365 Photo Project - Day 169

Taken: June 18, 2010, 11:18 p.m.
Location: Healdsburg, Ca.

Today is a momentous day for me. Last night, I worked late writing and I had a breakthrough that was small but exciting, a tough writing problem that had taken me weeks to solve. It was one of those things that got my heart racing and when I drove home I felt good. Really good. And then I thought to myself that I wished I could workout.

This thought is one I used to have a lot but not lately. I love to workout. Love the sweating, the energy it gives me, the way it helps me sleep, the smile it puts on my face -- I even love the way my body aches a little afterward. But I haven't been working out for a long time. I stopped more than a year ago and I haven't started up again. I mean I've been trying -- I walk, I cycle but nothing consistent.

A few years ago, I discovered the Precor Elliptical machine and fell in love. Sounds silly but when I workout on the elliptical, I feel like I'm flying. I'm Snoopy doing his Snoopy dance to Vince Guaraldi's piano music, his nose straight in the air, his feet bouncing (Snoopy not Vince). That's how it feels to me.  When we moved up to Healdsburg and lived at the end of that long dirt road, I bought myself a used Precor for my birthday. For awhile it was the best money I ever spent.. At first, I used it almost every day. But I stopped for some reason and I never got started up again. My husband hated it and tried to talk me out of the purchase but when it's a 40 minute drive to the nearest gym, you adapt. Once he tried it, he was hooked.

Then when we moved here, my husband who has taken to using it every day now, put the Precor on our covered porch.  I never liked having it out there. But now I think I was just using that as an excuse not to workout.

Last night, though, the only thought in my head as I drove up our road was "I need to workout."  And even though it was after ten when I got home, I knew nothing was going to stop me. So I uncovered the Precor and hooked up my iPod and off I went. It was magical. Mag-i-cal. Halfway through, I felt the stress of the last few weeks melt off of me, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, a smile broke out over my face. Not just any smile. A big, gulp-inducing, center of your chest, happy, slobbery grin. A smile that starts on the inside and works its way out.

It was so great I couldn't wait to get on the machine again tonight. And I did. I admit it was hard and my body was stiff and it took me 10 minutes just to get warmed up, but I got to that smile-inducing place again eventually. I get this way sometimes. I'm a creature of habit who needs routine to be disciplined. I'm a daydreamer and while that works well for my writing, it can play havoc with my life. But I know myself well enough to know when my mind turns at the same time as my body and I'm there. Now I just have to ride the wave.

Which means tomorrow is another day to be like Snoopy and dance.