If I Can, So Can You
Reprinted from Exuberance In Living 04/08/2013
I'm going to confess my deep dark secret once and for all....I'm kind of lazy.
(Although this probably is not a big revelation to the people that know me.)
I have a job that I work hard at and I have five kids, three dogs and three cats. Caring for all of these things and keeping a house will drain anyone and the idea of working out was kind of like the idea of visiting Egypt: I really want to do it someday...but this is not that day.
Also, to be perfectly honest, I would hurt like hell after exerting myself. My back and hip pain had been getting progressively worse over the years--likely due to the pregnancies and carrying around children all day. As I have gotten older the pain has been more frequent. Like daily. Getting out of bed in the morning I felt like I was in worse shape than my 83 year old mother! I took ibuprofen daily.
So, like most women, I had a nice list of excuses (or if you rather, reasons) for not being active. For spending far too much time on the sofa instead of on my feet. I was freaking exhausted and in pain. What are you going to do?
I will tell you what I did...
I signed up for a 5k!
(Although this probably is not a big revelation to the people that know me.)
I have a job that I work hard at and I have five kids, three dogs and three cats. Caring for all of these things and keeping a house will drain anyone and the idea of working out was kind of like the idea of visiting Egypt: I really want to do it someday...but this is not that day.
Also, to be perfectly honest, I would hurt like hell after exerting myself. My back and hip pain had been getting progressively worse over the years--likely due to the pregnancies and carrying around children all day. As I have gotten older the pain has been more frequent. Like daily. Getting out of bed in the morning I felt like I was in worse shape than my 83 year old mother! I took ibuprofen daily.
So, like most women, I had a nice list of excuses (or if you rather, reasons) for not being active. For spending far too much time on the sofa instead of on my feet. I was freaking exhausted and in pain. What are you going to do?
I will tell you what I did...
I signed up for a 5k!
Good grief! What was I thinking? I hadn't run since middle school. I got winded walking up a flight of stairs! I weighed the most I have ever weighed (not pregnant) and it was settling around my midsection. I was beginning to add knee pain, joint pain and high cholesterol to my list of ailments. I knew I had to do something or I was heading down the fast track to a heart attack.
But a 5k???
Motivation, baby! I know my limitations mentally and lack of motivation was a huge barrier on my road to health and fitness. So I grabbed life by the horns like the stubborn Taurus I am and determined to succeed. I can be tenacious when I want to be.
But a 5k???
Motivation, baby! I know my limitations mentally and lack of motivation was a huge barrier on my road to health and fitness. So I grabbed life by the horns like the stubborn Taurus I am and determined to succeed. I can be tenacious when I want to be.
But A 5K? Really?
Reprinted from Exuberance in Living
On March 6, 2013 I committed myself to 'running' a 5k with some co-workers at the SHAPE Diva Dash in Boulder which was going to take place on May 4th.
I haven't run since middle school and I was one of those people who said 'If you see me running there is probably something after me.'
I haven't run since middle school and I was one of those people who said 'If you see me running there is probably something after me.'
Fact is, I hadn't even been walking. I mentioned in my last post that exertion was causing me pain especially in my hips. I would wake up in the morning hunched over and shuffling around like Baba Yaga. I am also not the brightest bulb in the pack so I chose a ridiculous motivational tool like signing up for a 5k with my coworkers acting like I was a frequent runner and strutting about the office. |
I kept planning to go walking and I even downloaded the Couch to 5K guide, which is excellent by the way. I bought a new pair of running shoes (Saucony) and bought the cutest pair of yoga pants which make my butt look amazing even without working out. I wore these around the house and acted like a runner. I told my husband that wearing the right clothes is the first step in motivating a person to exercise. (He didn't fall for it).
SHAPE Diva Dash
Reprinted from Exuberance in Living, May 4, 2013
Today was my SHAPE Diva Dash 5K, I can't even tell you how much I wanted to just cancel and stay in bed. But I 'manned up' and put on my shorts, sports bra and tall socks and finished my first 5K in style! I didn't run the entire time, I really haven't had the opportunity to train my lungs enough to take it, but I ran a lot and I did all of the obstacles without crying or whining too much. |
I am exhausted now and I can't wait to crawl into my bed wearing my new SHAPE Diva Dash t-shirt and little else.