I've always loved the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears and today while riding my bike along this song has been stuck on my brain...nice driving rhythm:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=
FOA4ixV-3jU

I like the outdoor imagery used in the video of driving along, flying in an airplane, etc. It has that wide open sound which makes me think of the rhythm of biking out on the road.

Today was just wonderful! I was BACK! Between biking to the Annual Walk/Fun Run Against Obesity and biking the LONG way home I totaled almost 22 miles on the bike PLUS jogging / walking 4.8 miles for the event...woo hoo! What a GLORIOUS day!

It was SUPER to catch up with one of our fellow members of SparkPeople, FRECKS96 ( www.sparkpeople.com/mypa
ge.asp?id=FRECKS96 ), who went on the RUN ahead of me. Although I mostly jogged, I don't feel like a *runner* per se, so ended up kinda in the middle of the group doing my own thing...but felt GREAT to be able to jog along as consistently as I did with just a little fast walking here and there.

One of the COOLEST things about the event was catching up with folks and turning them on to SparkPeople! I had a chance to speak at length with the social worker for the local bariatric surgical group which sponsored the event ( www.stscny.com/walk.shtm
l ) and shared much about SparkPeople and my own "failed" weight loss surgery background and how I came back with the support of my SparkFamily accomplished what I have the "old-fashioned" way: healthy eating and physical activity. I stressed the benefits those considering and / or carrying out weight loss surgery could reap through joining SparkPeople and passed along flyers.

ADDITIONALLY I met with our area's real-live successful Biggest Loser Trent Patterson www.people.com/people/pa
ckage/gallery/0,,20055177_
20225996_20510013,00.html who has gone on to opening his own fitness training studio: Training For Life Systems www.trentpattersonsst.co
m/index.html

Trent's a terrific fellow, VERY approachable and open. I again pitched SparkPeople to HIM, suggesting it could be a SUPER adjunct to his efforts as a personal trainer. He was very interested and planned to catch up with me to talk further about SparkPeople.

There has been great effort undertaken through our local pharmacy / health center nearby Binghamton University: HealthyU www.clintwoodhealthyu.co
m/

They've been sponsoring their own version of Biggest Loser and a number of folks participating in this were at the event. We had fun sharing some of our experiences and I pitched SparkPeople as something that could be helpful. Their ears certainly perked up when I spoke of my successes!

Lastly, a sweet thing, I ran into my old primary care doc. Yep, the one who "knew me when"...back in the bad-old-days of morbid obesity. He was impressed and implied he thought I had lost weight through bariatric surgery, but I shared the "not this time" story with him and AGAIN pitched SparkPeople and suggested he pass this along to patients of his who might benefit.

It felt so wonderful to be both celebrating myself and to be Spreading the Spark so actively today! The folks to whom I spoke seemed like instrumental people who were in positions of affecting many MORE people by pointing the way to THE SPARK! :-)

My thighs are "talking to me" tonight..suspect the jogging worked those muscles sweetly...it's one of those pleasant, gratifying bouts of soreness...YES!

Stretching throughout the day and have another round awaiting me before bed...night all...and Keep on SPARKING!

Don