I actually ran!!

Saturday, January 21, 2017

I often ask myself what it will take to start writing…consistently…in my blog again.  I start, write a couple of days, and stop again.  I can’t seem to find the necessary consistency in my life to make the writing…or the exercising…happen.

Then, on Christmas Day, I opened a present from my two girls.

“Hey!  A Fitbit!”

“Yeah, dad.  Now you can challenge us to step competitions and we’ll see just how active you really are,” Savannah said.

“Well…nothing is going to happen until this thing is programmed and I’m NEVER going to figure it out,” I said. 

Savannah took the hint and linked me in.

So, since that day, I’ve been averaging about 18,000 steps per day, which is blowing away the competition on my ‘friend’ list with the exception of Savannah.  She stays close, but can’t quite handle my need to ‘win’.  She’s running her steps though, and I’m only walking.

Until today, that is.  It’s sixty something degrees and although I wanted to get in a ride, ran out of time.  Then it hit me that I could get in a short run.  I’ve been meaning to get myself going again with the thought that I’m too young to retire from running.  Sure, I’ve had foot and knee surgery and sure, it would probably make more sense not to run ever again, but in the end I have always defined myself as ‘a runner’.  I hate to get beaten by physical circumstances and to go down without a fight.

I went to the park as dark was settling in with Dakota in tow.  The trails were extremely sloppy from several days of rain.  My goal?  I figured I’d run a mile, which would mean around 1800 steps or about ten minutes since I planned to move slowly.  I started out at an 8-minute pace out of habit, but quickly switched gears when I felt every muscle and organ in my upper body rebelling.  I reminded myself I simply needed to get in the steps today – forget the pace – and finish with my knees intact. 

I finished the run on the other side of Clear Creek, which was difficult to cross since it is running high.  From there, I added another 5,000 walking steps before returning to the car, pleased and sweaty.

I don’t know if I will keep writing.  I don’t know because I have been failing miserably for the past year.  I do know there are some things are really need and want to accomplish this year and exercise, writing, and staying focused will help tremendously.  I have some things to say about several different subjects and my views, I know, shape world events and need to be shared.  Here’s some topics I hope to write about over the next month:

Ø  Trump

Ø  My atrial flutter.

Ø  My high blood pressure.

Ø  Putting my house on the market this spring and moving out of the place where I’ve lived for the last 20 years, raised my four children, and enjoyed so many of the most important events of my life.

Ø  Retiring.

Ø  The next big physical challenge of the year.

So we’ll see.  I suppose if I can’t stay committed to writing, I’m not likely to stay focused on any of the above and I need to.  Yeah…we’ll see.

Run duration:  10 minutes. 

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned:  150.