Monday, August 29, 2016

Today Wasn't The Day. Is Tomorrow The Day?

I've talked before about how I think in the long run, I'd like to become someone who works out in the morning.  There are so many advantages, and really few obstacles, but the obstacles are tough ones for me.  That's why "Hit the gym in the MORNING before work" made No. 13 on the list.  Keeping the bar low and doing What I Can When I Can, I aim for just one time.  Then maybe I can try once a month or once a week.  And we'll see how it goes.

A morning workout in Des Moines with the 261 Fearless leaders!
In an attempt to conquer this goal, I set my alarm earlier than usual this morning.  The idea was to get to the gym, do SOMETHING for half an hour - maybe use the rowing machine, maybe some strength training - there's a strength routine in my car, in sheet protectors even, along with a pen to record what I actually do, weights/reps.  So I had options.  Not A Plan, but Options.

I had workout clothes laid out as well as work clothes, so that once I got moving I could get dressed quickly and spare myself the torture of trying to pull together an outfit in a rush once I'd returned from the gym and gotten cleaned up.   (I mean, really, let's just assume I'll be running late and plan for it, right?)

And I started the "going to bed" routine at 9:55pm - SUPER early.  By the time all the before-bed crap got done (including laying out all those clothes and determining what I would bring for lunch today), it was 10:30pm, which is still doing pretty good in my book.  And CRAZY early according to The Hubs.

The real trick is remembering the plan, once the alarm goes off.  My sleepy-brain really doesn't grasp the concept of getting out of bed. On auto-pilot, I hit the Snooze button.  And when it went off again, I vaguely grasped why it was going off so early.  Auto-pilot won out again, however, and I screwed around with my phone for about 10 minutes more.  Then I REALLY remembered, "I WANT to go to the gym!  Work is CRAZY!  I work LATE this time of year and then I don't work OUT after!  This is something I WANT to DO!"  And I hopped out of bed.

By this time, it was really too late to make the gym happen.  But I didn't let that stop me.  I put those workout clothes on and took the dogs out for a surprise morning walk.  20 minutes of light exercise is still better than 25 minutes of more sleep, on a day when I've gotten plenty of sleep.

So, failure on completing number 13 this morning.  But a WIN just the same.  Perhaps I'll use those extra morning steps to tackle No. 2 - a BIG and for me quite challenging goal of 10,000 steps on a workday.  And perhaps tomorrow will be the day for successfully hitting the gym before work.  One day, one challenge at a time.  Today wasn't the day.


In an effort to make the next effort a success, let's break this down, shall we?  I gotta figure out how to:
  1. Get to bed earlier so I'm not just sacrificing sleep for a workout.  ("easy" fix = go to bed earlier [harder than it sounds, of course.])
  2. Get out of bed when the damn alarm goes off instead of hitting Snooze eleventy times. (I'm open to suggestions on the "easy" fix for this one.  This is a lifelong habit I've never successfully circumvented.  I'm convinced the key is remembering why the alarm is going off [and that it's important to me and not just work].)
  3. Get out of the house more quickly once 1) and 2) are accomplished.  Seems there's always something between me and the door - dogs need to pee, I can't find a sock, I stub my toe in the dark, something.
  4. Get in and out of the gym quickly.  When I workout in the evenings, it's all part of my wind-down after work, so I'm pretty leisurely about changing my clothes in the locker room, meandering to the treadmill, reading through my workout plan and methodically going from weight bench to cables to whatever.  A morning workout needs to be much more efficient.  (And I wonder, more effective?)
  5. Still get to work (Basically) on time.  (No more late than usual.)
I'll keep working at it.  Right now, because it's on THE LIST.  I hope, later, because it's What I Do.  It's enough to be working on it because I've issued myself a challenge and I intend to meet it.  I'll find a way to make it work this week, and then challenge myself to do it again.  Today wasn't the day. 

Tomorrow?



Monday, August 22, 2016

Inspired by #TheGoal30

Well I have two unfinished blog posts that I'm having trouble writing, but I just read about #TheGoal30 "challenge" and I'm feeling inspired.  The challenge, in a nutshell, is to create 30 small achievable goals and, in whatever order works for you, go about achieving them in the next month. Things you WANT to do, but have NOT been doing.  That's it. Reading through other people's lists was quite inspiring and I ended up making one of my own.  I have already decided there's no 30-day deadline on this for me.  (#wycwyc)

Here, in no particular order, are my mini-goals:
  1. Bring lunch to work (AND EAT IT) every day for a week.
  2. Log > 10,000 steps ON A WEEKDAY.
  3. Go to a group fitness class.
  4. Go for a solo bike ride (The Hubs doesn't really want to go anyway and that's OK).
  5. Log all meals for a day.  CONSCIOUSLY.  MINDFULLY.
  6. Finish one day with total carbs intake within goal.  
  7. Make a green smoothie.
  8. Go one full week without fast-food breakfast.  (yes, this is a thing.)
  9. Blog about the 261 Fearless Coach training / Club leader retreat - it was AMAZING and so worth sharing!
  10. Hang things to replace the holes mom left on the living room and hallway walls.
  11. Use those dumbbells while watching TV.
  12. Make a healthy choice while eating out.
  13. Hit the gym in the MORNING before work.
  14. Write letters to each of the kids (nieces / nephews).
  15. Get out of bed without hitting SNOOZE.
  16. Drink 8 cups of H2O at work.
  17. Use those little sword-thingys and floss on the drive home from work.
  18. Meet the Garmin step goal 3 days IN A ROW.
  19. Write thank you notes to dog-sitters.
  20. Use the Zombies, Run! app that you downloaded 2 months ago.  It seems like fun.
  21. Meal prep something on Sunday to use during the week (and then USE IT).
  22. Schedule a walk date.
  23. Finish the blog post about Esprit de SHE.  It was fantastic!  I am a Triathlete!
  24. Use the rowing machine at the gym.  Row a 5k?  I do not know if this is a lofty goal.
  25. Shut down phones at 8pm one evening.  (this I DO know: it IS a lofty goal.)
  26. Call my brother.
  27. Hit the gym in the morning on a weekend.
  28. Go rock climbing!
  29. Take the dogs to the dog park.  Little Dude needs socialization before he starts getting weird.
  30. Log > 15,000 steps in a day.
  31. Revamp my Workout playlist.
  32. Meet the Garmin step goal 4 days in one week.
  33. Make that "Singalong Song" playlist you've been thinking about.
  34. Spend 10 minutes training Little Dude.
  35. Call my other brother.
  36. Try a new, carb-conscious recipe.
  37. Write a "random act of kindness" thank you note - to someone who made me feel special for ANY reason.
  38. "Close the Kitchen" on a weeknight (dishes done, everything away, counters clean, coffee ready for the morning).
  39. Hit the gym for a strength training workout twice in the same week.
  40. Read for 10 minutes before bed.
  41. Play Mario on the Wii for a whole hour and just enjoy it.
  42. Get a manicure.
  43. Do physical therapy exercises for my neck and hips.
  44. Feeling FRUSTRATED? Take a walk!
Yes, that's right, I was OVER-inspired and ended up with a list of over 40 mini-goals for the #TheGoal30 "Challenge".  (Are you really surprised??)  Again, I'm not holding myself to the 30 days limit. 

This is not the first time I've tackled that phone thing.
I won't promise to update the list here, but I will try to.  Updates more likely to be found on Instagram and / or Facebook and / or Twitter.  Let me know there, how your own challenge is going!