Three Squares and a Light Snack

Yesterday I woke up hungry for exercise.  I wanted to hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears instead of people asking me for things.

I started with a cardio warm-up that tingled my senses like a citrus punch.  I rolled out my mat like strips of bacon in a pan and sizzled into a pilates floor routine.  Finally I was full of happy energy and nothing but positive thoughts, and I hadn't consumed anything but a tall glass of milk.

I sat down in contentment with some yerba mate to plan the rest of my day.  While I sipped from my bombilla I had the crazy notion of taking my exercise like meals--three squares and a light snack.

For lunch I packed a picnic and ran off into the park.  I alternated walking, jogging and sprinting for five miles with a break for a leisurely lunch and commune with a barn cat and some horses.  As I started the jog back home I knew I was doing the right thing.  What a brilliant idea!

For my light snack I took a brisk walk through the neighborhood (about a mile and a half roundtrip) in conjunction with the daily chore of food acquisition.  This was turning out to be the best day ever.

When I arrived back home I started planning the evening meal and my next physical challenge.

At this point you might be assuming that I am in peak physical condition.  I'm sorry to admit to you and myself that this is not the case.  That is probably why at this point the pilates came back to me like indigestion.  I suddenly felt the ache of all I had done and I knew I was full of exercise.

It was a great idea and one I plan on trying again.  Exercise should not be feast or famine, but a steady nutrient-rich staple of daily life.  Lesson learned.

It was still a great day.