I just laugh

Apparently, book writers are always getting the question "Where do your ideas come from?" 

A better question would be, "Heather, how do you keep the ideas you get?"  -  the answer to that, most of my blog ideas end up floating off before I can ever get them down.  What you read are the ones that remain.

Tonight while watching "Criminal Minds" I saw an ad for a "Fast and fun fitness system".  It looked like a lot of fun, dancing, good music, and weight loss.  I could even afford it. 

However, my aerobic dance routines tend to look more like the Tin Man when he rusted up.  Yeah.  See, they want me to move my torso one way, left arm one way, right arm one way, left leg... you get the idea.  I can do one limb or the torso.  That's about it. 

Remember the old aerobic step?  I did OK with that - but I made up my own routine where I basically just went up and down with no arm movements.  It got my heart rate up, built muscle, and burned fat - but if I'd tried to do it "their" way I never could have done it. 

I need to get back on the step, even if it's only a couple minutes every day before my shower. 

Sports?  I was so bad at sports they put me in "special" PE.  It was very humiliating but still better than comparing myself to the other kids.  Where they other kids were shooting baskets, they had me practice dribbling.  Baseball?  Forget it.  My instinct remains true, if a ball is flying at my head I will duck. 

Virtually every sport requires a ball, flying at my head.  I could never catch it so it always hit me, and hurt, and I thought "Where's the fun in this?" as the other kids and the coach yelled at me. 

I was even a slow runner - but I learned something.  I'm a good distance runner.  I'm not fast, but I'm steady. 

I'm proud of a lot of things in my life, but one "personal", non-God-related thing is my half marathon.  Yup.  In 2004 I ran 13.1 miles in 3 hours, 2 minutes, and 50 seconds.  I was thrilled. 

Ron was still in bad shape after his accident (he had a lot of back pain, not surprising), and didn't want to come to the event, so he gave me his cell phone.  I called him on the landline at every mile marker. 

I had struggled a lot between miles 9 and 11.  I had to stop training for a few weeks, right before the race, due to a sinus infection.  I lost a lot of endurance, but I still went out and did it. 

Then I ate the energy bar before the race.  BAD idea.  I was wracked with horrible cramps up to mile 4.  I was basically running at my very slowest speed when everyone was leaving me in their dust.  I almost got trampled by a platoon of Marines. 

I kept at it, and called Ron.  Until I got to mile 12. I got my wind back and I just wanted to finish.  I knew I was going to finish and wanted to make a good end.

So, as I approach the final quarter mile, the phone rang.  Ron "Are you OK?" 

"I'm about to cross the finish line" I told him "I'll call you back".  That was probably the most fun phone call of my life. 

That, and the one when the nurses told me Ron finally remembered me (He had completely forgotten me - the first week after he woke up he kept asking "Who are you?")

I finished the race.  I weighed about 180, 5 foot 7.  I was a lot fatter than the other runners, who called me the "Purple People Eater" due to my purple top and shorts  Boy, did I strut.  I strutted like a rooster.  I ate, talked to Ron, and walked out of the area to a place where I could call a cab.  I did that, rode home, and ordered a large meatlover pizza. 

Then I ate the entire thing, all by myself. 

When I got a little money from my mother last year, I thought of buying a treadmill, but put it into Bibles and emergency fund instead.  I did get myself a ($30) waterproof Bible but that was the only luxury.

If we won a lotto, maybe 300K or so, I would buy myself a treadmill.  I hope I would use it!   I have to wonder, though, because I'm sitting, literally, right next to a recumbent exercise bike Ron bought back in 2006.  He got it used, for a good price.  I was completely depressed at the time and didn't really contribute. 

At any rate, the cat sits on it more than we do!   I have to add, though, I have never been a fan of exercise bikes. 

I also have some free weight equipment in the garage, again, I need to get using it and figure out when and how and work it with my energy levels.  Ron bought that for me as a wedding present. 

I was terrible at sports, not a sprinter, only a very slow long distance runner.  I was 10 years old before I learned to ride a bike, when my adoptive mother literally shoved me down a hill on a 2 wheeled bike. It worked. 

It would not be safe for me to ride a bike, in Houston.  The driving here is insane and very aggressive.  Ron needs me healthy, he asked me not to get a bike, and I agree. 

Although, between us, I know of several people run over at bus stops! 

I found out what works for me, and I did it.  I didn't try to put myself in the "normal" mold but found what worked for me.  I found out I love powerlifting and long distance running.  I found a strength I didn't know I had. 

So, I just laugh at the thought of trying to do that exercise DVD weight loss system.