Spring happened quite a few days ago, but today was the first time I really acknowledged the change in seasons. I like riding in a car with the windows down during this time of year because it reminds me of springs and summers past. While my occupation leaves me mostly sedentary during the day, I still have quite a bit of energy for which I cannot seem to find an outlet.
Samantha and I attempted a training program for a 5K, but that effort came up short when the temperature dropped into the mid-teens for most of December and January. I had all of those opportunities to participate (albeit, somewhat poorly) in intramural sports while in college. Still, I must accept that full-time work leaves little time for physical activity, and that it will take more effort if I plan on having any kind of routine.
In the height of our training (a few days, tops), we jogged around the three-mile loop of our apartment complex, careful to avoid the flocks of geese that had descended upon Bellevue from our Neighbor to the North. They strut and waddle around as if they owned the place, and no one ever seems to challenge that assessment. Honk your car horn all you want, these particular fowl are not going to move any faster.
Nowadays, I joke with my co-workers that my walk down the road to the local convenience store at the end of the day is the only exercise I get. The sad truth of it is that one-eighth mile walk ending in a Coke and a candy bar is the extent of my exercise program. While most doctors would say I at least appear to be a healthy twenty-something, real physical health is a bit harder to judge.
Our new apartment in Goodlettsville has a nicer workout facility than our current residence. The improvements do not end there, but I will leave that topic for another time. Samantha and I have been talking about how to work some time in there into our daily routine, but such things are a lot easier to talk about than they are to pull off. At the very least, it should be able to replace my walk to the convenience store.
My only true fitness goal is to have more energy at the end of the day. Sitting in front of a computer for eight hours makes the eyes and brain weary. My afternoon naps are proof that the rest of my body usually follows suit. Weekends start out with high aspirations, but typically end with me struggling to stay awake. Then again, it might also stem from not going to bed at a reasonable hour (like before 11 p.m.).
I am looking forward to the end of this week, and even more so to the end of the next. By that time, we will have moved our one bedroom apartment into a truck bound for 10 minutes north of Nashville. Commutes will be cut in half, loud neighbors will (hopefully) be a distant memory and we can finally have some sense of permanency. This apartment was always meant to be a stopgap measure to get us out on our own and to gain a bit of solace. In hindsight, perhaps we should have reflected that in our decision to sign a 12-month lease instead of a six-month, but some things you have to learn the hard way.
I will miss the ducks and geese, however.