Things to be happy about: stretching my legs

There are some things you don't really appreciate until you can't do them. Somehow, my morning run has turned into one of those.

When I bought the elliptical, I wasn't entirely sure about it. It was pretty expensive, and takes up gobs of room downstairs. So the question was, would I use it enough to justify that?

Well, after a couple of years of using it most weekday mornings, the answer has proven to be yes. Moveover, it's become a pretty essential part of my life: my body has gotten dependent on raising that sweat in the morning. After the recurrence of my plantar fasciitis last week, I wound up taking a full week off of the elliptical, to let my feet heal a bit, and I've been noticing the effect: in particular, the stress of daily life has just been getting to me more. I've been tense as a bowstring, worried and losing perspective.

So this morning I decided to do the run. I still need new sneakers, but I ran in my new walking shoes, which have acceptable arch support -- not ideal for the job, but not as insane on the elliptical as they would be on the road. That notional four mile run makes a huge difference: I'm just plain calmer, more able to face the day. (Getting to see some B5 doesn't hurt either, even if it is the relatively slight "Mad Bomber What Bombs at Midnight" episode.)

So yay for toys that earn their keep. Some prove to just be consumerist waste, but this one has been worth every penny, and has achieved its goal of changing my habits...

Things to be happy about: stretching my legs

There are some things you don't really appreciate until you can't do them. Somehow, my morning run has turned into one of those.

When I bought the elliptical, I wasn't entirely sure about it. It was pretty expensive, and takes up gobs of room downstairs. So the question was, would I use it enough to justify that?

Well, after a couple of years of using it most weekday mornings, the answer has proven to be yes. Moveover, it's become a pretty essential part of my life: my body has gotten dependent on raising that sweat in the morning. After the recurrence of my plantar fasciitis last week, I wound up taking a full week off of the elliptical, to let my feet heal a bit, and I've been noticing the effect: in particular, the stress of daily life has just been getting to me more. I've been tense as a bowstring, worried and losing perspective.

So this morning I decided to do the run. I still need new sneakers, but I ran in my new walking shoes, which have acceptable arch support -- not ideal for the job, but not as insane on the elliptical as they would be on the road. That notional four mile run makes a huge difference: I'm just plain calmer, more able to face the day. (Getting to see some B5 doesn't hurt either, even if it is the relatively slight "Mad Bomber What Bombs at Midnight" episode.)

So yay for toys that earn their keep. Some prove to just be consumerist waste, but this one has been worth every penny, and has achieved its goal of changing my habits...