Goals

So, you want to get fit and not die young of crappy cardio-vasular response/ be a slave to your joints/ lungs.  Those are pretty good drivers, but how are you going to steer this lifestyle change, this move to, er movement?

I was thinking about signposts - landmarks along the way.  I'm learning stuff from being a project manager, you see...! :)

Like what?

Well, there's the biggie: building up to walking six miles in one go for charity on 23rd March.

Yeah, look - I know it's not a half-marathon; I'm not even running it, ffs, but guess what? this is my Spartan Race. I get genuinely excited when I successfully run 100 yards to catch the bus. I was walking loads in Edinburgh in August, yes, but I checked - it was all 1-2 miles max (okay, up and down some pretty serious hills carrying loads of stuff, bit still). The longer ones necessitated wee breaks on benches.

So that's 9 weeks or so away? There must be some intermediate (and post-SR14) goals, yes?

Me and my trusty spreadsheet had a word.  If we're assuming I'm right, and that I can currently do about 2 miles without too much anguish, I'll have to up that amount by just under ½ a mile per week.  So if I go for a walk every Sunday, I'll have to go for a longer one each time.

Goal 1 - Go for a longer walk every Sunday (or Saturday or Monday if unavailable)

There are lots of lovely places I haven't visited in and near Cambridge yet - they don't all have to be within walking distance of home or work... they just need to have space to walk reasonably fast in.

It's about 2½ miles from my home to work, and I'm busy this coming Sunday, so maybe I should try walking back from work on Monday, when I've less of a panic about how long it takes.

Timeline: first one 27-Jan-14 (I know it's not a Sunday - see above!)

Goal 2 - Walk all the way into work from home (and be on time for work (and not wreck myself))

This is a challenge of both fitness and discipline (time leaving the house, not succumbing to the bus/ a taxi, making sure I've stretched/ physio'd beforehand.

This is going to cost me less money, long-term, if I can make it a habit, but - while it's great for maintaining fitness and building up to the Big Goal - it's not so good for improving fitness.

Timeline: 7-Feb-14

Goal 3 - Build gym-going up to three times a week

Not much to say here, except that the third time will probably be a weekend day, in general...

Timeline: 20-Feb-14

Goal 4 - Cycle into work

Less a one-off challenge, and more a lifestyle goal.  Tougher than it sounds, because something about the angle of my tcrusty old sit-up-and-beg makes cycling unpleasant for my poor li'l knees. So something I'll probably need to do is buy a new bike. Or at the very least get the old bugger seriously seen to. Once again I am entering into an argument with Cautious Fay, to whom I'm trying to sell the idea of "spending money to save money".  I'm also entering into an argument with Timorous Fay, who doesn't like the idea of pain, has convinced herself that cycling while injured before was part of what screwed my knees in the first place, and is having a hard time with evidence, dammit!

Timeline: first ride 17-Feb-14; at least twice a week by 31-Mar-14

I know - I'm being a bit lenient on myself here.  One to revisit, I think...

I have various other waypost goals, but they're all quite mathematical and dull (e.g. up to 20 minutes on each of the stationary bikes in a session; up to 3.5kg on free weights; find another weight machine I can use as well as the chest press thingy; work up to the treadmill/ stepping machine without screwing my knees, etc.) - some of them will require advice from fitness experts and a pass from my physio (I don't need one, as such, I just think that some of the weights stuff may make her make disapproving faces, and I want to be sure...).