My Life On A Treadmill

We got a treadmill so it appears we are collecting coat racks. We had a bike once that we used a number of times. Like when friends came over and the closet was full, we hung their coats there on the bike handles.

We had a stepper. It was great. It folded up neatly against the wall when not in use. You could hang your coat on it even when it was folded up.

Marianne needed to do some walking as a part of her recovery. We live in an area without sidewalks and although it is a street, the people passing through here use it as a short cut to by-pass the highway. They don't slow down because it's a street, they get home faster because the big trucks can't use it.

Makes walking the hills and curves very dangerous.

At least that was our excuse for more than 20 years. We used to drive to another nearby small town and park our car and go for a walk on their sidewalks. Somehow it didn't work because we always parked in the Dairy Queen lot. Needed a milk shake because we built up a thirst.

This was serious though. Walking around in our very small home made us dizzy. I'd offer to walk with her until she got stronger and once around inside and back made us loopy.

So, I rearranged the furniture and asked my friend Nathaniel to suggest a good, inexpensive treadmill.

It's perfect.

It folds up, too and I believe that after she's feeling better, I can hang a few jackets and put a boot tray at the base of it.

The sad thing is I'm really using it. I mean, I walk 30 minutes everyday at various speeds and it automatically raises and lowers so that it feels like your legs will fall off any minute from walking up hills.

But they haven't. When I finish I feel great. Really.

I also learned a life changing lesson. I can do more than I believe I can. Really!

I'm not over-doing it. I'm starting out slow. The first day I set it at "1" ...got on and rode it to the end and got off.

"That was easy!" Didn't have to lift a foot.

Then I tried a program. 30 minutes long. The idea is to get your heart rate up to a level that's considered aerobic. Aerobic is an adjective that means "requiring air."

Like my love life used to be, but 29 minutes longer.

Seriously, here's the lesson. If I watched the clock on the machine, it appeared to be the longest 30 minutes ever. The first ten, in particular felt like 30. Then magically when I hit 15, the half way mark, I felt like this was possible.

Then 20, 25 and 30...it stopped.

I got on believing I couldn't do it. I got off knowing I always could but never knew it.

I've been doing it for days, now. I work up a nice sweat, my heart pounds, I feel a little weak in the knees but strong in spirit.

God believes I can do anything. He knows I can do more. I used to say, "I'll believe it when I see it." Now it's, "I'll see it when I believe it!"

Look out Marianne! Now I'm thinking two minutes, tops!

"I wish you enough!"
J
~ Bob Perks ~

Good news - Bob Perks' first book, "I Wish You Enough," Embracing Life's Most Valuable Moments... is now available for ordering. Here's the "Link" to get your copy of Bob's book: I Wish You Enough from Amazon.com.

[ by: Bob Perks Copyright © 2011 (2believe@comcast.net) -- {used with permission} ]