a new routine has begun in this house this week (seems to be a lot of that going
on in my house right now). every weekday morning we all get up about 6:30 am to
start our day. the two little ones get ready for school, which started monday.
we're having some problems with the youngest, who is either allergic to morning
like her mother or attempting to avoid cleaning her room before she leaves. at
this point i would bet an the latter as the child LOVES school and would never
mind getting up for it. somewhere between 7:05 and 7:25, we get my son on his
bus, depending on when it deigns to show up at our door, and around 7:20 daddy
picks up the youngest and takes her off to school. by 7:30 my older girls and
i are out walking.
i am walking. not a slow leisurely stroll, but a quick paced, not-quite-a-jog
walk. before breakfast. in the morning.
for a lot of people this would not be an accomplishment. but not only am i notoriously
lazy when it comes to the "e" word in particular, but i am horribly
allergic to morning. my first instinct upon waking up at any time before 9 or
10 am is to roll over and go back to sleep. i am not coherent in the morning either.
it takes at least an hour for me to actually wake up, and do not expect me to
make any sense in that hour. i read mail, i wouldn't even begin to try to answer
it. no one would comprehend my drivel before i am awake. if someone gets a hold
of me on icq and i say "i just got up", they usually say something to
the order of, "oh i'll let you wake up then" and kindly leave me be
for the next hour or so. of course all that kindness is more for themselves. they'd
like the conversation to make sense.
with all this in mind, i decided to start walking. when you are in a profession
that keeps your butt glued to a chair most of the time, you need to do SOMETHING
or develop computer bottom. my computer bottom is already in a somewhat advanced
stage. i have tried membership gyms, p.e. classes and video tapes in the past.
paying never made me do any more than i was doing before except for when i was
in weight watchers. p.e. classes were wonderful since i had the motivation of
making sure i got good grades and they had the machines i liked. however college
classes also cost and walking has the advantage of being free. video tapes are
great but my favorite was taken apart by a child who was curious as to how video
tapes worked. besides, they require the tv. we presumably won't have after tomorrow.
walking doesn't require any props. walking also has the advantage of being scenic.
i am actually impressed that i have managed to make it out every morning this
week thus so far. i think i have to give part of the credit to my girls, who's
company i generally enjoy while we are walking. (there is the nonstop talking
from the middle girl, but we're working on that.) they are always ready to go
before i am and seem to be enjoying spending this time with me, even if all we
are doing is walking. they also motivate me to keep up...er walk fast for the
whole thing. right now we don't walk far, just around our block. but it is a good
10 minute brisk walk that feels good...for the most part. once i no longer fall
over when we get home, we'll add another half a block. by then i expect they will
be back in school and i will be walking on my own. but hopefully by then it will
also be habit and the lack of their presence won't deter me.
the real creativity with this whole new get fit thing will begin when my son is
off track in a few months. this is supposed to be WALKING, not a game of chase.
maybe i'll have a tv by then and can use those videos again.
