Hidden talent

I am addicted to Wii Fit.

I've been using it for just over a month. I haven't lost as much weight as I would have liked to just yet, but what can you do? I love the verbal abuse it offers me when my weight has shifted up 0.2 pounds. It gets upset when I don't weigh in at the same time everyday. It knows when I've skipped a day. Basically, I'm answering to a little white box with a brain. Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Wii.

During my foray into interactive fitness, I've stumbled upon an activity I gave up a long time ago: running. Okay, it's not really "running". It's jogging or something like that. Essentially I'm moving at a slightly elevated pace compared to walking. I was in track in middle school. I wasn't even a runner then; I just threw shotput and discus. Take that back; I ran the 800 once.

One of the activities on the Wii Fit is a Free Run. In this exercise you are allowed to run jog at your own pace. On the screen you can see yourself running on a course along side other Miis. I don't know if it's trying to make me feel better by having this ridiculously uncoordinated Mii fall down every five minutes, but whatever, at least I'm not that guy. You jog in place for a set time limit. I set it for 10 minutes the other day, thinking I'd either grow bored or hate the exercise with the fire of a thousand suns.

To my surprise, I liked it. Much of this must be credited to my iPod, but afterwards I felt as though I'd done something really good. My legs were not the Jell-o jigglers I thought they might be. I felt invigorated and moderately satisfied. I dare say I might have actually been a runner in another lifetime. I'm not quite sure if this feat could be accomplished without my iPod but I'd certainly give it a try. My goal is to work towards maintaining a steady pace and by next spring, I might just try the real thing outdoors.

In the mean time, I'll be the idiot running in front of my TV, trying not to trip over the other Miis who fail to stay upright for two minutes at a time.