I’ve fallen and - hey wait - I’m UP!
I’ve had a bit of an accident.
Somehow, I have stumbled into an exercise routine. It’s like a tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and fell into a state-of-the-art elliptical training machine. I would like to say that I’m exercising because my tremendous force of will has caused me to make changes for the better, but the truth is that it has kind of just happened.
There could be worse things.
I’ve also started annoying the muscles in my arms, catching them completely by surprise (you’ll find out how at the end of this post - but in case you didn’t notice, the picture might be a gigantic clue).
As regular readers of Almost Fit know, I spend an awful lot of time talking about how I want to exercise regularly. I have posted numerous questions on sites all over the place asking for methods of finding inspiration to get out the door, and for quite some time I would feel enthused for the evening, but for some reason I wasn’t making it out the door the next morning.
Eating my own Dog Food
In software (and many other industries, actually) we have this concept of “eating your own dog food”, or various politically incorrect flavors (pun intended) of that idea. Essentially it means that you use the things you create. Pretty soon you hate the broken bits so much that you feel absolutely compelled to fix the dang thing (unless you work for the Microsoft Office team - in that case you just assume it is a character flaw of everyone who doesn’t like the way it works, and return to your insular pedantic bubble).
In my recent article on 20 ways to kill the fast food habit (which had 375,000 page views on Fox News BTW!), the first tip was very simple: Start small. So small, in fact, that it is impossible to fail. Well apparently I need to start reading what I’m writing (or eating that dog food), because that little technique had eluded me for the one thing I know I need to do more than anything else right now - Exercise.
That appears to have changed.
My exercise routine, or, “Slowly he turned…step by step…”
While I wasn’t paying attention, it seems that I have started walking regularly - not for the fitness mind you, but with the goal of mental clarity. I am in a big transition right now with moving away from my day job to pursue online projects like Almost Fit, and I know that exercise has to be part of that picture. In the past, exercise has always opened my view of things in unexpected ways, and I need that right now.
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been walking every other morning, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. My longest walk was 5 miles on a busy two-lane country road near our house that made me sense that for the love of my wife, kids, and all things sacred I ought to find a different route.
[RANT WARNING: At the risk of offending a few readers…A little sidenote to Oregon drivers? Despite your much publicized pride in your driving ability, everywhere else in the country, it is common courtesy to move over just a tad when you see a 250 lb. father of two walking on the shoulder of the road (with the exception of Texas, where I don’t think it is required to move over for anything, unless you’re actually trying to hit it (D’oh - there goes my Texas readership…)). In my entire walk, not a single Oregon driver even so much as moved a foot over to give me a little breathing room. Think of it this way: you do NOT want to run into a 250 lb. sack of anything, much less a disgruntled unemployed writer (oxymoron?). All you gain is a HUGE horseshoe-shaped dent in your front end, and an earful of whining from an annoyingly witty chatterbox. </RANT>]
Now I know that this is still in the “not quite enough” realm, but it is a start. I think the key is I’m viewing it as just the beginning of reaching for bigger goals. Rather than being in a big hurry to run a marathon, I’m starting small, and hoping to build on those successes.
I must be doing something right
In the midst of writing this post, along came this article in my inbox this morning:
How To Go From Sedentary to Running in 5 easy steps
This is yet another exceptional piece from Leo at ZenHabits.net, who is off this week enjoying a second honeymoon with his wife. The great thing? I am exactly in the middle of step 1, and I didn’t even know it until I read this post. This gives me a roadmap to follow, and that is what I intend to do.
The other thing that has happened with exercise is J.D. at Get Fit Slowly has started a revolution of sorts - the 100 Push-up Challenge, which has folks coming out of the woodwork to give it a shot. I’ve started this week as well, so we’ll see how things turn out. If you want to know more about the challenge, definitely check out the 100 push-ups site.
My arms are already irritated with me, but I’m ignoring them. It’s tough love.
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Pretty soon you will have to change the title of you blog to: Totally Fit! I hope you found a better walking route.
I’ve stumbled across the 100 push-up challenge at another blog, and it seems like a good idea. Starting slowly is something I believe strongly in and I think it helps promote long-term success. Like Christine said, hopefully you find somewhere to walk where people are little more courteous. I try to always move over to give a walker/runner room when they are in my neighborhood.
@Christine - I can only hope. And well, exercise.
And yes, more or less. We live down the street from a middle school/Jr. High, so there is a track there. I just wanted to be able to walk into town, which is a 5 mile round trip. Nice to walk to the coffee shop, get some work done, and walk home. But alas, there’s only one way in and one way out - and it’s on that road. So off to the track I go.
@Tom - I always move over as well. I think the reason it got under my skin a bit is because we just had an article in the local paper bragging about how good Oregon drivers are. Which implies, according to tribal knowledge among Oregonians, that all the bad drivers come from adjacent states, especially the really big one next door. Well I’m here to tell ya…either all 200 cars that passed me on that country road are from California, or, Houston? We have a problem…..
It’s about time you got on the bandwagon! Welcome and be warned it’s addictive. Not at first, but one day…
You must have been to Texas recently. Unfortunately, the “drive friendly” slogan for Texas seems to have died. Well, your dead on remarks haven’t lost you this Texas reader.
Keep up the great work. It will pay off.
@Andrew: Yep, I think something might be wrong with me. . .I woke up this morning and immediately did my push-up challenge for the day and 60 crunches for good measure. I think I may be possessed.
@abileneblues: My sister is moving from College Station as we speak (she’s somewhere between here and there), but I’ve never been to Texas…all just supposition
— Thanks for hangin’ in there. I will try not to make blanket statements about anyone’s state anymore. 
Good luck on the push ups plan!
–Steve
–www.hundredpushups.com
I’m on week two of the pushups plan now, and so far so good. My arms are definitely feeling it!
What a classic title and great read as well!
Jacob
————————————————————–
“Making Diet History by Making Diet’s History”
http://thisisnotadiet.org
Hmmm, just tonight I took a 2 mile walk with my husband (a 230 pound man), 2 of our 3 daughters, and our two dogs. We walked on a busy, 2 lane, country road here in West TEXAS. All the drivers moved way over to the other side of the road, and they waved hello at us, too. Maybe you haven’t really spent enough time in Texas, or at least rural Texas.
I’m glad you’ve fallen into an exercise routine. I’ started the walking daily mostly for the sake of the dogs. The Dog Whisperer is right; dogs behave better when they go for walks every day. I keep thinking I’ll get up early and ride my stationery recumbent bike, but for now it makes a lovely valet. The aforementioned 230 pound husband and I are going to start the 100 pushups regimen, too.
I just finished week two of the plan, and then looked at week 3. Man, this is going to be a tough week. I’ll be glad if i can get past day one!
Time for a recommitment - to weight loss | AlmostFit.com Says: 17.07.08 at 4:31 pm
[…] other note to my credit: Regular exercise has definitely taken root. I ran another 3.5 miles this morning, which makes another 3 sessions […]
Careful what you say about Texans!
Besides, being a Texan myself, I can tell you that it is the Minnesotan drivers who are good at hitting things. To be specific about it, having driven through that states, I’m pretty sure that ROADKILL Bambi must be the Minnesota state animal. I’ve never seen so many large dead things by the side of the road in my entire life… and I was born Texan and grew up there.
See, now I’ve turned off the Minnesota readership for you as well, LOL!
Wow, I somehow missed everyone’s comments here. Not sure what is up with that - but thanks, Cynthia, for commenting - it alerted me that there were folks here leaving their thoughts!
On Texans: Oh man…I knew I would catch some flack for that one….And yeah, so long, Minnesotans, dontchyaknow.
Hey, once a Texan, always a little bit Texan.
It’s interesting though, since I left California, I don’t see nearly as many serious speedsters on the road. I was actually surprised by that, especially when I was driving through Montana. All that wide open space and a 75 mph speed limit and you’d think everyone would be doing 85-90 or worse… but mostly not.