Relentless Romero Blogs

I turned 50 in March 2020. Since then, I have been wondering whether I am actually fit at 50. I've ran a little since my birthday: April 4, 2020 - 100 miles in 24 hours April 20, 2020 - 26.2 mile virtual Boston Marathon April 25, 2020 - 100 km (62 miles) virtual Canyons 100km After these long runs, I'm not in a wheelchair or hospitalized or on a 72-hour hold. Rather, I'm feeling pretty good - both physically and mentally. I'm not ripped with six-pack abs, but I never thought looking good in a picture had anything to do with fitness. I believe fitness is about being able to step out of your home, do something physically challenging, and returning home excited about what you just accomplished. I believe this is different for everybody, and the level of challenge we can accomplish is different. Each of us can be "fit at 50" if that's what we choose. I still have the desire to run for hours on end, play basketball with my kids, ride a bike ac...

This weekend I decided to go out for a run to think through some things I've been struggling with. Outdoor exercise has always been a good release of stress, and a way to get some Vitamin D and increase my dopamine and serotonin (our natural anti-depressants). As I ran for 24 hours I saw some kids at a local skate park doing jumps and flying through the air. Later on in my run, I saw two police cruisers parked next to the skate park. Then, I noticed that there weren't any people skateboarding. The next day, I was running past the skate park and I saw a Parks & Rec worker taping off the skate park with Yellow Tape, like it was a crime scene. I have heard a lot of people use the terms "self-quarantine", "self-isolate", and "social distancing". I think we are making a big mistake, if we take these words at their literal meaning. We are relational creatures, and we are supposed to interact with one another. We can be safe and still be socia...