10-Day Week?

As Sandi & I were out on the trail this morning, I found myself wishing desperately for a 10-day week.

Ooooh, I can hear some of you now. "YEAH! Work five, then off five!"  "Five-day weekend!" Maybe you're even pulling out your calendars to see what kind of mini-vacations you could take if you had a day to get there, a day to get back, and three days to enjoy.

For me, that wouldn't be such a big deal, since I'm often doing at least some of the at-home part of my job over the weekends. (It's amazing how many attorneys schedule depositions for Thursdays and Fridays.)

But that's not what I mean.

(Oh, c'mon. You knew it wasn't what I meant.)

Out of every seven days, I walk five of them. I always take Sundays off, and then there's usually one day off mid-week (typically depending on my work schedule).

I really enjoy Day One out walking after I've had a day off. I'm fresh. I'm eager to stretch the muscles. I've felt a bit cooped up. When I get out to the starting point, take a deep breath, hit the timer on my watch, and take that first step, I feel like I could walk clear to the state line. Any state line. Pick one. I can feel the oxygen reaching into my lungs. The sweat dripping down my nose and running down my back tells me I'm accomplishing something.

Day Two...not so much. It's more like "here I am again." Even if I'm someplace different, I'm "here." Again I'm at some arbitrary starting point. Again, I'm taking a deep breath, hitting the timer on my watch, and taking that first step. Again, I'm about to huff and puff and pant and groan. Again, the sweat will be running in my eyes and stinging to the point where I either can't keep them open or my shirt gets soaked from using it to wipe my face. Again, the sweat tickles and annoys as it runs down my back.

And the stretches when I have THREE walking days in a row? Forget it. I seriously don't even want to get out of bed on Day Three. On Day Three, if I didn't know Sandi was waiting for me, I'd probably not go most of the time. I drag myself out to the trail, sigh deeply, hit the timer on my watch, and start plodding along. On Day Three I suddenly notice the horse barn smell as we pass, my  sweat-soaked hair sticks to my ear so that the wind whistles through it as I jog (true story - happened this morning), and my legs feel like I'm slogging through concrete.

BUT...

If we had 10-day weeks, then I could walk a day/rest a day/walk a day/rest a day and still get my five days done within a week. And each day out would be Day One. Each day out would be fresh and exhilarating and glorious. Each day out would have butterflies and kittens and rainbows without the rain and smell like flowers and waterfalls and I'd just bounce along with no effort at all and Sandi & I would have the trail all to ourselves without having to move aside to accommodate the joggers and bikers and the temperature would be a perfect 65 degrees with 25% humidity and a slight breeze.

:deep breath:

Can you tell today was Day Three?

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Another reminder: I've signed up for the Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K Walk at the end of this month. (See: "That's so FAR!") I'm not going to do any direct soliciting for donations, but if you want to contribute, I have set up a donor page linked below.

Jim & Jenni's Donor Page

(If this takes you to the event's home page, just select "sponsor participant" from the menu at the left, then type "Bohn" in for the last name. That will take you to our page.)