Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Change



I extended my daily walk yesterday. Added about 1/2 kilometre to it. I get sluggish and lazy and whiney in the winter months. The inner 2 year old comes out and stamps her feet (indoors) and refuses to budge. Even though all the outdoor gear is lined up in the hall. Even those odd things you put over your boots to stop the slippage on the ice, a gift from a friend.

My 91 year old neighbour does 5 miles on his treadmill every day in the winter. Five. Miles. I know myself and treadmills and exercisey machiney thingies. I use them as clothes hangers. I tested myself on a state of the art treadmill in the house I would stay in in Toronto for 4 months. A bells and whistles and cardio status and incline and calories burned measuring machine AND a flat screen TV in front of it where you could watch any movie you wanted, or the news or chick-chat shows. You know how many times I hit that machine? Twice. In four months. But I'm still drawn to them. As if by stroking them in sports shops the osmosis will make ME a lean, mean machine. And those small stairey things, you've seen those? Where you mindlessly ride up-down, up-down, for oh, five minutes before you go quietly into a corner and open a vein and wait for death to ease your boredom?

The rest of my village gear up and head out in all kinds of weather. I lurk behind the windows watching them marching out and back all through the day, hills and dales vanishing behind them like ribbons, strong legs striding. The dog and I dart out and manage a quick sludge-trudge through the snowy path to the shore and back again, whimpering. (That's me whimpering, the dog is crestfallen). In front of the fire is where we I belong. Sorry Ansa.

Not now. Not anymore. We embrace this spring, hoping she'll stay for a while. Meanwhile we chew up the mileage of the shore, out and about like real human beings and canines. Proudly greeting our fellow walkers. Lusty with health and how-are-yas.

Finally one of the walking pack. Finally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

20 comments:

  1. I broke out of jail yesterday and went for a trudge through the snow. I was so wrapped up, I no longer recognised myself. Today it was a couple of hours clearing snow. Now it is snowing again. :(

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  2. I have been extremely busy with a lot of social activity and have not been able to go out to the joggers park in the evenings. I have therefore been going there in the mornings after the morning chores are over and find that it suits me better. I have also been advised to buy a stationary bike with two stand up poles to swing to and fro while pedaling to give the upper body some exercise too and I have bought it. It will be delivered in the next two/three days and after that I will stop walking for exercise as it is not good for my replaced hip joints.

    The weather has nothing to do with my routine but I too give excuses to myself not to go out!

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  3. Haaaa it great to get outside walking. I am waiting for the okay from the heart specialist here to do that.
    What I like about the treadmill is its cushioning platform which makes it easier on the knees. Its probably why your neighbour can do 5 miles on his mill.
    I am able to read while I do 30 minutes on the mill.I go through a lot of books that way ...lol and not get bored.

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  4. I thought you always walked, no matter what the weather was like, but I suppose that if you live some place where there are no sidewalks and where there is lots of sludge, you don't easily go out for a pleasant walk. Short, dark days don't help much either. For Ansa's sake, but for yours also, I am glad that you're out and about again. Spring does make a difference after all.

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  5. Omigod I hear you on exercise machines. Every so often, I go on a workout binge, hoping against hope I'll get one of those exercise highs I'm always reading about. Nope, has never happened. I must be missing a gene or something. Doesn't matter what great results I see from the exercising, I still end up wanting to lie down and die from boredom. But you can't beat a nice outdoor walk, in the early spring before all the bugs come out and make that a chore too. You and Ansa, enjoy!

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  6. Always a walker
    always outside most of year,
    but it changed this Winter.
    Just could not make myself go out and walk.
    Sun shining today and walked a little, pulled up some weeds, washed some sweaters and dried on the deck and best of all
    sat in the sun for 30 minutes..

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  7. I probably need to use some machine or other to strengthen my 66 year old heart but I never get round to it. But I do take regular walks whatever the weather, unless it's actually a full-scale blizzard outside.

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  8. You cracked me up with the picture of you retiring to a corner to open up a vein and quietly bleed to death! Exactly how I feel about those thingamijigs! My husband though can and does do it and hasn't died from it yet. I''l go out and walk (though motivation is sluggish in cold weather!)or do yoga or tai chi, but don't ask me to climb on Mt. Boredom....

    Glad you're getting weather that draws you out into the fresh air! Nothing feels better!

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  9. A stationary bicycle is a form of modern sculpture, A bad one.

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  10. GM:
    I think we sent it to you. Here is is cold but I'm getting out in it, wrapped up!!

    XO
    WWW

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  11. Ramana:
    You are one wild and crazy man these days with all your activities!!
    Let me know how the machiney jiggy thingie works out for ya!!
    XO
    WWW

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  12. GFB:

    I tried that and even audio books but I don't know what it is about me, I can't enjoy it at all.

    Outdoors.

    While I can.

    XO
    WWW

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  13. Irene:

    Very short walks in the short days. Here the drivers are lethal and no sidewalks, you have to be alert. I've had to face trucks rounding a corner on the wrong side of the road and grab Ansa out of the way. No cops. So in the darkness would not be a good idea. No streetlights either.

    Country living has its price.

    XO
    WWW

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  14. Tessa:

    The only time I had an exercise high was in race running on the streets of Toronto.

    And, oh, tennis.

    Machines and I can't fall in love at all.

    XO
    WWW

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  15. OWJ:

    I'm with you in spirit. Maybe the aging thing is preventing us getting out in the winter.

    In my fifties I actually ran on the ice. Unbreakable me.

    Now I see casts on limbs around me and am super cautious.

    XO
    WWW

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  16. Nick:

    You're in the peak of health. All weather. But then in Ireland I would too. It's the blizzards and slush and ice that are the barriers.

    XO
    WWW

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  17. Molly:

    I love the ocean air, it is marvellously invigorating!

    Ah a fellow treadmillophobe!!

    XO
    WWW

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  18. I love my pedometer. If I walk across the room I get credit for steps. I can incorporate steps into an exercise routine that keeps me fit by showing me how active I need to be for basic fitness, in my case 8,000 steps a day.

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  19. I don't mind running or walking on a treadmill, but it gets boring quickly. I much prefer to be outdoors. But not when it's cold. When it's cold, I sit around feeling sorry for myself.

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