Run, Patrick, Run!

Here's the latest of my adventures meant to intertwine the interests of communication sciences and disorders, specifically speech - language pathology (SLP), with those of public health. One of the biggest benefits the field might gather from my health policy salad, is that SLP's will have more presence, more opportunity, and ultimately more fun by engaging in population health ventures. Since I have dived deep into cardiovascular (CV) disease risk reduction in my own practice, to see if there are advantages for lowering the risk of stroke, vascular dementia and impairments that often follow those medical tragedies....let's look closer at what makes your heart tick. Sustaining a best level of fitness for your cardiovascular system is one of the "essential 8" skill domains, that the American Heart Association touts as critical for your best life. I'll use the phrase "a heartier life" in these blog posts, to show that your good health habits may hep manage your risk of CV disease through your lifetime. It should logically follow that better CV health keeps brain health better, right? Let's think about how finding fitness activities that fit you, can pump up your quality of life.

Chicago and Bank of America sponsor the "Shamrock Shuffle" run - walk event on city streets. The March 24 event actually offers race options for you, based upon ability and interest. Whether you enter the 8K (4.97 miles) or 1 mile runs, or the 2 mile walk that day, you'll get a green experience beyond compare. Though the event is a full week past St. Patrick's Day, the wearing of the green persists in Chicago this time of year. Is a St. Patrick's Day race done in other places? The website goneforarun.com lists not only the Chicago event, but also a run in Patchoque, Long Island, New York; Calgary, Manitoba, Canada; Seattle, Washington; south Boston; and Nashville. The site even sponsors a VIRTUAL RACE option!

Regardless of the size of your race or its landscape, a St. Patrick's Day run - walk like Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle gives you always a whiff of, with the threat of frosty inhalation of spring. You have a chance to shake off winter doldrums, by shaking your body over a distance. Maps of each of the event routes will tell you how much work it is. Taking on the challenge of exercising with both/and old friends and new, will tell you how much fun it can be. Find everything you need about the Chicago race at shamrockshuffle.com . Yet, my SLP colleagues may not have found yet, the attraction to a race event like the Shuffle - other than, to meet their fitness goals. Why should I promote an event that isn't going to impact my customer base? Impact my community or my potential for business growth? Or, maybe it might just help you grow your SLP practice by marketing to a larger audience.

When you meet fellow racers before your event, you have great latitude to tell people about yourself and what you do. When you walk or run that day, you experience what you want other people, people of all ages, sizes, cultures and perspectives, to learn about their physical and mental capacities. You strain your skills for organization and planning, for execution and for self - control, when you prepare for such an event. An adept SLP clinician can identify cognitive strategies (s)he can apply from this race, to the next one. Maybe you'll join that SLP there! More to come, on the March 24 Chicago Shamrock Shuffle....