So I’ve been flying and traveling a lot lately, which is my excuse for not having written for awhile, and for delaying the start of my 2012 Mary-thon. That’s not to say I haven’t been exercising, but I’m only getting 2-4 x’s a week . . . which brings me to the crux of this posting.
Is there such a thing as “close enough” to a workout?
I thought about this as I was out of breath in Denver Airport, lugging my carry-on’s to Gate ZZ-189 . . . or something like that. Surely I had walked 30 minutes, surely this could count as my “30 minutes”. But then my conscience kicked in, darn it. Was I in keeping with the spirit of Mary-thon, or was I cheating myself?
*Random tangent – Some notable cheaters throughout history:
- Rosie Ruiz: In 1980 Rosie was declared the winner of the prestigious Boston Marathon in a record 2:31:56. The only problem is that she apparently couldn’t be bothered to run all 26.2 miles, which all Mary-thoners know is the actual marathon length.
- Julius Caesar: ”Every woman’s lover and every man’s wife” according to Cato the Elder. Caesar’s reputed lovers included Cleopatra of Egypt and the mother of his assassin, Brutus.
- Southern University: This university in Louisiana was rocked by scandal in March of 2003 when it was discovered that an assistant registrar had changed grades for 541 students and had been doing so since 1995. The assistant registrar had been charging students hundreds of dollars to change their grades in about 2,500 illegal transactions.
- MIT BlackJack Team: There are several groups that have figured out how to beat the game of Blackjack and taken casinos for millions of dollars. The most famous of them come from MIT . . . no idea why.
- Chris Wilkinson: OK, I don’t have irrefutable evidence, but years ago in college, we were on a double date playing miniature golf. On hole #7, his dates ball had clearly stopped rolling, I turned around, and next thing I know he claims the ball rolled into the hole. In an odd coincidence, he later married this girl. *Please know I will forward all hate mail to him, just write in comments below.
Dr. Richard Carlson coined the phrase “Critical Inch.” Basically the concept is that in every endeavor, there is generally a particular aspect that is of out-sized importance, a small thing that is essential to success. I think those doubts we have about whether its “close enough” is the “critical inch” of Mary-thon. For me, that “critical inch” holds so much. Its self discipline, its personal integrity, its self-will, its self-esteem, its an honest sense of accomplishment. There’s a purity knowing that I truly accomplished my task, my goal.
In short, its making sure I haven’t cheated MYSELF.
So true!!! When I cross the Mary-thon finish line, I want to know that I have not cheated myself. Integrity in any award is what makes me smile. Knowing that I have achieved a goal honestly. I also agree with Gina, there have been times that the “airport” sprint from one end to the other should be counted.
I could disagree about whether walking an airport is a workout or not. The Mary-thon is about moving. Now, if I were strolling through the airport, stopping to gaze into shop windows or such, no, I wouldn’t consider it a workout. But, with long layovers, one could easily do a power walk through the concourses for 30 minutes AND, if you’re like me, you’re probably carrying a couple of bags with some weight to them to boot! I just don’t see this as being any different than if I open my front door and walk through my neighborhood. I would, however, be very careful to not look suspicious around the TSA folks!!
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I absolutely agree with you Gina! That’s the beauty of the Mary-thon – it’s up to you to decide what works for you and what you feel you can count as your 30 minutes. There are times when I have trudged through an airport pulling a heavy suitcase and carrying my computer bag and purse – and it’s more of a workout than I would normally do. What often amazes me, however, is that when I have kept track of my minutes walking from one terminal to another – or from the parking garage to the gate – it usually isn’t as long of a time stretch as I would have hoped.
That’s true, Mary – going from one gate to another usually takes 10 to 15 minutes, tops, for me – even in big airports. I’m talking more about being in an airport for an hour or two between flights. I often do a power walk rather than just sit and wait. And if my goal is to make this (or anything) my Mary-thon workout for the day, I always! time it to make sure there’s at least 30 minutes that I’ve chalked up!
Yes – I agree! It’s a great place to get in a good walk when you have extra time. Lots of LONG hallways! That’s a perfect way to pass the time AND get in a workout!
Mary