Welcome to On The Training Table!

The compelling force behind developing a “Training Table Lifestyle” or best practices for healthy habits, is directly connected to my family’s Cancer Story. Out of the four women in my immediate family, I was the only one who made it to 50; an experience that would shape my health and wellness journey and spur my passion to help others to do the same.

For many readers of this blog, I know they understand the havoc that a cancer diagnosis brings to the entire family. I cannot pretend to capture in words the profound emotions and shattering that take place: fear, anxiety, sadness,  the rollercoaster of hope and hopelessness, and  extreme problem-solving that overtakes and perhaps changes the course of an entire family’s life forever. 

In my case, my mother and two sisters each were struck down in their 40s and died of cancer in their 40s. They all had young children in either Middle School or Elementary School and as an older sister ( I am oldest of 4) with each announcement of their life-threatening medical news, I became increasingly more aware of how quickly one’s health and happiness could be taken away.  I have always felt I am living my life waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now, with the Covid-19 pandemic, this feeling is even more amplified.

With these important, albeit painfully learned life lessons, I think it is fair to say that I responded to the loss of control I felt at losing my young  mom and sisters , by imposing control on my surroundings. I cannot change genetics, so how could I help my chances if only a little? 

Clearly my response to the cancer threat in my family line was to strengthen and gird my body and see if I could avoid cancer unlike the rest of the women in my family. Exercise, nutrition, and knowledge of how the body mechanisms function all in concert, led me on a determined path to becoming as good a version of myself that I could possibly be, but still have a balanced life with enjoyment and spontaneity. The Training Table does include some junk food, some bad days, some occasions to just not follow Training Table rules, but the overall powerful tenets of the Training Table, supplant the bad habits and curtail the temptations in the long-game.

The beauty of motivation is that when it is strong enough, we move to take action. I have started this blog to chart some of my health journey. It makes sense since I was a teacher for my entire adult life, that I have a drive to pass on the knowledge. It would be my hope that I might share with others, a path forward for improving the odds of a high-quality life.

I invite you to comment on your own journeys and I look forward to seeing you at The Training Table.

Claudia

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