When I saw this, I knew I had to post it. It is the truth! You have to do what you need to do for yourself...everything else will wait. The people closest to you will understand, at least they should. And yes, sometimes it is hard to say "I can't right now, I need to get in my workout/run" but it has to be done. It may mean having to meet up with friends later than they would like, having to get up early on days you would love to sleep in, or squeezing your workout in at the oddest of times. But if you really want it...you will do whatever it takes to get it.
I started my weekend off with a great run on Friday night. I ended up getting home later than I would have liked, but I was determined to squeeze my run in. Unfortunately I had to be out running in the dark. This is hard to me for two reasons, the first being I don't like the thought of distracted/inexperienced drivers not paying attention to who they are sharing the road with, and two, my eyes have a VERY hard time adjusting to the change in the light. This makes it hard for me to see dips in the road, low hanging branches, etc. But I sucked it up, wore my brightly colored clothes, and ran as hard as I could. The new sneakers were WONDERFUL. I had the usually knee pain in my right knee, but the pain in my left knee was nonexistent. I'm almost positive that my left knee was only bothering me because of my need for new sneakers. I guess only time will tell. I have a ten-miler coming up in two weeks, so that will be a good test. On top of all these wonderful things, I truly felt that this was one of my best runs in a very long time. It may not have been my longest or fastest, but it just felt better than any run has felt in a long time.
Saturday was another run and I did my squat test. My squats were much better than I expected...I think I need to start giving myself more credit. According to my test results I should start in the third week of the 200 squat challenge program. That starts on Monday. My goal with the squats is to strengthen both my legs and my core. I'm also going to be starting a fabulous abs program, but I'll get to that in a minute. After my run on Saturday I had a wonderful day. My guy and I took a ride out to Barrier Brewing Co. in Oceanside (if you know me, then you understand how great this was, perhaps one day I will dedicate an entry to craft beer), followed by dinner and games with great friends. What an awesome night!
Sunday I set my alarm to get up early for a run, but when I woke up I just wasn't feeling my best (sometimes being a girl stinks), so I slept a little longer and did a TurboFire workout instead. I did Fire 30 followed by some squats. Although I was disappointed I didn't go running, I have become much better at accepting that NOT everything can go as planned, and that is okay. I still got my workout in and that's what really matters. After the workout I took a trip to Trader Joe's to get some groceries. I was excited to get some of my favorite Luna Bars, some great veggies, hummus...and this delicious cookie spread (like peanut butter and nutella....thank you K&N for introducing me to this). The cookie spread is my new weekend treat. I have a terrible sweet tooth and I love to snack. Two habits that are hard to break, so I have to find ways to get around them. I will now use the cookie spread as my sweet treat as long as I get my weekend workouts in. It's nice to have a little extra motivation!
Finally, as I mentioned before, I am thinking of adding a little abs challenge to my usual regimen (yes, on top of my squats). I'm considering something similar to this...
Like any workout program, I would modify this to meet my needs as well as fit my current abilities. I would also (obviously) not be starting on January 1st. I feel that by adding simple things to my workouts, like this schedule, I will be working towards my goal of strengthening my core. But most importantly, it will make me feel good about myself and my body. Setting goals can be a positive practice - as long as you realize that you need to start where you are NOW and work from there. Not everyone can do the same workouts to start, not every diet is perfect for every person. You need to find what works for you.
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