I've gotten up at the crack-o-dawn now for a whopping two weeks! I have to say...I'm a little proud of myself. It hasn't been easy, but I'm doing it. I did sleep in one morning over the two weeks after my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night to cuddle after a bad dream....I decided I needed the extra hour of sleep and then regretted it the rest of the day.
To stay positive, here are some things I like about the 5am workout...
1. The first hour of the day is the one I give myself. I've put on my own oxygen mask before putting on others.
2. I get to wear makeup and jeans. Because I shower and change in the morning, I'm not walking around in my workout gear with a stark face until my workout time.
3. I eat better. If I'm getting my hiney out of bed at 4:30, I'm not about to sabotage what I've done with junk or large portions.
4. It takes less to achieve more. Because I haven't eaten prior to exercising, my blood sugar is low and my workout is more productive at increasing my metabolism throughout the morning and the rest of the day.
5. The gym crowd is different. The crowd is older, dedicated, focused, and consistent. This is especially true now that the New Year's Resolutioners are trailing off.
I've Done The Unthinkable
Many of you know that I swam for years competitively. It was the only sport in which I was any good, and thank goodness I found it at age 10...after I'd already realized I was a slow runner, had no hand-eye coordination, and my body dances as if I'm having convulsions. I'd love to have been that pretty ballerina. Nope.
So, swimming it was. One of the benefits, or drawbacks, to swimming is the amount of time spent practicing the craft in the wee hours of the morning. Seriously...crack-of-dawn...still-asleep-when-doing-flip-turns...5:30 am workouts three times weekly...year after year after year.
I swore off morning practices, and early morning exercise-sessions in general for years. So, last week when I found myself setting my alarm so that I could begin working out in the wee-hours, I thought I must've gone mad.
This semester is gonna be a little crazy, but that's okay. It's not forever, and it is manageable. However, my priorities, organizational skills, and study habits are coming to the forefront. I'm not willing to give up exercising, and I'm not going to have time to do it during the day. I'm not willing to sacrifice my evening family time or study sessions to exercise, so I'm getting up at 4:30 each weekday and joining the die-hards in the gym at 5. This past week was my first week, and I must say that I've gotta talk myself into it each morning when my alarm goes off, but it feels really good when it's done and I've showered, put on makeup & clothes, and am greeting the sunrise with a hot cup-o-joe. I finally feel as dedicated as my best friend who has had this workout schedule since we were 14 and on the swim team together....even if this is my schedule only for the next 4 months. It helps that I belong to an accountability group of women led by my P90X coach, Rhonda. I could also use your support, as well, because getting up that early is very difficult for me to do.
I wanna thank all of you who have voted for my hubby. If you still wanna vote, go here. I'm super-thankful. I hope that all your New Years workouts are coming along fantastic and you are making dents in your 2012 goals.
So, swimming it was. One of the benefits, or drawbacks, to swimming is the amount of time spent practicing the craft in the wee hours of the morning. Seriously...crack-of-dawn...still-asleep-when-doing-flip-turns...5:30 am workouts three times weekly...year after year after year.
I swore off morning practices, and early morning exercise-sessions in general for years. So, last week when I found myself setting my alarm so that I could begin working out in the wee-hours, I thought I must've gone mad.
This semester is gonna be a little crazy, but that's okay. It's not forever, and it is manageable. However, my priorities, organizational skills, and study habits are coming to the forefront. I'm not willing to give up exercising, and I'm not going to have time to do it during the day. I'm not willing to sacrifice my evening family time or study sessions to exercise, so I'm getting up at 4:30 each weekday and joining the die-hards in the gym at 5. This past week was my first week, and I must say that I've gotta talk myself into it each morning when my alarm goes off, but it feels really good when it's done and I've showered, put on makeup & clothes, and am greeting the sunrise with a hot cup-o-joe. I finally feel as dedicated as my best friend who has had this workout schedule since we were 14 and on the swim team together....even if this is my schedule only for the next 4 months. It helps that I belong to an accountability group of women led by my P90X coach, Rhonda. I could also use your support, as well, because getting up that early is very difficult for me to do.
I wanna thank all of you who have voted for my hubby. If you still wanna vote, go here. I'm super-thankful. I hope that all your New Years workouts are coming along fantastic and you are making dents in your 2012 goals.
Scholarship Finalist
Hello there. I hope that your New Year is going well and you're off to tackling those resolutions. I'm getting ready and geared up for another semester, which begins Tuesday. Because my hospital clinicals begin this semester, I'm getting into the right mindset for the additional time commitment that school and my studies will require, and I'll be spending the next few weeks adjusting to that and prioritizing my time in the gym. I know that stress will be high, which means that eating right and exercising consistently are a must.
One thing is for sure...it's a balancing act. It always is. No matter who we are, or what we do, finding the time in every day to accomplish everything we want to accomplish is just impossible. When we have children, a marriage, girlfriends, coworkers, classmates, parents, and ourselves to look after...there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Usually, it's that last one...ourselves...that goes neglected. Sometimes we have to simplify. Sometimes we have to detach. Sometimes we have to let someone else take the reins for a moment or two so that we stop caretaking for others and allow them to begin taking better care of themselves. It's amazing....when we do that, the whole world doesn't fall apart like we might have thought it would.
I have a favor to request of you this New Year. My husband is a scholarship finalist for the JustJobs scholarship. There were a ton of entries, and his was among the top three. If you have a moment, would you please visit the site and vote for him? It would be so very much appreciated. You can access the link by clicking here.
One thing is for sure...it's a balancing act. It always is. No matter who we are, or what we do, finding the time in every day to accomplish everything we want to accomplish is just impossible. When we have children, a marriage, girlfriends, coworkers, classmates, parents, and ourselves to look after...there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Usually, it's that last one...ourselves...that goes neglected. Sometimes we have to simplify. Sometimes we have to detach. Sometimes we have to let someone else take the reins for a moment or two so that we stop caretaking for others and allow them to begin taking better care of themselves. It's amazing....when we do that, the whole world doesn't fall apart like we might have thought it would.
I have a favor to request of you this New Year. My husband is a scholarship finalist for the JustJobs scholarship. There were a ton of entries, and his was among the top three. If you have a moment, would you please visit the site and vote for him? It would be so very much appreciated. You can access the link by clicking here.
Week 8 Of Holiday Avoid-The-Poundage Blowout
Happy New Year.
I am resolved. I am resolved to live each day as if my days were numbered...because they are. I am resolved to continue this life that I have worked so hard towards - a life that appreciates knowledge, treasures motherhood, integrates balance, believes in respecting those around me, refuses to enable, and lets go of the things that need not be held onto. I realize that I may not always like those whom I love and I may not always like myself, but I must love myself and treasure my body, my brain, and my soul. If I'm not in a place where I love myself, then it is my responsibility....and mine alone...to change that.
During week 8, I only got in workouts on Monday and Tuesday. It was not as much as I wanted, but I'm not going to beat myself up too much over it. Thanks to Odis and Lifetime Fitness for a free membership for a few days during our travels. We leave tomorrow. I'm sad to say goodbye to friends and family, but excited to get back to my routine. I've decided not to do the daily blog this year for the first 90 days of 2012 due to my studies and the hospital clinical rotations that I begin later this month. However, I will begin a Beachbody accountability team-program sponsored by my P90X coach, Rhonda Layton. I'll be blogging about my progress during it.
During this trip, we went on nature walks over bridges and through woods...watching turtles as they sunned themselves on logs in the creeks. We went to the Dallas Arboretum, Ft Worth Botanical Gardens, and the Ft Worth Stockyards. We visited Bass Pro Shops, did a campus tour of TCU, and visited a few of the private schools. We toured the soon-to-be home of friends, visited a girlfriend who is 9 months pregnant, toured the malls, and visited with friend after friend after friend. I got in an amazing massage with my best friend. We went on a couple of dates. We've had such an amazing time, and I'd take back none of it.
We feel ready and rested to begin another semester. I hope your new year is amazing. I hope today is your Day 1. May we all be resolved.
I am resolved. I am resolved to live each day as if my days were numbered...because they are. I am resolved to continue this life that I have worked so hard towards - a life that appreciates knowledge, treasures motherhood, integrates balance, believes in respecting those around me, refuses to enable, and lets go of the things that need not be held onto. I realize that I may not always like those whom I love and I may not always like myself, but I must love myself and treasure my body, my brain, and my soul. If I'm not in a place where I love myself, then it is my responsibility....and mine alone...to change that.
During week 8, I only got in workouts on Monday and Tuesday. It was not as much as I wanted, but I'm not going to beat myself up too much over it. Thanks to Odis and Lifetime Fitness for a free membership for a few days during our travels. We leave tomorrow. I'm sad to say goodbye to friends and family, but excited to get back to my routine. I've decided not to do the daily blog this year for the first 90 days of 2012 due to my studies and the hospital clinical rotations that I begin later this month. However, I will begin a Beachbody accountability team-program sponsored by my P90X coach, Rhonda Layton. I'll be blogging about my progress during it.
During this trip, we went on nature walks over bridges and through woods...watching turtles as they sunned themselves on logs in the creeks. We went to the Dallas Arboretum, Ft Worth Botanical Gardens, and the Ft Worth Stockyards. We visited Bass Pro Shops, did a campus tour of TCU, and visited a few of the private schools. We toured the soon-to-be home of friends, visited a girlfriend who is 9 months pregnant, toured the malls, and visited with friend after friend after friend. I got in an amazing massage with my best friend. We went on a couple of dates. We've had such an amazing time, and I'd take back none of it.
We feel ready and rested to begin another semester. I hope your new year is amazing. I hope today is your Day 1. May we all be resolved.
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