Torrey Pines State Park in Del Mar, California

When running through Torrey Pines State Park in Del Mar, California (about 3o minutes north of San Diego), the leg aching, heart pounding, and restricted breathing get tuned out. If someone can show me a more scenic running path than here, I’d love to see it. Nestled along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, this extremely hilly path is a very challenging yet rewarding run. Running through here is a cure to “runner’s block.” I ran around this park for around 2 hours. I took a few two minute breaks to stop and take pictures as the sights were breath taking. The second half of my run was tough. My legs were tired, I was dripping in sweat, and was breathing heavy. But looking around me at the beautiful scenery is what kept me going. Looking up towards the top of the hill motivated me as I knew that I would be able to look down at what I had run past and look out at the calm ocean. Torrey Pines State Park is truly a runner’s heaven. If you are ever in the San Diego area, I strongly recommend visiting this park and taking a walk or run through it.

Firstly, remember that your commitment to health and fitness is YOUR choice. Physicians, friends, and family may all nag you to improve your health, but it’s important that you make changes for you, not them. From personal experience and observing others, working towards something that you truly want is more satisfying and easier to find the motivation for. That being said, let’s start this “Fitness as a Lifestyle” series with goal-setting.

Goal-setting is a very important aspect in many facets of life. A life without goals is a limited one. I like to have multiple goals–short term and long term. When I achieve one, I set a more challenging one. This way I can live with “no ceilings.” When setting a goal, it is essential that you are realistic. For example, setting a goal to increase your bench press by 100 pounds in 2 weeks is just unrealistic. If your goals aren’t attainable, then why set them? Creating unattainable goals is setting yourself up for inevitable failure. A question I often hear is: How do I make a realistic goal if I lack knowledge in that area? This is a completely logical question. Maybe an individual will set a goal to increase their bench press by 100 pounds in 2 weeks simply because they lack knowledge about weight lifting. My answer to this question is to do some research, read health and fitness articles, look into some forums, or ask friends and family members who may possess knowledge on what you are trying to achieve.

Once you have some knowledge about your goal, start writing down some things you want to achieve. When you have composed a list, start putting dates next to when you want to achieve them. After this list is finalized with specific goals and dates to achieve them, start organizing a plan of action. I will focus on how to put together a goal achieving plan in a future article of the Fitness as a Lifestyle series. For now, start putting together that list and get ready to improve your lifestyle!