Why the heck...?

So one day I decided to walk across the entire United States. Just like that.
It wasn’t even a tough decision to make. I was working out at my local gym, Jake Hiett’s Fitness USA in Jackson, Georgia, where I am currently living, and where I am co-owner of a small business. I decided long ago that working for the Man is not for this man.
So , as I was toiling away on the elliptical machine that I allow to be my personal torture device almost daily, the thought just occurred to me that I needed to do something positive with my exercise regimen, besides the obvious health benefits…..
I joined the gym almost two years ago. I was getting really heavy, to the point that shoelaces were something to be left tied if at all possible, and when my birthday rolled around I felt that a gym membership would be a good thing to treat myself to. Then I actually went and signed up.
For several months I labored on that machine. I decided from the get-go that I would avoid the treadmill, or anything that required or resulted in much strain and pounding on the knees. I had cartilage removed from one of them several years ago and want to put off the “early arthritic change” that the surgeon told me would most certainly come about in the not too distant future. Things were going along smoothly, and for the first several months I went to the gym about five times weekly, and would do around three to three and a half miles each time.
When I first started there was an older gentleman on the machine next to mine and he told me that he was never able to get past 18 minutes on it. So, I set my sights on 20 minutes, figuring that I would use his experience as a guide. I found that 20 minutes wasn’t that difficult to do, and that first day managed to get to 40 minutes without killing myself. I was also pleased to note that I had burned off about 300 calories.
The elliptical machine is an interesting and clever piece of engineering. The motion mimics cross country skiing, long known to be the most strenuous activity in the athletic world. Because it IS like skiing, it is a very low impact activity where the feet and knees are concerned. As such, it was perfect for my purposes. What really makes it clever is the fact that no matter how you choose to do the exercising, whether just using your legs to work the “ski parts” or use your arms to move the “ski pole” parts in conjunction with the “ski parts” , you burn just as much energy, and the higher the resistance level the higher the number of calories burned. It is really a tough workout.
When I first got on the machine, I didn’t know about how to set the program. I picked a “random” button, which then asked me for my weight, and then the time I wanted for my workout, with 60 minutes the default maximum allowed, (with up to 10 minutes for cooling down) and finally the resistance level. I mistakenly hit the “1” twice, setting the machine at “11” instead of the “1” that I had intended. I began the workout, and quickly discovered that “random” meant that the resistance levels ebbed and flowed, rose and fell, such as it were, simulating hills and flats. I decided to stick with that setting, and use it to this day. Kind of like starting a class in the middle of the semester but the body is an amazing machine and I adapted quickly.
And the miles began to pile up, and the pounds began to melt away.