My enemy, the treadmill.

We own a treadmill. The boyfriend bought it maybe 8 years ago. He used it regularly for several years, and then quit exercising altogether. Now he's got crossfit, and works out there about 4 times a week. The treadmill lives in my sewing room, for lack of anywhere else to put it. Every once in a while i decide that i'm going to start exercising more, and i dust the old beast off, plug it in, and make the attempt.

I hate the treadmill. I hate running. I'm slow, i'm out of shape, and it makes my knees and feet ache afterwards. I pound away, huffing and puffing, with sweat pouring down my face and a cramp in my side. After a few days of that, i say "screw this" and i quit. It's been that way for years.

Yesterday, i was a bit restless. Bedtime came, and i wasnt tired. I've discovered, through my once a week workout at crossfit, that i always sleep great on nights i've worked out. I still get the same amount of sleep as i would on other nights, but i sleep more deeply. So, since i couldnt sleep last night, and it was raining sheeps and llamas (think cats and dogs, but bigger, and more of them, it was once heck of a storm), i decided to pull out the old treadmill and stumble along on it until i was tired.

Apparently, i'm in better shape than i used to be. I used to be able to walk at around 2.5 or 3.0, but if i tried to jog at 4.5 or 5.0, i'd manage maybe half a lap before i was red in the face and huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. I turned the treadmill up to 5.0 last night, and jogged a whole mile without sweating at all. I could have kept going, quite happily, if i hadn't had to be in bed as soon as possible. After a hot shower, i was in bed, and asleep in no time.

I'm tempted to hit the treadmill again tonight, only earlier, to see if i can either go longer, or do that same mile faster. Apparently, the treadmill isnt nearly as awful when you can breathe. I'm not about to take up marathon running or anything. But, exercise is definitely a lot more fun, or at least less miserable, when you're in good enough shape that it doesnt practically kill you.

I may not have lost any weight on this stupid monkey diet yet, but i am noticing that i can do things now that i never could have done before. That's something at least.