FitView By Efren Martinez
Too tired, it’s been a long day, legs hurt, it’s too hot, it’s too cold. Sometimes any reasoning beyond the fact that we are just being lazy will comfort us so we don’t have to separate ourselves from the couch or that bag of chips to exercise. Sure, I’ve been there, well for about a minute until the vision of my friend A.J. Mitchell enters my mind. Then I’m all about getting in my fitness.
For AJ any of the above excuses is just nonsense. Just recently I spotted AJ racing in one of The ShadowChase Running Club races. AJ is a phenomenal athlete. Even though he’s been paralyzed from the waste down all of his life, he doesn’t let that stop him. AJ’s new to the club and he joined because according to him, he just needed a little more motivation to get out and start being active again. For AJ living a healthy lifestyle is just part of who he wants to be, and not only is he competitive, he also loves being active through racing. And yes, regardless of his Spina Bifida, AJ’s quick and will leave you in the dust in any race. Recently I asked AJ what sparks the fire to get his wheels moving so fast. With a smile, AJ proudly referred to his newly beloved ShadowChase friends, “The ShadowChasers have helped me in many ways, they’ve helped me become more outspoken and open, also they have helped me push myself to a whole new fitness level. It’s really helped me see what I can do regardless of having a disability.” Thus far AJ’s has entered around 35 races from 100 meters to a half marathon and he has his sights on not only racing a full marathon, but to compete in The Boston Marathon and a century race. You go AJ! For this DJ in fitness; I look forward every morning to reading your posts on facebook of rolling out the miles on hills, racing in races and your positive attitude. All of this pushes me not only to be a better athlete, but also to be a better person. Thank you for that.
Modesto View readers, if you too would like to follow my friend AJ’s progress, I invite you to friend him at A.J. Paralyzaher Mitchell on Facebook or you can personally meet this inspirational fellow at The Peace Officers Memorial race in Modesto on September 23rd .
I asked AJ if he could share a few words with our Modesto View Readers and here’s what he had to say. “The words I like to live by are “go hard or home”. If you are at home thinking you can’t run a race, it’s not impossible. It may take some time but you can do it, look at me I have been through 30 very tough surgeries and I am still out here giving my all, it’s doable and I look forward to meeting all of you at my next race.”
Fitness Tip Raising your heart rate to at least 65% 3-4 times a week with only 30-40 minutes of fitness per session along with a clean diet will help you live a hart healthy active lifestyle.
