After I wrote the last post I was thinking about how my lofty advice about small actions accumulating into a big pile applies to an area of my life where I continually set goals and fail to meet them: getting in shape. And this is the problem: with writing, I can work on something and put it away for three weeks, and when I come back to it, there it is. Not so with a brisk walk up Powerline Road. I can feel good about it the rest of the day but then the next day I have to do it all over again! And again and again and again. And if I "put it away" for three weeks it's like I never did it in the first place. This is the maddening thing about exercise.
My tri-athlete friend Robin wants to write a book about getting in shape, turning all the normal American magazine headlines about exercise upside down. Namely: it takes a long time, you probably won't be in shape by swimsuit season, you can be in shape without looking skinny, you won't meet every goal all the time, you will fall off the wagon, and you need to push hard and then back off. And so on.
I'm not quite sure how that relates or why I told you. ya vell.
Today Paul was hauling corn to Kropf Feed and I told him I'd like him to drop by the house and pick me up on one of his passes by, and then drop me off down the road so I have to walk back. Well. Did I get it done? No. I canned 19 quarts of grape juice and pressure-washed the carport and answered the phone about 25 times and vacuumed upstairs, but I did not walk.
See, that's the other thing about walking. It seems so pointless if you have no place to walk to. And that's one thing I love about being at Emily's place in Redmond--you can walk to the library or Fred Meyer and get a mile or two on the chart with none of this grimly counting telephone poles stuff.
Yes, well, I am yammering and Paul wants the computer.
Quote of the Day:
Girl A: Have you ever fell in love?
Girl B: Well, I did....
--two of Jenny's little friends, when Girl B thought Stevie in the Saddle Club was stupid for --something involving a boyfriend-- and Girl A wanted her to be reasonable, at Jenny's slumber party the other night, at which I received quite an education on what 4th grade girls are "into"
My advice on exercising: Do it first thing when you get up before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it. Make it a habit, do it in your sleep, enjoy your well-earned appetite at breakfast.
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was a pre-teen and we had chickens and cows to feed, and then later when we had paper routes, we just got up early, did the work, and had exercise and chores done before breakfast...and we pretty much sleep-walked through all of it. But hey, we were healthy and the animals were fed before the neighborhood even got up--our version of the Army's "We do more before 6:00 a.m. than most people do all day."
(but if you are walking on Powerline Road in the dark, wear reflective gear and walk against traffic. If the chill wakes you up, you might even find you can multitask and get your hour of prayer in too!!)
I think exercise is a special thorn in the flesh for writer types (involves no imagination whatsoever). And for nurturers, who can't quite believe that something that seems so utterly self-centered can be worthwhile. Also for people who grew up in big families and aren't used to solitary activities. (See how good we are at lining up excuses.) I'm very grateful that my husband walks with me often, but every time he asks if I'd like to go walking, the honest answer would still be "no." I say "yes" because I like being with him and I know it's good for me.
ReplyDeleteprayer walking is a good motivation ,just got back from my 3 mile walk/run,the heart is a muscle!
ReplyDeleteI really need to get back to walking...I always loved to walk because it was my time to get away from everybody and THINK for a good 40 min or so. You'd be surprised how many problems you can solve in 40 min! Pauline
ReplyDeleteThe best way to make the telephone poles zip by is to go walking with your SIL. We walk two miles and then spend just as long finishing our yammering at the end of the lane.
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you're saying about having no place to walk to! It's interesting here, I get outside and walking every day, because if I don't get to the library I'll have nothing to do all day.
ReplyDeleteoops that was me Emily your daughter
ReplyDeleteBut you DID walk.....answering the phone 25 times.....washing the carport.....vacuuming....HELLO....Irather doubt you did all those from the comfort of your recliner!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could chat on the cell while you walk and kill two birds. As long as the other party doesn't mind all the heavy breathing. :)
ReplyDeleteWalking has become a favorite pastime since I invested in a good MP3 player and a library card that gives me access to download zillions of recorded books through "Library2Go". As a bookworm who never has enough time to read, this makes walking a very desirable activity for me!
ReplyDeleteTry riding a bicycle. I've heard that biking isn't as good excercise as walking; but you can get around fast enough to actually see some scenery.
ReplyDeleteIt really is worth it to go walking. I like to go first thing in the morning right after my hubby leaves for work. That is also when I have my prayer time and there is absolutely no one to interrupt me. It's just God and me :)
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