Baseline

Yesterday I ventured onto the treadmill.  I have spent some time in physio on a modified elliptical ("some time" = maximum of 10 minutes), but since I own a treadmill, I decided to try it out.

I don't know whether it was a good idea or not.

My goal was one mile.  Got myself up onto the treadmill (thankful for handrails), turned it on and hit "quick start".  My treadmill defaults to a speed of 1.0 on quick start.  Yipes !   1.0 was faster than I thought it was going to be.  I was able to get going and have pretty good posture without falling off or falling over.

But then I did the math.  A speed of 1.0 equals one mile per hour.  ONE MILE IN AN HOUR.  If I wanted to go the full mile, I would be an hour on the treadmill, and I knew that wasn't possible.  Cranked the speed to 1.2 and revised my goal to 0.25 of a mile.

It took me 13:09 minutes to walk 0.25 miles.  One quarter of a mile.  That's one lap around a standard track.  That's 400 metres.

I used to run almost two miles in 13 minutes.  I used to walk a perfect 16 minute mile (I could walk an exact 16 minute mile, mile after mile after mile .. I know - I've done it).

As much as I aim for positive and remind myself that six weeks ago I couldn't even walk, or that without surgery, in another four months I'd be paralyzed, it doesn't really help.  I should look at the bright side, aim for that goal of one mile and use all of those old training techniques I have up my sleeve to get there.

But really, some days it's allowed to be just plain, ole, depressing. 

1/4 mile in 13:09.  And it was hard. I hate this.