Guilt!

Last Friday, Independence Day, the local 4-mile race was held. I did not run, as my pasty, fat thighs were not up to the task. One of my friends was there, and we went to lunch in a group after the race. He laid into me about getting out of shape. Guilt is good!
On Saturday, my nine year-old son, perhaps inspired by 16 year-old Jordan Hasay's efforts in the 1500 at the Olympic Trials, announced that he wanted to run in the Olympics. The result was a family run where his goal was an hour. My goal was just to go as long as I reasonably could. I ran then walked for 90 minutes. mOn my return, I ran into one of my racewalking friends.
Tonight, after a couple of days of my calves being knotted badly, I walked about 2.4 miles (3 laps of the park). Early in my walk, I saw some deer in the woods. I started to walk towards them, and one snorted and bolted sending the others on their way. I don't know if the snort is a danger signal. Later in the walk, a bicyclist rode into the park doing a rebel yell. I was closing to the park entry and I think I spooked him a bit. He switched his headlight from flash to steady. Then he made a comment about a ghost (me).

Announcing A Goal - 45 for 50

On Monday, I had decided to establish a tough goal for myself regarding getting into shape. Since consistency is one of the keys to fitness, I decided to set a goal of that involves consistent workouts. Thus, I chose to set the goal of exercising 45 of the 50 days beginning on Monday. That means seven weeks and a day with a maximum miss of one day in 10.

Some people will tell you that establishing a habit takes 30 days. Others will say that basic conditioning takes 6 weeks to achieve. This goal meets both of those criteria.

Here I sit on Wednesday morning, a bit sore and fatigued, puzzled about last night's workout. I had gone to a park, which is supposed to close at dusk, and when I arrived, there was a cop there. He pointed his searchlight at my car, and when I rolled down my window, he asked, "Are you going to walk a dog?" I replied, "I was hoping to walk myself." He said, "Go ahead." So, off I went. I wanted to walk 3 laps of the park, which is 2.4 miles, and expected that it would take about a half-hour. That would give a roughly 12 minute/mile pace. When I finished, I looked at the clock, and it had taken 42 minutes. I was puzzled - Had I walked an extra lap? Had I walked really slowly? I just don't know.

While I doubled on Monday (a workout, followed by a race), that counts only as a single day, thus while I've finished 3 workouts in two days, it counts only as 2 for 2 by my system. (I can't bank exercise.)