Wonder

Timing is everything and I may be getting it righterer...er. I wanted to do ABS today and today is a tempo workout so easy to time it. I opt to not do the full hour, my boss telling me that part of the problem is probably over use. Um, yeah, compared to where I was on 27 December this knee is definitely not use to this sort of use. So I'm dialing back because when the knee is bugging me - it's really bugging me, there is no middle ground. I've been interviewing everybody about my knee injury who'll listen to me. So instead of a full hour on the elliptical I opt for fifty minutes and then ice it before ABS.

As I stroll into the gym I stop in wonder. Glaring at me like I personally stuck her on the upright exercise bike at 5:45 AM was...

notFestus!!!

Careful to keep some exercise equipment between us, as I'm getting a serious vibe that notFestus isn't a morning person, I ask, "What's up?" Turns out she has some afternoon thingy that can't be broken. I back away from her, she's far too close to the dumbbells to be cavalier about this.

I hop onto precious my some elliptical before Trebek can swoop in and steal it and go to work. I dial up Zip City so that I can get the full workout experience and spend the next five minutes in absolute wonder that my buddy TomS would consider this a workout song. As far as seventeen year old truck driving psychopaths and their fifteen year old girlfriends go it's a fine song but the tempo had me trying to country waltz on the elliptical, not easy. I like the song, I love the wall of guitars sound it has, but a workout song? Bill must turn his thumb... DOWN!

As I'm sweating up a storm I'm watching the ebb and flow in the gym. So much activity! This one dude comes in and give a demonstration of what perfect form would look like on the treadmill. notFestus is doing some sort of calisthenic and then punishing herself if her form's off by getting back on the bike. Kojack (was FNG but he isn't anymore) is being shown interesting things you can do with weights and lunges by my trainer. IronMan and awesomeGirl are doing amazing things and all this activity just fills me with... wonder as I keep an eye on my HR.

You'll all be relieved to know (probably not as much as the attendees) that I've managed to attend three or four ABS classes and not pass gas! I live in mortal fear of that. I did a little better in class today but still no great shakes. My trainer wore me down, broke me and moved on but I hung in there a little longer :-)

I get back to my desk and read the following from my cousin, a Forerunner 305 user.

Just wanted to tell you I use my gps 4x a week. However, I can't seem to ever find time to sync it to the computer, but it helps me tons as I try to prep for a marathon at end of April. You are one good Santa.

On the Santa thing, I'm working on my weight - honest! But how cool is it that my cousin is going to attempt a marathon? It was just a few years ago she was attempting 5Ks and now look at her, currently at 12 miles and angling for 26.2 by 25 April. She'll be insufferable but I hope she pulls this off! You GO girl!

And then what? I idly wonder...

MarathonMan dropped by my office yesterday. He's in training for another marathon, probably to get the moniker MarathonX2Man. I think he was trying to make me feel better or relate to the sound whopping spiderMan (heck everyone) gave me on the Fun Run last Friday. He was telling me about this guy who's name I'm drawing a blank on who lapped him four times at this half-marathon thing he did for yucks and giggles on Saturday. A mile long course you run around 13 times or something like that. Anyway this dude, I'll call him lappyMakesMeHappy was tearing the course up. MarathonMan says lappyMakesMeHappy likes to run consecutive marathons, as in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and he wins a fair number of them!

Is that my cousin's fate? MarathonMan's? Mine? Yours?!

As the addiction to endorphins and accomplishments mount will we just keep looking for the next big rush, junkies that we are?

TomS ran at least two marathons (three?) before taking up residence in his mysterious labs. I was there when he crossed the finish line of the first one. He looked pretty tore up. I don't think these things can be classified as easy. Already I feel the faint tug of the marathon hook...

Wouldn't it be wondrous if I could pull off such an accomplishment given my various handicaps?

Recently, my wife will just stop and stare at me in wonder, calling to mind that old saw, "Behind every successful man is a surprised woman." She figured I would have quit this madness by now, to say I suffer from ADD would be a kindness, I bore easily. My son, daily, asks if anything interesting happened at the gym, not work, the gym. My daughter shyly asks about my knee or other ailment. My dad calls up and asks how much weight I've lost before whining like a supermodel that I'm making him look bad!

Then it occurs to me, I'm already doing something wondrous!

I'm certain you are too! Whether you're trying for a marathon, one more sit-up or working up the will to come into the gym at all.

Wondrous!

Bang on... you're filling someone with wonder! Count on it.