Halfway Point - 18 sections done, 18 section to go

View from the top after
17 sections

 There are 37 sections at Harvard Stadium and there are about 31 steps in each section.  On  July 3rd I was able to make it up and down three sections and spent several days wishing I could sit down without wincing.  I ate a lot of ibuprofen, drank a lot of water and prayed for the pain to stop.

The prayers worked... well, time worked and by the time the next work out rolled around I was ready to try again.  I made it up and down 5 sections and the next day I could sit without thinking about it and without ibuprofen.  Last week I made it through 11 sections and today, the goal was 15 sections.

When I got there, Brogan challenged me.  He asked my goal and then said, "Not to pressure you but we talk about half tours and full tours, shoot for a half tour."

Ummmm...right.  Fifteen maybe, but 18 sections?

I got to 11 and took a deep breath.  I knew I could push past this point and kept going.  Stopping at the top of each section, for a minute or so to assess and evaluate where I was: 15 sections and my goal.  Then slowly I ascended a 16th section, paused and came down before looking at the 17th section.  I started up and the steps again: left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.  I got to the top and smiled.  I did it, I was going to meet the 1/2 tour challenge when I went the rest of the way around and climbed to the top of section one.

As always, my fellow November Project members kept me going when my mind wanted to quit.  Between high 5's as I dragged myself up the stairs and the shouts of encouragement.

I made it all the way to the top of section one and yelled, "SHIT YEAH THAT MAKES 18!!!" and the response was cheers and applause from the folks who had finished before me.


For those who think that workouts are for losing weight or maybe about strengthening the body, but it's more than that.  It's about changing a perspective.

The feeling of invigoration after making a half tour was really amazing.  On the way home, I needed to pick up some half and half for my morning coffee and some OJ.  As I stood in the supermarket aisle, I noticed the yogurt and thought, "I haven't made a smoothie in a while and I think I still have some frozen berries in the fridge....."

Next thing I know, a container of Greek yogurt was in the basket and it wasn't long before I home and whipping up an old favorite: a cup of OJ, a container of yogurt and a cup of frozen berries.

Not that long ago a workout in the morning would have been justification to hit the drive through for an  egg and cheese sandwich and count it as healthy.  It's not that it's not healthy, it's just not the healthiest choice (particularly when you add some bacon... because an eggamuffin without bacon is just boring) or subbing that bland English Muffin for a tasty biscuit.  Maybe it would be the justification for a donut (hey I just did half a tour of Harvard Stadium, I can have a donut) or some other crazy thing.  It was easy to pass the drive through today, something that wasn't so easy my first time through when I stopped to get coffee and that oreo donut looked pretty good.

My work may not always show at the scale, but it certainly is showing in being able to push a bit harder along with little changes that will add up to a healthier life style overall.