The Power of Resolutions
As part of my fitness plan for the New Year (read: do any fitness), I decided to walk to school at least three times a week. I’ll save money AND I’ll get more exercise, I thought! (Any exercise is more than none.)
Here is the breakdown of how this plan has gone my first two weeks back to school:
Day 1 - Wake up at 8am; must leave house in 50 mins. Forget why I thought walking for a half an hour in -12°C was a good idea. Decide to give myself a “day off”. Drive to school. Pay $21 for parking. Curse self. Resolve to walk tomorrow.
Day 2 - Wake up at 7am; must leave house in 50 mins. Decide that any money is worth an extra 45mins of sleep. Go back to sleep. 45mins later, wake up and offer friend a ride to school so I don’t feel guilty. Decide to drive home between classes and walk back after lunch. Pay $8 to park for morning. Drive home at lunch. Eat lunch. Feel sleepy. Check that temperature is still -15°C. Drive back to school. Pay $8 to park for afternoon. Curse self.
Day 3 - Wake up at 10am; must leave house in 2hrs 20mins. Have leisurely morning in bed with breakfast and internet. Decide to have a shower. Realize it is already twenty past twelve. Decide hygiene is more important than fitness. Drive to school. Pay $10 to park for afternoon. Curse self.
Day 4 - Wake up at 9am feeling groggy and do not attempt to walk to school. Find cheap parking for morning and feel slightly better about self. Drive home at lunch, intending to walk back to school. Have a nap and almost miss second class instead. Do not curse self, but instead feel good about napping.
Day 5 - Class at 8:30am; decide I do not have to walk when class starts at 8:30am, since leaving the house before 8am is ungodly. Offer friend a ride. Friend makes fun of me for not walking all week. Resolve to walk next week.
Day 6 - Temperatures continue to drop. Curse self for living more than 4 mins from the school. Contemplate suicide. Realize I own a car and am not forced to walk. Celebrate life and automobiles by driving to school and finding cheap parking. Rejoice.
Days 7 through 10 - Continue to celebrate life by driving to school. Every so often notice that my ipod has a pedometer, and feel guilty when steps still register at “0”. Make concerted effort not to look at pedometer. Feel better about self.
Of course, now it’s Sunday. It’s sweating hot in my apartment, although currently -11°C outside; I’m comfortable on my couch with my laptop, and this comfort is making me feel once again like I am totally able to walk to school. I will continue to document my struggle with walking half an hour (each way!) as the week continues.