Sunday, February 10, 2013

One More Week to Kick Off Workout Mode

I may have mentioned it before, but I am considering signing up for a half marathon this year.  I found a local event that really interests me, happening in June, and I also found a "couch to half marathon" training program that would require a start date of next week (and which really does start from a point of just walking 2-3 miles, which is the range of "couch" that I am at.)  Many "couch to __" training programs are a little advanced from what I would consider "couch", but this one is just right.  I've not yet signed up for the event, however, and I've not mentioned it until now, because I didn't want it to be another thing I signed up for and didn't do, 'cause those do happen.  I really didn't want to start the training program cold, either, but my getting started on a consistent workout problem has been intermittent at best, and plagued with excuses.  Saturday is typically my longest/best workout day, and this Saturday, it consisted of kid stuff, errands, and not working out.  Sunday is also a good workout day for me sometimes, and this one consisted of attending a baptism, eating more lunch than I needed to, and a nap.

Now, I'm not knocking the nap, 'cause balling up on my fantastic couch under a blanket with my family nearby and no particular time limit is a little slice of heaven, and I don't regret that part.  But I have exactly one week to accomplish the following:

1) get over the cold/dank winter and/or feel more like going to the gym;

2) figure out which times of the day I am going to be willing and able to sacrifice comfort and sloth and establish a workout schedule (the two most logical times are going to be early morning or late eve, both of which are VERY challenging mentally and energy-wise); and

3) just do it.

Mixed in there I've got some dental work that rattles me pretty good, a busy week at work, and I'm still waiting on some job news that I've been excited/anxious about.  But I can't let that stuff mess me up, because I am pretty sure any week of the year I could come up with a list of "issues" that are making things more challenging to focus on me and my health.  But this is important.  There's someone in there, under all that busyness, laziness, angst, and years worth of bad habits and personal neglect that I have been in part before, and would really like to fully be.  Someone who has more energy, is healthy, active, effective in everyday life, and takes good care of not only others, but herself too.  She is buried under an intricately woven, warm, and comfy (but not really anymore) quilt of excuses.  It is one of those well-worn, favorite blankies that's really hard to come out from under.  But really, isn't it getting near time to find a big pair of scissors and cut that sucker up?

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