Last night, I attended an event that required a suit. One friend saw me and said, “Are you ok?” Another said, “Did you run here?” I knew my brow was dripping faster than a coffee maker, and my head hair… read more
Ted Spiker
Ted Talks: Staying on Track: What are Your Best Tips for Sticking to Your Healthy Habits?
In my history of training, dieting and yo-yoing, my list of routine busters runs long. A sample: I’m stressed I’m tired I’m injured Taco Tuesday (and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) Too many temptations Too many taps of the snooze… read more
Ted Talks: Back at It
The first time I ever had my back go out on me was about 15 years ago. I reached around to the back seat of the car, pulled some kind of muscle and grimaced like a lemon-sucking baby. Later that day, I was standing up to… read more
Ted Talks: The Physical of the Future?
While I’m not especially proud of slipping into the hard-headed aging-male stereotype of avoiding an annual physical, I have some friendly amendments for how we could conduct our checkups. Why? Maybe there’s an opportunity to improve the experience, the quality… read more
Ted Talks: Minute to Win it
This morning, I woke up before my 5:30 a.m. alarm. On my docket: Run, lift, get ready, and hustle my potato - padded butt to work. On my mind: The immediate tasks I need to take care of, the emails… read more
Ted Talks: Time to Flex and Stretch
Of my many bodily deficiencies (see Pants, Tight), one has been protesting louder lately. I’m creaky. I’m tight. I’m about as flexible as a granite countertop. I can feel it when I walk, when I run, when I wake up… read more
Ted Talks: An Epic Question
Last issue, I said something I shouldn’t have: “In January 2025, I will announce an epic-for-me goal.” While I have already sketched out some doable benchmarks this year that involve running, yoga-ing and whittling down the whiskey, I am missing… read more
Ted Talks: Mission Impossible
Despite the inspirational words that come from motivational speakers and flashy Instagram quotes, sometimes you have to realize that certain fitness feats will never happen. I accept, for example, that I will never be able to dunk a basketball, qualify… read more
Ted Talks: How Do You Measure Strength?
Strength —like beauty and perfect guac— is in the eye of the beholder. After all, one person’s strong is another person’s weak. Sure, there are universal standards for some medical categories (blood pressure, cholesterol and the like), and those benchmarks… read more
Ted Talks: The Stress Solutions
Right now, my mind feels like yours. Swirling with too much to do, too much to think about, just too much. Oh, I have my to-do lists and my priorities and my plans of action, but sometimes it feels so… read more