I went back to the gym this morning. I packed my bag at midnight last night and put it by the back door. I woke up at 6:50 and spent ten minutes locked in a vigorous, internal debate over whether or not I should stay in bed. The bed almost won, but I knew I'd be disappointed in myself if I gave up this quickly. Besides, once I'm awake I can't go back to sleep so I might as well use the time productively.
And I'm so glad I did. The gym at work was nearly empty and I watched the sun rise over the city as I walked on the treadmill and did my weights. I read Real Simple magazine and now have strong zen-like urges to reorganize my pantry. Getting ready in the locker room was no trouble and because everything was packed and I wasn't digging through my closet or tripping over a Landon, I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. When you add in the fact I didn't need to close up the house or feed the dogs or get my stuff together, working out only needs to take away about 20 minutes of my sleep.
I'm really going to try to stick with this on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We go on walks with the dogs and run around at the park on weekends, so I get sufficient exercise on those days. Part of the problem with being a serious athlete at one point in my life is I feel like my work-outs have to be long and tough and serious and if I am only going to walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes why bother? This is exactly the wrong attitude, but it's a stubborn one. I'm trying to set up a schedule that is realistic and sustainable. It doesn't involve a Monday when I know I won't feel like going and which sets up the possibility of convincing myself that if I've skipped one work out, why not miss the whole week?! (That always makes so much sense before 7 a.m.) And now that Landon sleeps in until 8 a.m. every day (isn't that amazing? It started at the last daylight savings time change and hasn't stopped), I don't see much of him in the mornings anyway.
I'm not doing much yet- 20 minute "cross-country" course on the treadmill with a steep incline and weights. But I was sore after Saturday and I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow and it feels good.
I didn't make New Year's Resolutions this year because I knew I wouldn't keep them, but I've made a few now and I hope to make them last:
- Work out twice a week
- Buy more fresh fruits and vegetables and eat them
- Make more simple, healthy meals (i.e. not casseroles, though they're so easy and I love them)
- Limit diet cokes to one a day
- Go to bed before 11:30 if I'm working and before 11 if I'm not
I've thought a lot about these and have already implemented most of them. They're good for me and while I probably shouldn't need additional motivation to keep them, I have to admit that thinking about writing this blog post was part of the reason I got out of bed this morning. Virtual accountability, that's what you all are.
nothing is better than the feeling you get after you work out! I LOVE that feeling. It's always hard to convince myself to work out too but I never regret going so. I just have to remember that when my body is telling me to be a sloth.
ReplyDeleteGOod luck on the resolutions!
totally on the right track!so proud!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteps, treadmill is hard on the knees so i always do elliptical its a more natural stride..but this is coming from a tennis girl with bad knees...i think swim is much more kinder on the joints?! =p
ReplyDeletesuch a good attitude. I know the exact feeling of thinking "why bother" because I was always used to swimming like a maniac and feeling the pain in workouts growing up and through college. But, getting up and walking on the treadmill makes a difference, and I need to do a better job at remembering that.
ReplyDeleteHi LL! I agree that it is so hard to accept that something is better than nothing for those of us with a past filled with a serious commitment to exercise. I am only now just getting over this, but I still can't seem to get back into the dance studio (my serious exercise once came in the form of about 3 hours of dance rehearsal a day) because it is much more difficult for me to accept my imperfections in that context. Maybe you've addressed this in the blog at an earlier point in time, but I wonder why you don't swim for exercise?
ReplyDeleteSeems like everyone in the blogosphere is getting back into exercise mode recently! Good encouragement for me to stop finding excuses :) Plus...summer beckons.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that exercise is actually SIMPLIFYING your schedule rather than making it more complicated!
I hear ya on how it's hard to convince yourself that a short workout is still worthwhile when you're used to 2-3 hour practices. Plus, it's so much harder when you don't have the rest of the team there.
ReplyDeleteGetting the new Martha Stewart Living every month makes me SO excited to work out ... I can read it in peace. :) Then I want to try and cook all the recipes in it — ha.
ReplyDeleteRock on, LL! You just reminded me how much I wanted to get a subscription to Real Simple...hmm, maybe a graduation present to myself!
ReplyDeleteAlso, is there a single former athlete who doesn't have that all-or-nothing approach to working out? The few times I worked out in the beginning of pregnancy were the only times I felt ok about a quick little work-out. Although now I might feel that way again, since lugging a big ole baby around is pretty freaking exhausting too.
You can do it! I have faith in you...
ReplyDeleteThe fact that you added "and eat them" to the buy more fresh fruits and vegetables made me laugh. I almost always get things from the produce section in an attempt to be all virtuous and healthy, and then they sit in the refrigerator for several days and go bad. ALL the time. I can't imagine how much money I've thrown away in fruits and vegetables.
ReplyDelete