Let's run for our lives!

If it was not for an unavoidable trip out of Bucharest, I would be running in the Bucharest City Marathon this year. I am 28, a light smoker who's been trying to quit since forever, I rarely exercise, I sit at my desk for hours, sometimes walk instead of taking the bus or taxi, but not as much as I would like, I eat at crazy hours. I'm not necessarily in a bad shape but I don't feel that healthy. I'm sure it's a familiar image for some – if not most – of you. I have never run more than 1 kilometer in my life (ok, maybe I did when I was in school, for the sports training, but that was long ago). And I have realized it was time I made a change in the way I live, if I want to live longer and actually enjoy my life. I know how good it feels whenever I try any type of sports activity. There's too much stress around and too many things going on in our lives to sit back without changing something. We should all do this. The Bucharest City Marathon could be a good opportunity to do so – and even if I won't make it this year, I'll still start running. There's one month left to train and sign up. Coincidently, the European Mobility Week starts tomorrow, ending on September 22 with a car free day. More reasons to start re-learning how to walk and run, two of the things we've been 'designed' for ( and not for sitting at the desk all day, multitasking, checking e-mails, surfing the net, driving in a crowded city, living in a box). It's about health, above anything else. But there are so many other reasons. We're all working somehow, somewhere, in an organization. We'd be healthier employees (or have healthier employees) and we'd reduce the stress in the organization. Think of the marathon running as a teambuilding activity – there's also a relay race, you just need to pick three colleagues and start training. It will help employees communicate better and connect better in the workplace, make them more efficient in their activity. Lastly, you could also consider the benefits to the image of your company. Richard Branson, the famous entrepreneur, has taken on so many challenges, some of them world record attempts – fastest Atlantic ocean crossing, hot air balloon Atlantic crossing and attempts to circumnavigate the globe. All these brought him the media spotlight and made the Virgin brand more visible. We're not Richard Branson, I know, but think small scale and start somewhere. It can be a nice way to promote your business. It might be a way to re-think your life and get more balance into it. This tough economic times have given people more time to reflect about their personal lives and about what they want to achieve. Take some time off. Run for your life. You will have more energy and come up with fresh ideas. Maybe work a bit on the personal – professional life balance, it's an area which has been put aside for too long during boom times. I'll either run around the People's Palace in Bucharest (it's a 2.5 kilometers distance, I've been told), in Izvor Park (a beginner's route) or in Herastrau park, where I've seen enough runners to feel comfortable with doing this. I'll start my running sessions next week? What about you?