So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit– It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.” ~ Edgar A. Guest

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 309:

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out–

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.”

~ Edgar A. Guest

So, today was a day of realizations, BlogLand. Under direction from my GT, I put my feet on the floor when I got out of bed this morning and clipped on my pedometer. We were about to establish a baseline activity level, to help gauge some areas that might need improvement. 

It is amazing how clipping a little thing to your belt can make you suddenly very cognizant of every day activities. Or lack there of. I got up at 8:30am this morning (it was a sleep-in day!), got ready for work, drove to work and did work... when my first break of the day rolled around at noon time, I eagerly flipped up my pedometer to check out my raging numbers...... 589... not even 600 steps. HOLY, WHAT?! That's all?

Yep. That's all. Somehow, in my head, I seem a lot more active. When I'm not at work, I am - I'm going running or going to CrossFit, or hiking or something... but then suddenly, it was becoming acutely obvious what some of the plateau problem might be: The 40 hours a week that I am tied to my desk. Literally (I work in a call center situation, where I am literally leashed to my desk by a headset cord...).  

After reporting in to the GT mid-day, we reached the conclusion that my super sedentary day job (as opposed to when I'm moonlighting as a muddy badass) is probably a big contributor to the plateau I've been experiencing, and that I would have to make some adjustments. Enter my newest assignment (to start): become more active during the week. To do this, I have been assigned pre-breakfast (30 min) walks (on days I don't CrossFit), and all the lunchtime walks I can stand. Basically, get moving. Squeeze in activity whenever possible. 

Here's where the Cosmos decided to send me a sign of approval (I believe in signs.). Literally, after just reaching these new directives via text with the GT, I got an email on my screen. It announced the new Walking Challenge! that my work would be hosting, starting June 4. Everyone would get free pedometers and would be challenged to get to 10K steps a day. For every day that you did reach 10K steps, you will get to put your name in a drawing for gift certificates, cash, etc. 

If that is not an added bonus to following the GT's new directive, I don't know what is. Seriously, it was eerily creepy how we'd JUST finished discussing it and in popped that email. I swear, sometimes, the all-knowing GT has connections with the Cosmos. 

Either way, I feel that we're on to something. When I checked my step count as I was leaving work at 7pm, I was only at like 3500. To put it in perspective, to be considered "active" or at a healthy active level, you're supposed to get to those 10K steps. Clearly, I've not been getting there. No wonder my poor body is boycotting me. 

Now, the question is... how to make the 8 hours I'm chained to my desk more active? (Google will have the answers!)

With that, I leave you BlogLand... bed is calling, and I'm up early to go for a walk, tomorrow! 

We officially start week 45 of Spartan Shape-Up training... Wow.