My history with fitness

I was very slow hitting my milestones.  My aunt remarked once she recalled I was much "slower" than my cousin, who wasn't much older.  "Jane" would crawl, roll over, etc. at certain ages, right on schedule, I would be months late.  I was actually tested and found to be "borderline". 

I don't believe they had any early childhood intervention programs to help me catch up, back then.  I just lagged. 

I was slow tying my shoes, skipping, etc.  So it comes as no surprise to hear I did horribly in gym class.  I was slow.  I was profoundly uncoordinated.  I was signed up for tap dance lessons and did OK at that, but persisted in failing at gym. 

I was slow, I couldn't hit a ball - my instinct, when someone throws a ball at me, is to duck.  Always has been.  I did so poorly in gym they actually took me out and had me do special classes, where I would run slow laps, practice dribbling a ball when all the other kids were shooting baskets, etc.  And I hated it. 

As I became a teenager I remember one day when I suppose the mood shifted.  I was at an alternative school in the 7th grade.  My illness was at a peak, pretty severe, I felt ruled by forces I couldn't control.  And one day my teacher said "I want everyone to run 2 miles, I don't care how long it takes, I will watch and you will run 2 miles before you go home today."  The "bad" kids proceeded to walk the whole time. 

For a change, no one was flogging me to run faster faster no break.  I did what I now know to be intervals, I ran, I walked, I ran.  And it wasn't awful.  I remember smirking at the sight of the bad kids still walking as I went back into the classroom. 

My illness got worse, I got suicidal, I went to the hospital and came back.  But still ruled by my illness.  On bad days my stepmother would make me take a long walk - a couple of miles, to calm down.  Day or night, she would send me out there.  Sometimes she would follow me in the car, she said, to make sure I did it.  I never had any problems, this was 30 years ago.  But that wasn't awful. 

Years pass, I'm with Ron now.  I have to walk everywhere if I'm not riding the bus.  A cab ride is a rare luxury.  That is generally not bad. 

We buy a treadmill on clearance. I run on it when I'm manic, but don't touch it when I'm depressed. 

We start the business and I gain even more weight.  I am walking 2 miles to and from work every day so that helps my mood.  I remember my friend George who gave me a set of 5# dumbbells, years ago, and told me weight lifting was the way to go. 

I get some equipment, a rower, an upright bike.  A weight bench and some weights.  I find it helps my mood.  I am pretty consistent.  All this in addition to walking 2 miles to and from work every day. 

Ron gets hit.  When he comes home I can't leave him so I find myself working out at home.  I find it continues to help my mood. 

I am off and on for years.  I run a half marathon in there, still glad I did that.  I got diagnosed.  Pills cause more weight gain so back to working out again.  Off and on for years. 

Currently working out almost every day.  I'm doing something every day.  It may not be much but it's something.  It continues to help my mood and I was able to get Ron off the floor, 3 times, the other night.  That's pretty impressive. 

I plan to keep this up.