Day 3

UUUgghhh. I made it through the day, but it was not easy. Much thanks to those leaving comments, please keep posting. Today, was not that bad. I worked for the first time since my vacation and was very happy it was not busy. I made all my salads for the week last night, so all I had to do was make breakfast this morning. I am not a fan of fruits and vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I really don't like it, but when I step on the scale, I like it. I know the long term is more important than the short term so I have to keep going.

After work, I went to the gym to walk on a treadmill. I know this is an old joke, but it still amazes me that people will try to get the closest possible parking spot in the gym parking lot (even driving around a few minutes to find it), and then go in the gym and walk on a treadmill. I do it too, so maybe it's not that weird. I felt like 2 days of hills called for a day of flat walking. I was wrong. I forgot the mental concentration and willpower it takes to stay on a treadmill for an hour. Walking outside, even with the hills, is easier because even if you want to bail out, you still have to walk back home. On a treadmill, you can hit stop and just walk to your car (which, if the cards align, is as close as possible to the entrance to the gym). Tomorrow, I am going to walk outside again. Below is a break down of my thoughts for my hour on the treadmill:

60 minutes to go (MTG): Feels good, glad I came here, 1 hour to go.

59.34 MTG: Must cover the timer or I will stare at it the whole time.

55 MTG: Am I done yet? I'm feeling tired.

50 MTG: My legs hurt, my shins are starting to feel it, how much longer?

45 MTG: 1/4 done, in 3 minutes, 30% done, 2 minutes after that 1/3 done, I think I can, I think I can, but my shins hurt a lot more now.

42 MTG: Starting to sweat, I should have picked the treadmill under the fan. This will not turn out well. I think my legs are broken, my shins are screaming.

40 MTG: Seriously, I'm in pain (my legs appear to be intact somehow), let's check the pulse, 159, not bad.

30 MTG: Where did that last 10 minutes go, I must be passing out. I am glad this treadmill has rails on the side or I would have fallen off like 15 times. Why can't I balance? Is one leg shorter than the other? Is the room tilted? I must investigate when I am done.

28 MTG: I am in pain, I am over halfway done, let's just stop now. Pulse 162.

27 MTG: Stop being weak. We got this. We got this. Legs finally warming up and that blister is not a factor.

25 MTG: Sweating a lot.

24 MTG: OK, really...are we there yet?

22 MTG: I can't do this.

20 MTG: 2/3 done, I CAN do this.

15 MTG: I hate exercise. I want a cheeseburger.

12 MTG: Sweating even more. I can feel the sweat bead up on my forehead after I wipe it. Gross. Both shirts I am wearing are wet. Next time, I am using the treadmill by the fan.

10 MTG: Alright, 5/6 done, we can do this. Pulse 169.

4 MTG: What is longer, the first 40 minutes or the last 4 minutes? I think it might be the last 4 minutes.

1 MTG: Finally.

1 hour done: Nice, I knew I could do it, now just 5 minutes of cool down.

I have to re-assess the mental willpower it takes to do this. I know I can, I just have to stay on the path for one more step, one more minute, one more pound, one more vegetable, one less temptation at a time. 97 days left.