Steps

Randy and I have been using more of our thought process for ourselves recently.  Because our every thought and worry was for Caden, it was easy to not really care about anything personal.  Our food was grabbed as easily as we could find it, sometimes even a candy bar as we ran for a quick "meal."  Cancer care was the furthest from the cafeteria, and sometimes I just couldn't get myself to leave him for that long.  And don't get me started on the repercussions of spending 90% of your time confined to just one room.  Both Randy and I have seen a gradual increase in our weight and a gradual decrease of our interest to change.  But we now have time to care, and we finally see what cancer care has done to us-- not pretty.  I will never, never regret the boat snacks, the party snacks, and the general junk that we consumed during the celebration times this last summer, nor the compulsion to constantly be near Caden during the last almost-four years, but it is time to work off those pounds and habits off and get healthy.  Like everything else, it's time to move on and leave cancer care behind us.

Sometimes my competitive nature can really be a downer.  Swept-off-the-table Settlers of Catan and countless hastily ended games are proof of that.  But other times, my competitive nature gets things done.  The first week after getting my FitBit, Danielle challenged Ashlee and I to a challenge to see which could get more steps.  It just so happens that Ashlee had had a stellar day the day before, but since it was within the workweek of the challenge, it was included in our challenge.  Danielle and I both started out approximately 16,000 steps behind her.  That just would not do.  Not only did I catch up to her that day, I kept my "pace" of 15,000+ steps each day that week.  I felt great during the exercise, and proud that I won after starting out so far behind.  It was a new personal best, one that I've challenged myself to daily, but not cared as much if I fell short.  Since August 29th, I have walked 15,000 steps in one day 40 times, and 20,000 steps in one day 15 times.

Looking for a new challenge for this week's exercises, I decided to look at Ashlee's badges and trophies on FitBit for a personal competition.  I was intrigued by one I saw two nights ago:  25,000 steps in one day--  Earned 1 time.  I decided right then and there that I would "challenge" Ashlee's badge.  I wasn't going to tell her about it, just use it as a personal goal to beat.  I accomplished my goal last night.  I worked hard all day and met my goal at 10:10pm, running/walking 25,000 steps.  That's roughly 12.2 miles in one day.  It felt awesome to accomplish this goal.  I couldn't remember the name of the badge, so I went onto Ashlee's FitBit dashboard last night-- again, not to tell her about it, but to have a name for my hard work.  Only, I couldn't find it on Ashlee's profile.  I searched three times, hitting the back arrow and going back into her profile, certain it must be a glitch or something.  Nope, not there.  In one last ditch effort, not knowing how I could know about a badge if I'd not seen it the previous night, I looked on my own profile.  Sure enough, my profile now says: 25,000 steps in one day-- Earned 2 times.  And I laughed and laughed.  I was trying to secretly one-up myself.  I'm not sure how I made the mistake in the first place, but it's not a mistake that I'm disappointed about.  I accomplished a very big goal yesterday.  And, boy, do I feel it today!  I'd say I'm taking steps in the right direction towards becoming healthy.  I've set my goals and hit the floor running.  Puns.  I never run out of 'em.  I really need to pace myself.

When I finally reigned in my manic laughter, I looked at Ashlee's profile to see what other badges and trophies she's earned that I have not.  Believe me, I was meticulous in researching this time.  And I was floored by what I saw.  I have earned the 10 floors in on day 17 times, and the 500 total floors 1 time.  Ashlee has earned the 10 floors in one day 97 times, 25 floors in one day 7 times, and 1,000 total floors 1 time.  And, because I am such a generous sister, I think I'll allow her to keep her Floor Queen reign.  I will allow her to one-up me forever more on Floors.  I am so generous.  Well, and lazy, that too.

I guess I'll make a goal for the future to see if I can get 30,000 in one day.  Who knows, maybe they'll even name the badge after me.  The too-competitive-for-her-own-good badge.  Has a nice ring to it!