Week 2: What is your "thing"?

Day 7:

Back to the grind, secretly hoping I was still not feeling well from the day before (come on 6 workouts in one week?!) However I was feeling better and knew I would kick myself had I not followed through with my run/walk. I was yazy (my son cannot pronounce his "l") and decided oh I will do it later, knowing that time would once again slip away from me. Finally after church and the Children’s Museum it was bedtime, I thought that I was in the clear. NOPE, after I put the kids to sleep, I hopped on my treadmill…. And did my 3 miles. I was pooped that night and crawled right into bed. I went to bed pretty proud of myself, because I very well could have sluffed off my workout, but I didn’t. This is all thanks to this lifestyle change I am in the process of doing. When I think of the "little voice" I am pretty sure I have 2, good and evil. The one that suggests I just wait or just eat the thing I know I will be paying for later. The good that encourages me, sometimes I find myself chanting (to myself) is, "I think I can, wait no, I know I can." "Think about how good it will feel later"

Day 8:

Run Day. Today I shaved off 3 minutes off my run time. This was a huge success for me. Let’s be real…. It is really more of a run/walk; I definitely have a love/hate relationship for running. I can go months and love it and then quit for months. Right now it is hate. I do it because I love the sense of accomplishment after I finish, but during is HELL. I definitely can rock it out when I have the right music. I set goals while I am running, lately it has been run the long side of the block and walk the short (about .25 run, .1 walk) I pick up my speed on the second round. After this walk, I went on a 3+ mile walk with a girlfriend. I was pumped when I reached my 10,000 step a day goal by 11 am. This is great because I am making up for the time when my fitbit died on me :/ Today there weren’t only two little voices, I swear there was a community. Don’t stop, remember the picture, do you really want to be that girl again? Think about that bikini for your cruise. You can do this. I tend to be pretty hard on myself which I don’t think it is bad. The reason is that I was too easy and looked what happened, first 10 then 20 then 40 pounds. I can’t look back now, I have worked too hard! I can only move on with my life, no regrets. One thing I do not regret is the fact that I am now able to fit into some large shirts and not squeeze, FIT! SO something is going right! Keep fighting the fight!

Day 9:

Woke up with a migraine today, I am either clenching my teeth so tight at night or I am getting sick, dang allergies. I cancelled my leg workout, and was immediately frustrated with my decision. I knew I would be getting crazy amount of walking in, as I spent the day at Valley Fair with my sisters. We were pretty good, we packed healthy alternatives to fair food, with the exception of our stop at a fantastic sub place in Maple Grove, Firehouse subs, hear of it? Terrible, I usually don’t like eating out without pre-looking up the point value, however did this time. Dang 25 points… yowzer. Well it only happens once in a while. We swam for 2 hours, there is an awesome wave pool, this was a workout I was sore. 16,959 steps for the day!!!

Day 10:

Today was my first day back at work in about 6 months, so I was a little nervous last night. I did get up early or did I really ever go to bed?? I got my run in. I was a little distracted with other things going on in my head to think about my run. Will this be the place; am I going to fit in? Overall the day went well, a lot of sitting which I have not been used to. I had to get up and move around many times. I didn’t get any other activity in for the day because I was exhausted from and almost 2 hour commute home…..

Day 11:

ARMS DAY that is all I can really say about it. Man she really kicks my butt. I never really thought Tabata was going to be enough of a workout, but man, it is. The pushups were tough, I can do them great while on my knees, but when I do the full version I fall several times. My arms weren’t as sore this time as they were last week, so progress I think. I ran off to work then. After work I really felt like I needed to go for a run, so I jumped on it. I went to the gym though because it is hard to run outside mid-day. I did my three miles in about the same time as Monday 43ish minutes. I then sat in the sauna to stretch and relax. There were several times that I thought; well this is a bonus workout so I can stop when I want. However I said that I wanted to do 3 miles, so that is what I did. I have to say I have been sleeping better, which is amazing, I was getting worried because I had started going to bed later and later and sleeping a little later as well. Now my goal is to get up around 6 and get my workout done in the morning. I do plan on going to the BCC for some evening classes, not sure what their schedule is. I can tell that I am making progress!




- SuperMom 3



   I was rereading these, because it's been awhile, and it's unreal to me that the woman who wrote these (especially the "6 workouts in one week!" part) is the same woman I know now. There's nothing wrong with what she wrote, but over the next couple of weeks, you all will be able to see her turn into the woman I call "The Gladiator". Physical fitness transforms people in so many more ways than weight. Exploring different aspects of fitness can be like exploring different aspects of yourself. Think about it, down at the very core of who we are is a instinctive, primal being. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs demostrates this concept of basal needs in a widely accepted and demonstrated theory. According to the Hierarchy, before any form of a higher-level need can be met (such as self-actualization, happiness, feelings of fulfillment), the base level needs must be met. These include sleep, food, breathing, sex, then move up to safety of self, one's family, shelter, and health. The greater the number of basic needs met, the greater the transistion is up the pyramid.

Some humans are born with a body built to run, others with a body made for climbing, and so on. Look around you, none of us are built the same. Only our bodies know what they are designed for, and the only way to find out is to try different things. What I can guarantee is that when you find the thing that your body is physically made to do, it will fulfill a basic, primal need you may not even know you were missing but will never want to leave unfulfilled again. Many people try running, and most people hate it at first. After a while, their body either loses the excess weight, builds up the muscles that weren't strong enough before, and becomes the running machine it always was, or breaks down, because it wasn't built to be a running machine. But that same person may get into a pool and swim like a freaking fish because their body fits it. Pushing, pulling, running, biking, lifting, kicking, swimming, rowing, skiing, hiking, jumping, diving, fighting, meditating, the list goes on and on. There is not a soul out there who is not amazing at some physical ability, they just have to figure out which one. Once they find their fit, the other pieces will fall into place, and a whole new level of fulfillment will be achieved.

   Don't believe me, ask a marathon runner how happy they are. Ask a triathlete if their life is different than before they began. Ask the volleyball enthusiast/engineer, the fitness competitor/science teacher, the black belt/daycare provider, or the row team captain/stay-at-home mom if their lives would be the same without their sport. These are all real people I know, doing the things that made them who they are. What is your "thing"? If you don't know, right off the top of your head, than you haven't found it yet. So go out and find it. Throw practicality, fear, and doubt to the side and do that crazy "thing" that's been in the back of your mind for so long. That could be it. You'll never know, unless you give it a shot.