesday November 24

7.5 Bally's Treadmill Tuesday November 23

Stay tuned.
I worked on increasing speed and recovery. this running challenge will help me become a better human I am sure.

Swimming a Challenge

I have been off since the 24th of July and have swam everyday but one. I usually swim at least an hour and find it to be a very therapeutic exercise. I now know what the big deal is now. This leg of the tri would propel me into a whole new dynamic in my life: the Triathalon. Wow I would love to add that to my list of accomplishments and have already pushed my self in the water far beyond what I would have every imagined. I am comming to love swimming.
I have incorporated several drills into my swim workout they include the catch up (this is a freestyle drill where the swimmer does not pull unit his hands meet after the last pull), the superman (the swimmer places one hand on his hip and reaches forward with the other and kicks, breathing with a rotation of the body), the pull(the swimmer pulls with only one hand while the other is extended breating only on the side he is pulling), kicking only(with or without the kick board), backstroke streamline, and all with paddles/flippers/buoy.

I have run this week twice and find that my breating seems improved. I would like to think all of those who have encouraged me along the way...Christann, Dawn, Roy, Coach Al, Coach Roger, and Remy. Each in their own way have offered me something that has pushed me to improve. Also, multiple sites on the web, youtube, and swimming blogs also have helped.

Prom Action

Prom Action


Washington, D.C. June 1983, something possessed me to ask Blank to the prom and as the fragile and unsure words “would you go to the prom with me?” fell off my trembling lip. The m from the ending of the word prom seemed to meet the n from the word no in mid air. Years later after becoming reacquainted with my yearbook photo did it occur to me why, other than the fact that she didn’t know me, that she may have said no. I was not the guy whose looks got him into doors or panties. My looks where that of a sort of duck as my lips were grown man sized on a just above adolescent frame and face. Simply, she and many others may not have found me appealing. What is interesting about that though is that as history provides retrospect she and I seemed in the middle; not extremely popular, nor loud, and yet fashionable and searching. She was popular in a humble sort of way and this was her most appealing feature. It occurs to me that my wisdom was present back then as asking Blank had less to do with factors other than the dance, the dress up, but more to do with my assessment of a compatible date. Many people knew me, my looks were not atrocious, fashion was in me, and Blank and I were thin, tall, and brown. Later, it occurred to me that knowing a girl helps but on some fronts yet shyness crippled me when it came to certain girls.

Some girls I found easy to talk to and they seemed to capture most of my attention and while great for social training, they rarely held my interest very long or they fell into the category of proof. Proof girls showed the world my interest in women while proving to other girls that I belonged to someone. Girls and later women I found covet what is not theirs. This is not to say that effort with a few on point and main stream, progressive, beautiful, fashionable, and even kind young women were not launched, yet longevity and timing seem to be off and we ended most often as friends.

Later in life this trivial exercise of night time/ daytime girls became common in my travels and like many of those formative traits proved to be a leech on my character and confidence. Simply, it’s always easy when your meager existence dazzles someone opposed to her accomplishment seemingly mediocre. In my neighborhood of social misfit’s finishing school, working, dressing in the latest fashion, and being in the game were enough to establish a pedigree worthy of many offers of sex, girlfriends, and accolades. It occurred to me later that most of those meager accomplishments meant so much to those around me that the plight of so many capable African Americans is in a sort of social vacuum crying to get out. For those who get out the squandering of time leads to a high stakes game of catch up. Reminds me of the time back in 1992, newly married to my first wife my arduous attempts at understanding the stock market, mutual funds, and credit ratings.

What is ironic about the initial rejection from Blank was that I understood, hell she didn’t know me really. The nigger in me wanted to pitch a bitch and not go after that but, I did go with someone, Prom Date, who at one point adored me. Why is it that people tend not to like or love those who really love them initially? It’s almost like I felt she, Prom Date had to be nuts to be into me. On the other hand chasing someone who barely knew me was nuts as well. Was it about the challenge, the unknown, the chase, the newness, or simply did I need to know if I fit in on another level? Maybe one day these questions may come up and the answers revealed.

Night Before Half Marathon

It's 11:30 p.m. the night before the Park's Half Marathon I had trained for prior to the severe ankle sprain and I can't sleep. No I won't be running with the other 2300 folks at 7:00 a.m., but will be there in spirit. The pain from the sprain coupled with the feeling of despair of not being able to run is making this experience a bit challenging.

After the sprain I ran two days the first week afterward and found that the advice from the urgent care physician (that I would be running again in about 10 days)was bogus and two additional visits one to my primary and another to an aggressive urgent physician (she referred me to orthopaedics) have given a better perspective on how serious my injury is.

Six weeks is the estimation for full running again and that will take time and patience.

Never love anything you can't do without it can make living a challenging while you are away from it. Just love and learn to adapt to losing what you love. I am slowing for now, smelling the roses, watching what those who don't run see and do.

I can not wait to get back to my running but want so much to remember this period of having to slow down and be patient with my body, the health care system, and change.

Woodyzway

Damper on my training

I went on a night run monday through a grave yard...don't ask it was hot and I knew it would be cool. At any rate I stepped into a hole and severly sprained my ankle. It swole to the size of half an orange and the pain was incredible. This put a damper on my running.

I am someone who throughout life has used running as a diversion from stress, hard times, and boredom. When I run now it is more peaceful than when I was say 10 or 11. Back then I would run at night pretending to be an olympic runner who was always the underdog with a seemingly insurmountable lead to overcome and I would always win in the end in cinematic fashion. This period of solitudinal play would probably release me from the fear and uncertainty that faced our life back then.

Now I run occasionally as the old veteran who no one gives a chance who comes on strong and places or wins.

Imagination is funny and as one song says can make a cloudy day sunny.

I am training for a half marathon coming up in 5 weeks and hope to share my journey with those who take the time to read this blog and hopefully leave them moved in some way....woodyzway...peace