聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Making a life change can be a big decision, but it鈥檚 one that has made a positive impact on Cathy Burton of Arcola.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Burton decided in her late 40s to begin living healthier by changing the way she ate and becoming more active.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧ushing the end of my 40s I wasn鈥檛 feeling good,鈥� Burton stated. 鈥淚 thought it was time to do something for myself, the kids were out of the house, and it was time to put myself first, to make myself healthier and more active.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Burton found that some of her friends in Arcola wished to become healthier and more active as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 couple of us gals were nattering as school started for the year that we have a great gym facility at the school, so we should do something to get into shape and lose weight,鈥� Burton explained. 鈥淚 work at the school so it was easy to access.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 got a hold of Eugene Brown [the Vice Principal in Arcola as well as the track and boys volleyball coach] and told him 鈥業 can鈥檛 stand myself, where do I start?鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brown鈥檚 response to Burton鈥檚 question was, 鈥淵ou have to start running.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brown met with Burton and her group of friends one evening to introduce them to a walking program and a weight program as well as giving tips on eating better, such as cutting out half of all the bad foods like soft drinks and junk food.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e met us one evening and we walked through the cardio program and the weight program,鈥� Burton said. 鈥淭he next day or two we couldn鈥檛 even move.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though it was challenging, Burton had the support of friends and family, which was important in motivating her to continue.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he school hallway is 1/10 of a kilometre, so on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays I did cardio, then on Tuesday and Thursdays I did weight training,鈥� Burton explained. 鈥淚 would do three loops around the school, so 3/10s of a kilometre and I鈥檇 feel like I was going to die.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Working in the school alongside Brown was good for Burton who would complete her session for the day and would have someone to check in with her about how the work out went.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 found it great to have someone check in with,鈥� Burton stated. 鈥淗e鈥檇 see me in the hall and ask, 鈥楬ow did it go? Did you have any troubles? How are you feeling?鈥� Then every six to eight weeks he鈥檇 bump it up because it was getting too easy. Some days he鈥檇 say do a warm up, 10 laps, and a cool down, and that seemed like so much.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now, however, a kilometre is very little to Burton who has completed numerous half marathons. It was that first time out and that first year that Burton struggled with, but found that what she was doing was making her feel better and become healthier.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 spent that school year faithfully in the gym from Monday to Friday and by the end of the school year I had dumped 50 pounds,鈥� Burton explained. 鈥淩unning had gotten into my system, into my blood, and that first run that summer outside, you just thought you had made it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd all through summer you鈥檇 make it a little further, and a little further. That fall I turned 50 and I did my first half marathon, the Queen City in Regina. Nora Houston came with me and as I stood at the starting line I remember I had tears as I thought, 鈥榃hat have I done?鈥� Nora kept telling me, 鈥業t鈥檚 just another Sunday run.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Burton remembers that first day as being the toughest, but that throughout the years she has had good days and bad days: 鈥淪ome days you didn鈥檛 feel like you accomplished much, but your friends and family keep you going and motivated. It鈥檚 like with anything though, you鈥檒l have a bad day where you wonder 鈥榃hy you鈥檙e doing this?鈥� Then you鈥檒l have a good day where you think 鈥業鈥檓 doing this for me, I鈥檓 putting myself first.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 During the winter Burton isn鈥檛 always able to get out for a run in the cold, but she exercises in other ways such as shoveling the walkway in front of their house and all the way from it along Main St. in Arcola to Buddy鈥檚 Pub.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This stems from her love to be outside, which also comes with enjoying pushing the lawnmower in the summertime.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Becoming active has also given her the drive to help encourage others to begin running and to use her position at the school where she organizes the Terry Fox Run to not only teach youth about what Fox accomplished and dealt with, but to instill the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in the students of Arcola School as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ne thing led to another and a few of us started the Moose Mountain Marathon,鈥� Burton explained. 鈥淵ounger people are out running and are getting more involved now.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As for the Terry Fox Run, 鈥淲e literally drop them [high school kids] off 10 km from town and make them walk back, while the elementary kids do laps around the track at the school which has turned into a competition because they get their little card on a string and get a stamp every time they do a lap.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o many kids are busy on their phones or computers that it鈥檚 important to get them outside doing stuff.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In addition to falling in love with running, Burton has also made changes to the way she eats.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou clean things up,鈥� Burton explained. 鈥淵ou eat more balanced meals and we鈥檝e swapped to whole grain foods as well as lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. You eat well-rounded meals and just watch the snacking.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 still make cupcakes and pies, but I鈥檓 not eating them every day. It鈥檚 nice to splurge every once and awhile though.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overall Burton says the change she made in her life has had only positive effects: 鈥淚 feel amazing! How can you not? I have more energy to keep up with my grandson and I just feel better all the way around. When you carry that extra weight you don鈥檛 know until you lose it and become active just how awful you actually felt.鈥�
