Workout 120531: Going Up

Today's Workout:

5 min Recumbent Bike warmup
30 min Arc Trainer - Interval level 3
5 min Treadmill cool down
STRETCH

Today the stretch deserved CAPITAL letters.  I got home last night and was sore.  My arms and abs and legs.  Just all a big bucket of soreness.  Maybe I didn't have enough water in the week.  Maybe I didn't stretch enough.  No idea.  I was sore.  This morning I woke up still sore.  I made myself complete my workout using the just-one-more-minute strategy, promising myself I could quit after just. one. more minute.

And then I got to stretch.  Ahhhh.  It felt so good.  I just kept stretching.  Ten minutes went by and I had done every stretch I could think of minus a few Yoga positions.  It was awesome.  I love stretches like that.  Like waking up unassisted after a great night's sleep and you just stretch your body awake.  It felt like that.  So awesome.

Following yesterday's post, a commenter asked about my progress on the no elevator resolution.  I'm well overdue to give an update on that one.  To my original resolution I have stuck!  I have not taken the elevator at work since April 24th.  Additionally, I stopped taking the elevator at my hospital when I have my PT appointments.  As of today I have been completely elevator free for 21 days.  Three whole weeks!  I can't say it has gotten easy, but I'm learning more about how to protect my knees when I climb stairs (abs - get some) and I can now climb two consecutive flights without gasping for air at the top.  Woohoo!

I'm sure I'll take the elevator again at some point, but I find myself actively seeking out the alternatives these days.  That coming from the girl who knew all the passages between her college campus buildings so that she'd never ever have to take the stairs is quite an accomplishment.  I've also found that someone has posted signs with encouraging slogans in the stairwells at the hospital.  It's nice to have some one encourage you to keep moving when you really wish you'd gotten on the elevator with the 10 other people you passed in the lobby.

But the best feeling was the first day I took the stairs to PT.  There was a woman waiting outside the elevator on level 1.  I passed her on my very first trip to the stairs.  When I exited the stairwell on level 2 she was just leaving the elevator.  As we walked along side each other, she said "You just inspired me.  I'm not taking that elevator anymore."  Maybe I inspired her, but her comment has stayed with me every day since then.  Everyday that I have to walk past the elevator and slog up another flight of stairs her words come to mind.  I love that my choice touched someone.  And I'm so very thankful she shared that moment with me.