As I've mentioned in a previous blog, I've been kind of on an exercise kick the past few months. It started when I decided my elliptical machine had overstayed its welcome as a clothes hanger and a dust collector and I jump started my once sedentary lifestyle into that of a man of action.
It took me about a month to wear the elliptical machine out and took it as a sign from God that the day after receiving an article from a colleague of mine about over-exerting one's self via exercise (and subsequently not taking a break from time to time) that my elliptical machine ... my new lifesaver ... had a major malfunction that I could in no way jimmy-rig up to simply get me by.
When I determined the prognosis was beyond my repair capabilities, I broke down for a moment thinking "now what in the heck am I supposed to do" and was overcome by an empty feeling...a feeling that Sir Lazy Boy had won the battle. Soon it suddenly dawned on me that I could actually accomplish a lot of the things I was doing on the elliptical by...egads...actually going outside and taking advantage of the complex system of trails and sidewalks the generous taxpayers of the city of St. Peter have provided for me and the other nearly 11,000 other residents of this fine community.
It started out with 2-mile to 3-mile walks around the neighborhood and nearby industrial park and evolved back into a 5-mile route I discovered a couple years back when I went through a pre-mid-life crisis that lasted about a month. This time I've almost become obsessed with staying on course. I said almost.
A good friend of mine told me not too long ago that it takes about 30 days to create a habit, and since I'm into my 4th month of somewhat regular physical activity, I think it's now safe to say I've graduated from creature of habit and into animal of routine.
Every time little bytes of self doubt creep into my mind about how much easier it would be to just take it easy for awhile and try just dieting I fight it off with pictures of me from past vacations where I may not exactly look like Fat Bastard (of Austin Powers' fame), but I could have played his stunt double. Nothing more motivating than to be known as the guy always saying, "Get in my belly!"
I'm now happy to report I've now progressed to the point where I'm actually ... hopefully you're sitting down like I used to be so good at not too long ago... jogging!!!
The past month or so, I've jogged an occasional two-block stretch towards the back of the industrial park on the city's far north side, away from any traffic and far from the peering eyes of any nearby housing development. Years ago...no decades ago...no, a generation ago I used to run high school track and rattling off a few miles was old hat. In my very early 20s, I remember after a night of imbibing in a libation or two of running my hometown's 4-mile road race on a whim on a hot summer's day and completing the entire race without walking after no training at all.
Unfortunately, I let myself go to the point where if anyone had seen me running even a few weeks ago they would have called the DNR with claims of a short, fat, sickly and obviously rabid Sasquatch limping his way around the north part of town and would they come put it out of its misery.
But, this past weekend my oldest sis, Jen, (who's still more than a year my junior) came to town and while out for a Friday night stroll she coerced me out of my comfort zone and actually jogging in a longer-than-two-block-stretch of road with houses on both sides and semi-regular traffic and you know what...I made it through.
It went so well that I even tried a little more running the next day on my regular weekend 7-mile walk and that went so well I've gone even further and have logged a mile of jogging three of four days this week...not all at one time, because I fear my lungs might explode, but nonetheless, I've felt almost euphoric reaching my goal each night.
Who knows, maybe I'll return to my hometown next summer and run that 4-mile race once again, only this time more well prepared and not sweating out fermented hops in the process.
Stay tuned.
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