Four days and feeling less like a zoo animal

Yesterday I was walking in the later part of the afternoon/evening on my treadmill desk, when I noticed some shadows of folks outside of my window. I'm sure they didn't see me or if they did, certainly didn't care -- but it creeped me out enough that I drew the blinds. I felt too much like a zoo animal, but it wasn't enough to stop my walk. A docking station with monitor, keyboard, and mouse have been ordered for my office, but since the items have yet to arrive, the treadmill desk set-up is the best option in terms of ergonomics. But by mid-day today the zooiness (is that a word?) of yesterday seemed to be diminishing. As a campus tour cruised by, I kept right on trekking, knowing full well that at least one parent took a double take. My sense of productivity, whether real or imagined, is palpable. Syllabi, one training camp schedule draft, two letters, and one advisee questionnaire written, along with 5 advisee folders read; sprinkled in with advisee meetings, impromptu visits, and other office work - I feel like I am running, not walking, ahead of the game. I am sure the onset of the semester will knock me back in to reality. I am happy, for now, to stroll along @ 1.4mph, but feeling as though I am sprinting along effortlessly at 7.0.

The other side of the wall

What a delight to be on the other side of the wall and the feeling of satisfaction of pushing through my wall last night!  That, coupled with my weekly progress report, has reminded me that if I continue to stay on track, I will continue to move steadily toward my goals.  December 23 is shaping up to be an exciting day as I hopefully complete my revised goal of 500 miles and also cross the 1,000,000 seconds of walking mark.  Between now and then I have at least three winter holiday parties to attend and I am excited about picking out something to wear and show off the renovated me!  I have finished my sabbatical work, so the time I am putting in now on my treadmill desk will be paying it forward in to the spring semester -- syllabi planning, lecture notes, future article ideas, etc.  The thing I am most excited about upon my return is the response of my colleagues and campus friends to my new desk.  I am hoping to hit the office by 7:45am and put in a full hour prior to my 9am class.  I have noticed that the use of the treadmill desk in the morning has also reduced my coffee intake to a manageable level (read: able to drink enough water to balance the caffeine intake).   I am excited to take these new habits back to work and to inspire others to adopt similar commitments to a self-renovation project.

Pushing past the wall

For the first time in 70 some days - I had no desire to jump on to my treadmill desk.  I fell asleep watching an 8:00pm show with my older son. Last night I was awoken in the middle of the night by some noisy neighborhood teens, which was shortly followed by a call from a friend informing me that my younger son, who was at her house for a sleepover, had woken up with an earache and fever.  Today we spent the entire day entertaining mostly strangers in our house as we survived our stint on the Children's Home Society Parlor Tour.  So I am tired.  I am yawning as I type and walk.  But when I began this journey, I committed to myself to make no excuses.  For me, excuses - legit or fabricated - have always become a slippery slope.  If I bag out of my routine because I am tired, then I create a precedent for bagging out when I have too much to do.  Exercise, nutrition, and general wellbeing must be purposeful and that is the journey that I have committed to; one that reclaims my previous self from excuses, self-doubt, boredom, and external criticism.  This is not to say that I would jeopardize my husband's, children's, or own wellbeing, rather this is more of a realization that when I am able - being purposeful in this journey pays dividends in a healthier me, which in turn transports me to a more energetic, happier, and healthier place from which to care for my family, work, and other responsibilities.  So 20 minutes in to a routing on an evening of a day that was likely to see 0 minutes -- I journey on.