A Failure to Step

About three weeks ago, I decided to select my most dreaded machine in the gym and focus on improving my performance and attitude toward it. I selected the stair-stepper (aka: “Stairway to Hell”). At that time, after about five minutes on the thing, I was done; silently cursing it as I made my way to the water fountain. Each day thereafter, I tackled the machine at the end of whatever workout was scheduled. During the final week, I did two-a-days with a stair-stepping conclusion each time. My goal was to climb the Empire State Building (a total of 1860 steps) within 30 minutes by the close of the week. At the beginning of that final week, I decided to tackle the entire set of stairs just to see what my time was. Keep in mind, five minutes tops when I started this. On first attempt, I made the climb in 53:38; a far cry from my 30-minute goal.

At that point, I turned to two friends for advice (really, just consolation, lol). I had done the math and realized that setting such a public goal was an overreach, to put it mildly. But, still determined, I continued my two-a-days (back/stairstepper; biceps/stairstepper; chest&shoulders/stairstepper; triceps/stairstepper; legs/stairstepper (OMG!), etc.).

The Results: On Friday, I climbed the Empire State Building in 48:22 (an improvement, that week alone, of 5 minutes and 27 seconds), yet; far in excess of 30 minutes. I did not hit my goal. Fail.

However…

When I went to our local jogging trail, I found I could jog twice my normal distance as a result of the leg-work done over the past three weeks. I’ve lost six pounds in the past two weeks. My often-punishing amount of introversion has definitely been squelched as I have been communicating much more with others; some sort of comfortability speaking to strangers has been enhanced by the workouts. And, most importantly, I look back and see that my true and original goal of improving my performance and attitude toward that machine has certainly been achieved. I look forward to tackling it each day now.

I took something I absolutely hated, focused my energy on it, realized its value, and turned it into something I now like. And the results positively impacted aspects not at all related to the final digital tally on the machine. In the tunnel vision of my pursuit of a micro-goal (30-minute Empire State Building), I temporarily forgot there were more important enhancements happening on a macro level. There’s a pretty good life lesson in that. 

Onward and upward.  😊

I continue to be,

Jamie