WWJD

Excuse the crappy iPhone photography but what you're seeing above is the console for my brand spankin' new treadmill, which has a lovely slot to insert my iPad so I can stream TV while walking my butt off.

(literally). 

(hopefully).

Right ABOVE my iPad, you see a smaller square, which does all the typical exercise things: heart rate, speed, incline, calories, distance -- and also synchs with my Polar HR monitor to provide a constant heart rate read.  It also has a slot for the iFit module, which my parents bought me for Christmas, which I haven't QUITE figured out yet, but it offers the ability to race with other iFit users, watch maps to run routes in other destinations (think: Central Park, downtown Paris, Chicago Lakefront, or even use Google Maps to create a route through my old beloved neighborhood).  You can also download training programs from old pals like Jillian Michaels.  Below the iPad, you see a built-in fan, that is actually pretty handy and effective at cooling me off after a long workout.

I think I'll call her Trekkie, and I think she's my new best friend.

Trekkie and I spent about 65 glorious minutes together last night -- and another 60 tonight, burning just over 450 calories each time.  Additionally, I took an impulsive 45 minute skyway walk during lunch (in heels, ouch), to walk over to Lifetime Fitness and cancel my membership.

(Don't get me wrong - I love Lifetime and I've been a member forever, but it isn't working with my life right now.  When I get there, I love it - but getting there has been hard.  The thing about dropping a membership?  You can always go back.  So for now, I'll just use my at-home equipment, coupled with the occasional yoga class and outdoor running (weather permitting, of course), until the treadmill has paid for itself).

Already I am thrilled with this purchase - there's no schlepping things to and from the gym, no frustration about when to cook or eat dinner or breakfast... I don't feel like I'm barely getting to say two words to Mike because I'm racing to the gym either before work or right after.  I don't have to get cute after using it, unless I use it in the morning before work, I can just quick rinse off, put on my PJs, and get ready for bed.

Later this week, The Hubs will wire cable down there for me so that I can watch regular programming - one of the things I really want to be able to do is to watch The Biggest Loser while exercising. 

When I was 26 years old and beginning my weight loss journey, I lost the first 30 lbs on a shoddy eliptical, in my apartment, while watching the first episodes of The Biggest Loser.

Whodda thunk that 4 years later, I'd be having lunch with Jillian Michaels, telling her about my upcoming marathon and the columns I'd been writing for Health. 

I guess some things really come around full circle.

Tonight as I started watching the new season of The Biggest Loser, I thought "you know, I can sit here and watch this, or I can go work out and watch this later."

WWJD?

Not Jesus - Jillian.  

And I decided that Jillian would probably tell me to get off my butt and start moving, ratings be damned.

And then I got a text from my dear friend Kath, who has a similar treadmill/iPad set up going, and just as quickly as I'd decided to be content with my skyway-in-heels-walk-to-quit-the-gym, I was inspired to head downstairs and put my investment to use. 

So there you have it -- 125 minutes and close to 1000 calories in two days... already this investment is proving to be better than the $60 / month (which was translating to about $15 / workout), that I was spending on the gym.

On that note - I've got a lunch to pack, a coffee pot to set, a shower to take, and a bed to collapse into... I think I'll be setting my Sleep Number LOW tonight.

Off and running,
~Jessica