Now, to find a treadmill to power the TV...
I made a discovery this morning! I can't read, let alone write, while I'm on the treadmill as it's just too bouncy for that. I've considered dictation for writing, which will probably work, but that's being put in the After Exams basket (along with 90% of my life, it feels. Ah well, 3 1/2 weeks will fly by... oh god!) I've tried watching movies, but unless I have a headset on, I can't clearly hear what's being said over the noise of the treadmill, and I don't feel my laptop is safe with me connected to it while I'm walking.
This morning I watched the last 20 minutes of "All About My Mother", a Spanish film. Worked brilliantly! Could easily read the subtitles, I got all of the emotional intonation from the speech without struggling to work out each word, and got so caught up in it that I completely lost track of time. I've been finding the stretch from 8 minutes to 15 minutes particularly tricky; that's the point where I want to stop because things are aching. 15 to 20 minutes is just feeling tired (and being aware that my feet are getting hot; come summer I'm going to have to remember to have a foot bath ready or I'm really going to suffer.) If I can get past the 20 minute mark, though, it all gets easy. Nothing aches, I stop puffing, and it all feels good, like I can keep walking forever. That's how walking used to feel all the time; that I could (and did!) walk all day and at the end of the day feel pleasantly tired but not exhausted. Even five years ago I walked 20k in one hit and at the end of the day it felt good to get my shoes off, and I slept well, but that was about it.
So, I'm going to need to start investigating good, involving non-English movies (and maybe TV sereies - hello SBS!). I don't think English-language movies with subtitles on will do it; I'll still be straining to make out the words, especially when they don't fit what I'm reading. "Jean de Florette" and "Manon de Source" are high on my list of movies to track down; I haven't seen either since High School and want to see them again as an adult. I suspect a lot of the Italian and French films from the 50s and 60s won't work for me - despite being artistic classics, there tends not to be enough plot to hold me (although, you never know; I'll give "The Adventurers" a shot - all that glorious landscape might work.) But suggestions would be welcome - any language, any genre! A brief description would help too.
This morning I watched the last 20 minutes of "All About My Mother", a Spanish film. Worked brilliantly! Could easily read the subtitles, I got all of the emotional intonation from the speech without struggling to work out each word, and got so caught up in it that I completely lost track of time. I've been finding the stretch from 8 minutes to 15 minutes particularly tricky; that's the point where I want to stop because things are aching. 15 to 20 minutes is just feeling tired (and being aware that my feet are getting hot; come summer I'm going to have to remember to have a foot bath ready or I'm really going to suffer.) If I can get past the 20 minute mark, though, it all gets easy. Nothing aches, I stop puffing, and it all feels good, like I can keep walking forever. That's how walking used to feel all the time; that I could (and did!) walk all day and at the end of the day feel pleasantly tired but not exhausted. Even five years ago I walked 20k in one hit and at the end of the day it felt good to get my shoes off, and I slept well, but that was about it.
So, I'm going to need to start investigating good, involving non-English movies (and maybe TV sereies - hello SBS!). I don't think English-language movies with subtitles on will do it; I'll still be straining to make out the words, especially when they don't fit what I'm reading. "Jean de Florette" and "Manon de Source" are high on my list of movies to track down; I haven't seen either since High School and want to see them again as an adult. I suspect a lot of the Italian and French films from the 50s and 60s won't work for me - despite being artistic classics, there tends not to be enough plot to hold me (although, you never know; I'll give "The Adventurers" a shot - all that glorious landscape might work.) But suggestions would be welcome - any language, any genre! A brief description would help too.