Point to Pinnacle: Eleven weeks to go

Week of 4 September 2023

Stop sitting!

This was my second week of my gradual return to work following weeks of trying to deal with my back/leg/nerve injury, whatever it is. It’s still reminding me that I’m not at full fitness and that I have to take things slowly, keep moving and, especially, to not to sit down for too long.

I’ve set up a makeshift standing desk for my home office, which is great for meetings and workshops—which I seemed to have a lot of this week—but doesn’t really work for any task where I have to concentrate.

It’s not much different to the standing desk at work. I find standing good for things that I do without thinking too much, like going through emails and the less mentally demanding work. But I can’t concentrate on a task that needs my full attention while I’m standing. so when I’m doing that type of work, the kitchen timer I mentioned last week is a vital part of my set-up.

I need to remember to use that when I’m doing my own projects after work too. Especially at the end of the day, it’s very easy to sink into my chair, start working on photos or a writing piece and not get up for hours.

This is Not Good.

I know I’ve been doing this for way too long and it’s undoubtedly contributing to my current issues. I have to keep working on it so that not-sitting becomes a way of life. I expect it will take time because always-sitting has been my default for years. Decades. I can’t expect myself to change this in a few weeks.

Point to Pinnacle training update

Meanwhile, I continued with my walking training plan, which is a two kilometre walk every second day, a three kilometre walk the other days and then on Sunday, a longer walk that I’ll gradually increase each week, starting with four kilometres this week and building up to 21 kilometres for the Point to Pinnacle on 19 November.

As I said last week, my aim is to get to seven kilometres by week four and 14 by week eight.

So far it’s going well. I’ve been getting up almost every morning to go for a walk, and going out again at lunch time most days for a shorter walk to counteract my sitting time at work.

I’m still slow but I have time.

Week 36 summary

What was the best thing about this week?

I have my Pilates class at the physiotherapy clinic at 7.30 Friday mornings and go to work after that. Because of the early start, I don’t have time in the morning to go for a walk so I do it later in the day.

This Friday, I decided to walk through Battery Point and keep going until I got to three kilometres. I used to walk through this area regularly but haven’t been back for ages. It was great to catch up with some of my favourite buildings.

Another cool thing was having to wait for a car to move out of the front of the old Jet Service Station on Saturday morning during my long walk (which was going to be on Sunday but I changed the plan) so I could take a photo of it.

Rather than just loiter on the street glaring at the driver, I got distracted by the baby plovers on the grass nearby.

Baby plovers! They are so cute!

What did I notice this week?

I noticed this milestone on Sandy Bay Road across from the casino.

What did I learn this week?

I went to the launch of Adult Learners’ Week on Monday, which was a fabulous event hosted by Brian Nankervis (of RockWiz fame). It included stories from people who had overcome major issues to be able to engage with learning, including the author Jackie French, who has dyslexia. She spoke of her frustrations at teachers thinking she couldn’t do the work, when she absolutely could but because her handwriting was so bad, no one could read it.

Another speaker was from India, and he mentioned that a lot of people from India who come to Australia find listening to news radio is a great way to help them learn English.

I also learned, when taking photos early in the morning, it’s far better to wait for the cyclist with the flashing red light to go past than to try and deal with them in editing.

What I’m reading this week

• Built to Move by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett
• The Use of the Self by FM Alexander
• Living Drama by Bruce Burton

Walking tracker

• Monday (2 km): 2.59 km
• Tuesday (3 km): 3.18 km
• Wednesday (2 km): 2.43 km
• Thursday (3 km): 3.18 km
• Friday (2 km): 2.33 km
• Saturday (2 km): 5.02 km
• Sunday (4 km): 2.09 km