Be Fit With Biray

It was Tuesday evening and I was hard at work on a presentation for Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale, AZ on how to integrate Web 2.0 technologies with their programming (thanks to Jennifer Sukalo for connecting me with this opportunity). When all of a sudden… “beep-beep-beep” – in came a text message from my Twitter gal @soul4real. It said I had been ‘tagged’ and included a link to Dr.Coop’s (aka @soul4real) blog post.

Here’s what it said:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences (sentences 6-9).
5. Tag five people.

Normally, I never participate in these kinds of digital chain letters. And at this crucial hour, I simply didn’t have any time for them. But after reading Dr.Coop’s post about how she met a new colleague online by doing one, I thought it might be worth connecting with someone new.

Here’s my contribution (beware: this author loves long sentences):

“Many of these feelings can be quite intense, especially when all of our usual outlets such as talking, doing things, moving around, reading, or listening to the radio are intentionally suspended. While many people find the all-day session enjoyable from the very start, for others the moments of relaxation and peace, if any, may be interspersed with other experiences that may be a lot less enjoyable. Physical pain can well up for extended stretches; so can emotional pain or discomfort in the form of anxiety or boredom or guilt feelings about being here rather than someplace else, especially if someone had to give up a lot to come today.”

Book is called “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness” by the one and only author Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. The excerpt is from a chapter on experiencing a full day of mindfulness and the exercises that accompany the day’s session. Very interesting.

So, like my predecessors, I’m also changing the rules. I’m choosing only health and fitness colleagues to tag and the books they choose have to be health or fitness-related in some way (I figured, at least we all might learn something in the process, right?)

1. Pick up the nearest health, fitness, or wellness book (of at least 123 pages).
2. (the rest remains the same as above…)

I’ve chosen to tag my Twitter friends in hopes to get to know them a little better.

1. @jasoncscs (aka Jason White) – a personal trainer on the east coast, an active tweeter with lots of information and podcasts on his website www.strengthnation.com! I would love to find out what interesting fitness topics he’s been reading about.
2. @FitnessRocks (aka Monte Ladner, MD) – Board certified in Anesthesiology and Chronic Pain Management, Dr. Ladner really gives back to the community with delightful podcasts and informational blog posts. I would love to know where his latest health adventures have taken him.
3. @sportyspice – this gal is fierce and fun to follow on Twitter. Always active, always sporty. Wonder what new things this personal trainer is learning about!
4. @tryingfitness (Eartha) – Props to my Twitter gal on the west coast – when you’ve tried everything else in fitness, you go to her blog. Tell us your latest and greatest reading material.
5. @spacekicker – one of my best friends from college, lover of everything caffeine and not-so healthy hamburgers. But he does exercise, I give him that much. Forcing him to pick up and actually read any health book (if he even has one) might do him some good. (Also, he’s made me do these digital chain letters in the past – so now it’s his turn to do one of mine!)

So, to all my Twitter pals: tag, you’re it!