This morning began the usual way: me standing in front of my closet, staring blankly at the hanging shirts like they might whisper the answer to “What should I wear today?” I finally settled on something practical—comfort matters when you’re spending most of the day alone in the office. Yes, alone. The joy of summer at a university museum means most folks are off on vacation, faculty are scattered to the winds, and students are few and far between. It’s quiet, still, and honestly… kind of blissful. There’s something peaceful about being the only one here. No meetings. No interruptions. Just me and the hum of the air conditioning.
Of course, with summer also comes the slow trickle of tasks. There’s not much to prep, no classes and not many programs to plan, and the daily to-do list is shorter than usual. I can’t say I’m complaining, but it does leave a lot of room for reflection—and daydreaming.
One of those daydreams involves my fitness routine. Today marks the next-to-last session with my trainer, and I’m already thinking about what comes next. Do I keep going in the afternoons, even though I know I’ll be tired from work? (Let’s be honest—not having much to do can sometimes be more exhausting than being busy.) It’s easy to talk myself out of going when I’m dragging by the end of the day. That said, I’ve genuinely enjoyed working out, even if it’s just a 20–30 minute walk on the treadmill. I haven’t quite worked up the courage to use the machines on my own yet, but that’ll need to change next week. Or maybe… maybe I try becoming one of those people who works out before work. I used to do that—twenty years ago—when I had college classes later in the day instead of a full-time job. I’ve always admired folks with the discipline to exercise before the sun’s fully up. Could that be me? We’ll see. I’ve got one more session to decide if I’m ready to trade evenings for early mornings.
Wherever you are this Monday—whether you’re easing into the week or sprinting out of the gate—I hope your weekend brought you some rest, some joy, or at least a good story to tell. Here’s hoping this week treats you kindly, and that you find a few quiet moments of your own, even if you’re not alone in an office.
Stay cool and take care.
6 comments:
In France, Whit Monday has quite a history in the 20th century: first a day of rest, then a working day, today a semi-holiday. : https://www.rtl.fr/actu/debats-societe/lundi-de-pentecote-2025-pourquoi-ce-jour-est-il-un-jour-semi-ferie-en-france-7900513453
Get another trainer. I'm sure there are other hot trainers besides Neo.
He told me they were trying to find a new trainer, and he will train them. Hopefully, they find someone soon.
Please continue your fitness routine on your own. The machines will not bite. As with any gym, there are always friendly people to get you acquainted with the equipment or assist if you get in a pinch. Let's see if we can get that treadmill walk up to 30 minutes with an increase in elevation and speed. And please do not hold on to the sides. It defeats your work out. I tell folks if you have to hang on either you have the elevation too high or you're going too fast. I have a guy in my gym that has the elevation jacked up to Jesus and the speed at a fast clip and he is holding on for dear life. Why? He is getting little benefit and add to that he might injure himself. The time of the workout is up to you BUT do. It helps clear the mind, gives the body and little movement, and you feel better. Summer is here. As always don't forget to drink your water. Enjoy the slower speed at work. Maybe do a few lunches off campus. And work on your autobiography. "The Life of a Southern Belle-A Man's Perspective!" Enjoy your week!!
I plan to keep it up. My current trainer is going to work out a plan for me, and he said he'd still be there to get me started if I needed him. He just can't train full-time if he's a manager. They'll get a new one eventually. As for the treadmill, I've been regularly increasing the speed, elevation, and time, especially when I go just for the treadmill and not a training session and the treadmill. Right now, the treadmill is my cardio, though my trainer wants me to move up to the elliptical when I can. I hate the elliptical. My trainer has been encouraging me to increase what I am doing. I'm gong to miss his encouragement, but I suspect he will still be around to offer encouragement to his old trainees. With the treadmill, I find that if I open up the Kindle app on my phone and read, I can keep my balance better and don't have to hold on plus it makes the time fly by because I'm reading instead of looking at the timer.
You get your butt to the gym. You know you need it so no excuses. I used to play 3 sets of racketball on a Saturday from 9 to 12 and felt fantastic. You need to get to a point where motivation is through your results. Find a guy who needs motivation and motivate one another. Strength in numbers. You need to build muscle too so don’t be intimidated by those machines. Command them! Go Joe go.
Post a Comment