Yes, yes. I am a slacker when it has come to this blog thing. I'd love to be like some of the bloggers I follow who write witty, hilarious material pretty much every day, but alas, that is not me. The past year I have taken on a whole new schlew of activities. I feel like I have more of a life than I ever have and a better support system than I could have ever imagined. And I feel like the best is yet to come.
What has brought on this change? Maybe maturity, but mostly opening my eyes and seeing there is way more to life than coming home, doing housework, watching TV, killing time on the Internet and then going to bed! Granted, I still do all that. And now I do it with the joy of a toddler 'helping' me at every step. I know the words to the songs in Baby Signing Time way better than the lyrics to whatever top 20 is on the radio. But I've learned what is really important, my health and happiness.
How have I worked toward improving that this past year? Well, I started to complete 5Ks. Notice I didn't say run 5Ks. I complete them. I walk almost the entire 3.1 miles and do it proudly. I have come in near last or DEAD LAST at almost all of them and I did it with my head held high. I at least was out there doing it while other people are still saying 'I really should' or even worse... 'I can't'. I'd be lying if I didn't say I did get upset a little at least once at the being in the end, but I got over it. It's not easy to be last. It is not easy to accept that you still aren't where you want to be in terms of a 'running' goal. But I let myself be upset for a minute and then I got over it. Good stuff doesn't happen overnight and neither is my transformation to elite athlete. Ok, ok, not elite, but way better than I have been ever!
In December I began the P90X workout program again. This time I made it to week 7. I absolutely had a physical change in my appearance and for that I am elated. I didn't make the entire 13 weeks because I became bored with it. I really only enjoy the strength training portion and the plyo workouts. The rest is ehh for me. Especially his yoga. Don't even get me started on his yoga. If you don't know anything about yoga, then you'll probably love it. If you do, then do yourself a favor and don't ever watch it, you'll be horrified. So, after admitting to myself that I was done with the P90X thing for awhile, I took a break.
For me, breaks can be good or bad. They can serve as a good rest and let me go back into fitness roaring or they can serve as a long term stopping point. While I have not started back with a militant gusto, I have started back up. I am working on the C25K program, a bit of the Jillian Michael's 30 day shred and biking. Very soon, I will work the P90X strength training back into my workouts. Why all the variation? I have workout ADD. I decided this when I gave up P90X. I just can't stick with one thing for very long. So rather than try to conform to any one program and fail, I will play to my affliction and pull the best of it all! *Insert evil laugh*
Why all this workout stuff to begin with? Why bother? I'm doing fine being fat, my overall health is just great.... for now. The data that supports a healthy lifestyle far outweighs the data that supports carrying extra weight and being sedentary. And as my child grows up, I don't want to be the parent that can only encourage from the side lines and can barely walk up steps. As I've said before, my child and my husband deserve better.
If your reading this and you are contemplating making a change... you and your family deserve better too. It's going to suck, it's going to be painful, there will be more times than not where you'll ask yourself if it's worth it. You may break down and cry in the middle of a work out (I have). But in the end it you will be better for it all. I know because I experience those things all the time and when I see a shirt getting loser or a few seconds knock off my pace it's an amazing feeling. Yeah, it's cliche and you've probably read that a gazillion times, but try and prove everyone wrong. ;-)
