31 Days of Adventure - Day 2: Getting back on the horse that throwed you or A clothes hanger and the dungeon.

Let me start by saying....The struggle is real!

Like so many people I have an "expensive clothes hanger".  Some call theirs treadmill or weight bench.   I call mine elliptical.   The good thing is I never hung any clothes on it.   The bad thing is, I banished it to the dungeon...you know that room where things go to be in "in house storage" or "a room of I'll get to it's"?

I was chatting with a friend of mine the about a month ago and she suggested putting the TV down there with the "clothes hanger", so that when I'm watching TV I can be on the elliptical.   Brilliant idea....So I went down there to scope things out this morning.

Here's what I found:

1) Her batteries were dead;

2) I no longer know where the owners manual is;

3) There was a fine coating of dust (I've had sanding and painting done since she was relegated to the dungeon) and;

4) She wasn't in a good position to be used.

To the unmotivated any of these single issues would be reason enough to give up.  But I was determined....I thought back to a time when we met regularly for 45 to 60 minutes each morning.   That was until I was convinced to move her downstairs.   She once held top billing by the window in my bedroom--no way to avoid her.   Now weeks or months can go by without me catching a glimpse of her.  Although I've been running and love it, I missed her.   So these are the steps I took:

1) Bought batteries on my way home

2)  There's this thing called the internet where you can find manuals for just about everything ever made and sure enough, I found the manual and was able to give her a light tune up and replace the batteries.

3)  A damp cloth cleaned her up and her display is looking good as ever

4)  A quick shove got her in position

And off we went.  I had this great idea that because I've been running for a while, we'd pick up pretty much where we left off.   She had other ideas.  After about 5 minutes, I was huffing and puffing. How could it be that I was able to match her step for step for a full 60 minutes just a few short years ago?   I'd work up a lovely glow, while just breathing deeply and she'd purr quietly under my feet.  This evening, I think I actually heard her laughing and mumble "serves you right, slacker!"   

Folks, this is serious business!    Don't let your fitness equipment get the better of you by leaving it dormant for extended periods of time.  I think along with the extra chairs, patio furniture and boxes of books, she was down there scheming and plotting a revenge so sweet that she thought I may never recover, but I've got news for her......

I'll be back down there on alternate non-running days...Alternate days....do you hear me!   She may have won today, but I'm a runner and no clothes hanging elliptical is going to get the best of me.  Plus I have goals and she may not know it yet, but she's involved...stay tuned!