I never have been that physically active. I've kept my weight under control the last two decades, sure, and I enjoy hiking, but I never really have been that physically fit for any extended period. I notice little five or ten-pound fluctuations in my weight, how my clothes fit, and so on, and I'll do something about it. But running marathons? Never for me.
It's really caught up with me as I've reached the midlife point. I found myself getting tired more easily, not having the endurance I once had, maybe slowing up a step or two. Such feelings also didn't help with my anxiety issues, because your body's feelings are so interconnected with how your mind feels.
Over the summer I wanted to do something about that. After playing around with some ideas, someone mentioned Couch-to-5K. Why not? So I investigated it, thought "I can do this!", downloaded an app for my iPhone, and jumped on it at my first opportunity in mid-summer. The first day kicked my tail, but as I stayed on the workouts, I built pace and endurance. The demands increased each week, and I'd come back in exhausted and damp, but the good feeling lasted all day.
With the hot and humid summers where we live, the best time for me to do this was in the morning. If I hadn't completed the day's stint by 10 am, I'd get dried out and take that much longer to recover. Doing it in the evening was out of the question, at least until Fall.
About four weeks in, and I was doing just fine. And that's when the gremlins hit. First, my schedule was interrupted by a three-day trip. That's no big deal; I can recover from that easily.
But the following week, a logging operation began down our road. Our little, narrow, single-lane, dirt road. Large trucks and heavy equipment, and smaller trucks carrying equipment, were up and down our road all day. Way too much risk.
And then the following week, three straight days of meetings, all day long.
On the fourth day, yesterday, I thought I could squeeze in a quick session. Then I realized there wouldn't be enough time for me to cool down and take a bath before an obligation at 11 am. So much for that.
Finally, this day dawned. "Oh, goody!" I thought. "I can get back on the program!"
Then I looked out the window. It was pouring down rain, and kept on pouring. I waved off, took a shower, and checked my work e-mail.
As I did that, it stopped raining.
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