mobile

So I’m working on becoming more self-propelled and less reliant on engines to get me where I want to go. That’s gotta be better all the way around — for me, the environment, the city, etc etc. A friend of mine from undergrad and master’s work was all about this and I was entirely less than interested at the time (partly because it’s a very impractical thing in Arkansas, which is only set up for cars). But the Twin Cities are better set up for this sort of transportation, the weather here is excellent during the summer, and I’m at a place in my life where I want to be outside and moving around. (I really, really, don’t want to be inside a gym right now.) So there you go.

The thing is, I can’t jump in whole-hog because of the ankle. Gotta let it work up to whatever I want it to do. So I’m starting with walking while I think about what kind of bike I want. The campus I’m working on this summer is made for lots of walking. It’s pretty easy to get around on the campus bus system, but it’s just as easy to walk, and sometimes quicker now that the busses are on summer schedule. Last week, my goal was to park in the back lot every day and walk to my office, then across campus to the library, and then back to my car. I only ended up going to the library on one or two days, but I did park and walk every day. (Part of that is because I’m getting used to my first-ever pair of orthotics, and was warned not to go too far at first.) I have no idea how far it is back and forth. Saturday the husband and I spent the afternoon walking the maze of skyways in downtown Minneapolis, and I know we covered several miles then. I should take my pedometer this week.

I remember Diet Girl’s idea of mini-missions from awhile back — assigning yourself little things that will develop new habits that will add up. Last week my goal was to walk in from the far lot every day. This week I’ll wear my pedometer and add stairs. And I’ll keep researching bikes while I wait for the check for some freelancing I did to show up.