It Was Only A Mile And A Half...But It Was A Mile And A Half

 Yesterday, I attended a staff meeting for work. It was the first time since December, 2019 that I attended any group activity with my work...very unusual. In the past, we used to gather monthly and we'd have  large meetings quarterly.

The Public Health Emergency we've all experienced changed that, too.

At noon, we broke for lunch. I hoofed it up a small hill to the building where the cafeteria was located. I was trying to catch up with co-workers who had a slight lead. I caught up to them, but I experienced something new...a shortness of breath.

Now, I understand I'm a fifty-six year old man who works out a few times a week, but not vigorously, so not being in the best shape is something I know about myself. Still...I've been able to run almost effortlessly most of my life. Having to catch my breath was a foreign experience, something I did not like.

Almost every morning when I work, I take a fifteen minute break and spend it on a stationary bike, an elliptical machine, and a treadmill (five minutes on each machine...). I know it's not much, but at least I get to leave work and do something else--almost more a health break for my mind as much as anything else. Last year I spent a lot of time walking after work, mostly on the hill next to our house. I'm hoping to resume that this year. What surprised me about the shortness of breath yesterday is that I can walk for a half hour, an hour at a time without issue. That little jog took it out of me.

This morning I returned to the treadmill and walked for thirty minutes covering one and a half miles. I know it's not much, but it's a start and I know I need to walk before I can run. Hopefully one day soon, I can run and breath at the same time.