The Turn of the Tide

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I mentioned about a month ago that we had a competition going at work to see which individuals and which teams of five could record the most activity minutes within a two-month period. For the first week or so, my team’s collective score was suspiciously not much different than my individual score. That led us to go from No. 1 in the first couple of days to No. 10 (of 10 teams) by the end of the week. One player had been on vacation, and another promised to make it up to the team by walking all over Vegas the other weekend. They both came through and we’re now No. 5.

Individually, I’ve managed to stay in the Top 10, often the Top 5. I’ve got really stiff competition and doubt I’ll finish much higher than 5, but some of the early leaders already have flamed out. They treated the competition like a sprint when it’s really a marathon. I’m pacing myself carefully, and it’s paying off.

I’ve been much better with my diet since last week’s debacle. No sodas, no sweets and I’ve begun to cut back on caffeine. It helps that there’s so much wonderful fruit in grocery stores right now, including my favorite summer treats: grapes that I freeze and eat; white peaches and nectarines; strawberries (still not sick of them); blueberries; and black plums. I’ve also stuck to my morning training schedule. A couple of mornings, thanks to the whacked Olympics coverage, I’ve just wanted to sleep for another hour. Then I’d remember the corporate competition and get up, always grateful I did by the time I rolled into the office.

I used to eat most of my lunches at my desk. Not a good thing. Now, at least three days a week, I go for walks. It’s not only helped me secure my high ranking on the leader board, but won me praise from coworkers. People actually have come over to my cubicle to ask how I manage such a high activity score. I’ve come to look forward to those mid-day walks. I work in a beautiful part of the city and love finding neighborhoods I’ve yet to explore. Many are in gated communities, and all involve climbing big hills. Sometimes the gamble pays off nicely with views like the one in this photo.

Today’s a rest day, and I feel a little restless. Can’t recall the last time I didn’t look forward to a “do nothing” day. Yes, folks, I feel the tide is finally turning.

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