Okay - desk was ready. Now I needed some goals. I researched to see if there were guidelines. Are there limits to how much time a person should use a treadmill desk? I couldn't find anything so I decided to look at my daily schedule and see what would work.
I decided that since my work day started at 7 and my earliest meetings started at 9 that 2 hours was a good goal to set. I would work each day from 7 to 9 on my treadmill and then set up shop somewhere on my butt for the rest of the day.
On the first day I spent some time loading the desk up with things that I would need. My laptop and cord, my cell phone and charger, the house phone, tv remote, protein shake and water. I jumped on, still in my PJs and socks and I was off. I set the speed initially to 1.5 and settled in. This was a pace of 40 minute mile, I was going nowhere slow. But it was a good speed to get my sea legs. I quickly found that I needed a straw for my protein shake, thankfully I am not a coffee drinker because I am not sure what the solution is for drinking hot beverages while walking. I suppose a travel mug is the solution but can't speak from experience there. I also needed a note pad and pen. So off to get those. Wow writing was difficult but doable - just not very neat. Armed with a straw, paper and pen I was smoothly off and working.
Time flew by.
I have had my treadmill for probably 10 years. I have logged very little time. I just hate the sound of it when I run - and I can't seem to set it to a comfortable pace. I was constantly looking down to see how far I had gone and I was always disappointed in my pace and my distance. I was much better at running outside so that I could set distance goals that I could see. So in the past the treadmill was just not something that worked for me.
This was completely different, by the time I had gone through my overnight emails and my normal morning routine I had been walking for 45 minutes. I was amazed. I kept going and I think the next time I looked up 80 minutes in the books. This was a breeze.
Until - the treadmill stopped. I thought perhaps I had burned out my 10 year old treadmill. I decided that I should let it rest and call it a day.
The next day - same thing - it was easy going and time was flying and then my treadmill stopped. I decided that there must have been an auto shut off at 90 minutes and this time I cautiously restarted it and hoped for the best. I was back in business.
Day 3 - I decided to really pay attention when I got to the 90 minute mark - and noticed that I went right past it - so it wasn't a 90 minute auto-shut off. Big AHA moment for me - it was stopping at 99:59 because the display didn't have room for triple digit minutes. The treadmill just didn't realize how much of a bad ass working walker I am!
Day 4 - I was actually dressed for walking, except my feet, still just socks. I went 200 minutes. My writing was steady and I was really in the groove.
Day 5 - I went 300 minutes - but my feet were really killing me. I have always been one to exercise in bare feet. I figure that my feet were better off on their own rather than in shoes. But this was not a normal amount of exercise and treadmills are not exactly comforting on the feet. At the end of day 5 I decided shoes would be part of the routine next week.
So in the first week I logged 800 minutes, 13.3 hours. At my pace that is 20 miles. I was feeling pretty good.
Here are my take aways:
I decided that since my work day started at 7 and my earliest meetings started at 9 that 2 hours was a good goal to set. I would work each day from 7 to 9 on my treadmill and then set up shop somewhere on my butt for the rest of the day.
On the first day I spent some time loading the desk up with things that I would need. My laptop and cord, my cell phone and charger, the house phone, tv remote, protein shake and water. I jumped on, still in my PJs and socks and I was off. I set the speed initially to 1.5 and settled in. This was a pace of 40 minute mile, I was going nowhere slow. But it was a good speed to get my sea legs. I quickly found that I needed a straw for my protein shake, thankfully I am not a coffee drinker because I am not sure what the solution is for drinking hot beverages while walking. I suppose a travel mug is the solution but can't speak from experience there. I also needed a note pad and pen. So off to get those. Wow writing was difficult but doable - just not very neat. Armed with a straw, paper and pen I was smoothly off and working.
Time flew by.
I have had my treadmill for probably 10 years. I have logged very little time. I just hate the sound of it when I run - and I can't seem to set it to a comfortable pace. I was constantly looking down to see how far I had gone and I was always disappointed in my pace and my distance. I was much better at running outside so that I could set distance goals that I could see. So in the past the treadmill was just not something that worked for me.
This was completely different, by the time I had gone through my overnight emails and my normal morning routine I had been walking for 45 minutes. I was amazed. I kept going and I think the next time I looked up 80 minutes in the books. This was a breeze.
Until - the treadmill stopped. I thought perhaps I had burned out my 10 year old treadmill. I decided that I should let it rest and call it a day.
The next day - same thing - it was easy going and time was flying and then my treadmill stopped. I decided that there must have been an auto shut off at 90 minutes and this time I cautiously restarted it and hoped for the best. I was back in business.
Day 3 - I decided to really pay attention when I got to the 90 minute mark - and noticed that I went right past it - so it wasn't a 90 minute auto-shut off. Big AHA moment for me - it was stopping at 99:59 because the display didn't have room for triple digit minutes. The treadmill just didn't realize how much of a bad ass working walker I am!
Day 4 - I was actually dressed for walking, except my feet, still just socks. I went 200 minutes. My writing was steady and I was really in the groove.
Day 5 - I went 300 minutes - but my feet were really killing me. I have always been one to exercise in bare feet. I figure that my feet were better off on their own rather than in shoes. But this was not a normal amount of exercise and treadmills are not exactly comforting on the feet. At the end of day 5 I decided shoes would be part of the routine next week.
So in the first week I logged 800 minutes, 13.3 hours. At my pace that is 20 miles. I was feeling pretty good.
Here are my take aways:
- Straws are a must
- Treadmill stops at 100 minutes
- I used this break to change laundry, feed the chickens, let the dogs out and refill my water
- Time flies
- 2 hours is nothing
- Shoes are needed
- PJs are not great for that much walking (at least they aren't if you have normal sized thighs like I do)
- You want to tell everyone you are on your treadmill desk
- It is so cool you want to announce it to everyone
- Walking makes you stinky
- Daily showers are kind of nice.
