Judging from my neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn, you'd never think America had a health problem. Even on Monday (May 21), a stormy day, a sheets-of-rain dumping associated with Tropical Storm Alberto, I darted outside during a lull and ran with Thurb in Prospect Park. In Park Slope, that's common. You'll find joggers and runners going up and down the Slope during all hours, especially in the warmer weather months like now. When you come upon overweight people on the street, or in cafes, etc., your first thought is: Hmm, must be an out of towner . . .
All of which, of course, helps me stay on course in my effort to keep healthy habits. If I'm surrounded by people jogging and eating well, etc., then it makes it easier to do so myself. Not just every-other day runs, alternating with cross-training days, but in nutritional choices. As I've written on the blog, I've been following the spirit of the diet prescriptions detailed in The Runner's Body http://bit.ly/MbZ8QR. I've also been enjoying higher energy levels, better sleeping, and most amazingly to me, an end to cravings for food and drink that do not fuel the runner's body: ie, trans-fat loaded potato chips, Diet Cokes, and more than one or two glasses of wine at night.
