...of my "Let's not drop dead just now, Ok?!!!" project.
In my previous post (Ready to hear God laugh?) I announced a regimen of walking to try to improve my current condition (which ain't so hot, right now).
I decided that the best way to do this was, as soon as I got up, to throw on something old (as it would get soaked in sweat in this sauna that Houston refers to as "climate") and just get it done before the day had time to get worse, and try for 25 to 45 minutes on the walk (having read somewhere that it takes about 15-20 minutes to get into an aerobic state where blood circulation has increased).
Today is the ninth day of it, and I am nothing but an exhausted collection of aches and pains. And, of course, each morning arrives with newly minted excuses to just skip it for this day.
But, this is only the ninth day.
Day NINETY (August 27, by my calculation) would be a more realistic hope for any sign of improvement. Ninety days is a good ballpark figure for basic training in the armed forces, and that only resulted in modest improvements in 18 year olds; I have to confess being slightly past that (by half a century) so progress might be slower.
Finally, if I can make it to Day Ninety, hopefully it will have become a habit. This I need, more than anything, as iron will and discipline have never been among my attributes.
I'll probably bore you all occasionally with updates, to further publicly commit myself by making it too damned embarrassing to give up on this, and I hope some of you will continue to nag now and then.
And, I hope on the weekend of October 23-24 to go to that airshow and report on it in one of my best blog pieces then.
Now, if that ain't commitment, I don't know what is.
Wish me luck. :-)
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"When faced with a problem you do not understand,
do any part of it you do understand; then look at it again."
~(Robert A. Heinlein - "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress")do any part of it you do understand; then look at it again."
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Monday, June 07, 2010
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4 comments:
Best luck.
It so happens I have walked at least 1/2 mile every day (except 1 day) since I began keeping my brother's dogs (now just one dog) in mid September. So, that's 7 1/2 months.
I think, to accomplish something like you are doing, it's important to have a reasonable lower goal (1/2 mile minimum) which you can accomplish on days when your body and/or mind are not at their best. Most days I walk 1 1/2 to 2 miles. However, I listen to my body. I definitely have days when my body is tired. On those days I go at least 1/2 mile, then see how I feel.
Also, I recommend listening to your body re speed of your walk. On various days, your body will give you more; on other days, less. Listen to your body. You will achieve your goal if you listen to your body early on. Later, you will be better conditioned and will go further and faster more often. But: begin slowly. Listen to your body.
Last: I know for CERTAIN I never would have made it this far without the dog. He looks forward to the walk every day. I would feel terrible to disappoint him, and that has gotten me out of the house on days when I might have procrastinated.
You can do it!
Got an excuse to go to the mall today. Just gotten up, noticed the gray outside my window, and was getting ready for my Day Ten walk when -- BOOM!!! -- the power went out and another look out that window showed almost horizontal rain.
Fortunately, we have LOTS of malls here, where you can do miles (yes, plural) just doing a single circuit around the perimeters of the inner lobbies.
Am VERY determined to not allow ANY excuse for skipping at this early stage; such excusing being the death knell of past efforts.
(After a brief power outage like this one, am STILL amazed at how many clocks there are to reset, and in what. :-)
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Have you considered getting a dog? Maybe you could look at a local rescue place and get a dog with whom you could walk. Like gcotharn said, they can be great companions.
Not very practical in my current situation (living in an apartment, with unpredictable working hours and unable to afford to properly take care of it).
Besides; ME in charge of taking care of an dog?!! What dog has earned such cruelty? :-)
Thanks, for listening to my whining elsewhere. This is something I've gotten through before. In a few weeks, I should be out of my depressive cycle and should be better.
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