My journey with Stepathlon

Fitness has been more of a way of life for me. I never had to do something out of the way to remain fit. I have always been a healthy person. Though I was born pre mature at just 7 months. My mother nursed me (literally) to good health. She was very young at that time; almost everyone gave up on me except for her. She always believed in me, her first child and had enormous faith and hope. She says that at one I was one of the healthiest looking children around.

She shared her experience with me when I was old enough to understand. I have since maintained a healthy lifestyle. Yes I do walk a lot and I eat right. I have had weight swings like any other woman going through pregnancy and child birth. I have walked that journey twice. Each time piling on a good 21 kilograms but each time I was able to shift that. So I was back on my healthy weight in about 2 years’ time. In fact I have blogged about this in my post titled ‘Your guide to becoming a Yummy Mummy’.

I had gone on a vacation with my family exploring the beautiful South covering Bangalore, Mysore, Coorg and Ooty in June 2012. When I joined back work, I got to know that Stepathlon was happening and that there were 5 people from my unit in it. I was not in the team though I walked more than most of my colleagues, probably they felt that I had 2 small children (my boys are aged 6 and 3 years). I was balancing work and taking care of them so I wasn’t one of the people who could contribute much to the step counts. I found the concept of Stepathlon, virtual race around the world interesting but was fine not being in the team representing my unit.  I was more of a cheerleader for my colleagues.

In about a week then, I got an email from the corporate HR of our company saying that there were 9 teams from the various units of the company and the tenth team would be drown from the different units and the team  would be called ‘Varied Locations’ and my name was there on it. I was certainly excited to know that. We received our kits, the bag, cap and the pedometer. We were waiting for the Virtual race around the world to begin. With a few hiccups the race took off on the 20^th of September 2012.

I did feel pleased that I always got about 15000 + step counts, that according to the Stepathlon made me a highly active person! But this is how my days have always been. The days I don’t get 15000+ step counts, particularly on holidays. I climb a few steps up and down my duplex apartment or jog at one spot to achieve the bench mark for myself. I am surely not competing with anyone but looking at it as a way of making fitness and healthy lifestyle a part of my being.  I would certainly want my team ‘The Park Xtremes’ (we have rechristened it) to do well. I like the tips shared on the course website as well as their facebook page.

The Race is on till the 28th of December 2012, hope each team comes out as a winner in its own way and everyone adopts a healthy lifestyle and remains fit.... Keep Walking!

For information on Stepathlon visit http://www.stepathlon.com/