This Is How It Is

Bouncing from blog to blog the last few days I have, of course, come across many posts about Halloween and eating candy and much lamenting about what can and cannot be eaten by different folks for different reasons.  Now I realize that this time of year can be quite difficult, not only because of the types of food that are all around but because of the weather (this week especially) and it gets dark early and just about everything else.

It was hard to go to the gym last night.  Hard to go.  Not hard to be there.  Yeah even I feel like just collapsing on the couch once in a while in the evening and after the day we had at work, yesterday was one of those days.  I threw my stuff in the car and drove to the gym.  I did a bit of a mash up of exercises just to change it up, and because all the freakin' college kids are there breathing my oxygen.  So I did some weights and then went head to head with the treadmill for an 8k run.  The treadmill is pretty boring to run on, I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate it, but I do wish I could have a great big fan in front of me while I do it.  I was overheating in a big way, I banged it out in 38 minutes though, so not too shabby (for running after work at least).

Now, what's that got to do with Halloween candy?  Will.  But let me step back a bit.  At karate in order to go for Black Belt we look for a lot of things, one of them is personal growth and change.  I found mine at the gym.  Hours and hours spent on the elliptical machine taught me something more than exercise = weight loss.  It taught me about who and what is in control of my own body.  The lesson was simple.  The body is weak, the mind is strong.  My body wanted to stop after about 5k last night, I used my mind to trick my dumb legs into keeping on going - I had to trick them again after 7k, ha stupid legs!  It's my tongue that wants to taste candy, my brain can keep my arm from feeding my face.

Yeah candy is there, treats are yummy, but really treats are ALWAYS available.  If you are reading this you are likely an adult with some amount of disposable income, nothing really is ever standing in your way of going and buying a chocolate bar, a full size one - a king size one!  It just happens to be a bit more convenient to blame a holiday for having candy in the house.  Who's in control?  You or a candy bar?  You or a treadmill?