When I was eight years old I competed in my first triathlon. Our neighbor invited all the kids in the area to swim, bike and run our way to the finish. No road blocks were set, it didn’t take place in the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans, and it was far from an Ironman (though we thought we were invincible!). But it was a start for a bunch of 8 year olds and sometimes, that’s all you need to get moving in the right direction. A start.
My mornings are just like yours – sometimes I feel great and jump right out of bed and am ready to tackle the day and anything that comes my way. Other days? I’m less motivated and want to roll over, hit snooze, and take extra time to get rolling. This is where I go back to what it felt like to run those triathlons as a kid. It’s the start of your day and the best way to get motivated is to spend a little time being active, a positive start to what can be a jam-packed day. From running to cycling to yoga to hitting the stairs in your apartment, or even chasing around your kids, it keeps you moving. When that alarm clock goes off, it doesn’t matter what you do – every day is a new day and in my world, I need to be ready to hit the ground running, literally.
For myself and my wife Stephanie, we like to enjoy the morning air and go for a run. Before heading to the office, we hit the ground for a run that gets the blood pumping, distances ranging 5-10 miles depending on what our day looks like. It’s a great way to get that energetic boost you need to ensure you walk in to your 8am meeting, fresh and ready to get things accomplished. For us as an active couple, gives us more time together before our days kick off with work, kids, activities, you name it, we’re engaged in it!
I can’t take all the credit for having a strong routine. Stephanie was a huge factor in my reason to get back in to running. After we had our second child, Stephanie was looking to begin exercising on a regular basis. She started running and it wasn’t long before she was encouraging me to join her. Life is busy so when you get a chance to hang out with your wife, YOU TAKE IT!!! Having a running partner makes those morning runs easier. Not only to have someone to run with but talk to. Our lives get so busy with work and kids, we sometimes forget the little things or discussions we started and never finished because we got pulled in different directions with the kids. It can be a good catch up time!
I’ve often read about business owners, executives or entrepreneurs discussing how they incorporate exercise into their lifestyles and how it plays an important role in not only their own success but that of their teams and company. A refreshed focus can bring new life into projects when someone is energized and feeling good about themselves.
It wasn’t until I began my morning run routine with Stephanie that I realized the benefits of exercise first hand. As Chief Financial Officer for Pure Flavor®, I’m making decisions that affect the direction of our company each day. I need to be on my game as we build our company and expand our reach to provide fresh greenhouse grown vegetables to families across North America. Running has a huge, positive effect on me, it’s just something that I really love, regardless of the season. This feeling of accomplishment is the perfect way to start your day. No matter what happens from here on out, you got up, you did something. These types of positive actions will carry over into all aspects of the rest of your day, it sure does for me.
From a physical standpoint, the energy I get from my morning run carries me through the day. I feel more alert and focused and get more tasks done in the end. To top it all off, my metabolism and eating habits are better. When you are running a business, getting a good night’s rest is key and by incorporating exercise into my day, my sleep patterns are on point. With the right diet of vegetables, I can eat balanced meals throughout the day with snacks in between. Having access to a wide range of fresh greenhouse grown vegetables is a bonus for sure, I can mix and match what I eat daily. For those who want to lead a healthier lifestyle, just increase your portions of a variety of fruit & vegetables. Not saying to go cold turkey on the things that you love, just slowly integrate them into your day and watch the results in how you feel.
At Pure Flavor®, we believe that every day is another chance to be active, live healthy and be a positive role model in someone’s life. The phrase “Pure Living” isn’t just a tag line or slogan but a way of life, it’s a lifestyle that we live every day.
