The Motivation Factor
So its been a while since I last posted. I have been training however..and more dedicated than I have been in the past. Partially thanks to a great workout partner at the office...and partially thanks to an EXTREMELY supportive husband. My husband actually won a free month membership to our former gym and gave it to me (Thanks Babe!) for the month of November. Initially my goal was to not put the free membership to waste and go EVERY day for the month of November as a "fitness challenge"... about Day 10 I fell off the wagon. I felt guilty about it, but then something amazing happened...
Usually when I "fail" to achieve a goal I set, I just give up. I make excuses as to why there is no point to continue, or just shut down. This has in turn led to me setting many un-realistic goals throughout life...and thus the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure brings me down and starts this vicious cycle of self defeat and depression/ anxiety. But this time, rather than giving up...I just re-evaluated my goal...and set a modified one... To exercise as many days as I felt good, and to push myself on the days that I felt "bad" to get some type of exercise in. To my surprise, I actually exercised 18 times for the month of November. That's more than half...and I have to say I feel good about my accomplishment. I made it O.K. for myself to not be perfect...I forgave myself...not for "failing", but for setting an unattainable goal.
This was an invigorating experience, which actually motivated me more than anything in the past 6 months. I have confirmed 3 sponsors for my Half-ironman in June 2012, and have begun a training program. The training program I started is actually for a Full Ironman, which I was modifying in distance to accommodate my half distance race. There have been a handful of workouts in the past 4 weeks that I have missed, however the sessions that I have been sure to maintain lately have been my strength training sessions and my twice a week swims.
I have to say strength training has always been somewhat a part of my training, but I am definitely more of a cardio-junkie than anything really. Give me some running shoes and a route or gym full of cardio equipment, or even a pool...I could do anything you throw at me for the most part. Weights, however, have always intimidated me...and in my quest to find "The perfect Strength Training" program, I have perused countless websites, fitness magazines, blogs, phone apps etc... They were all fun and kept me interested to a point, but as my office workout partner can vouch...I get bored easily and I am always looking for ways to "spice it up". Enter Bodybuilders.com
Never in my WILDEST dreams did I ever think I would start researching on a body building website...but I figured if I want to get the best of the best in terms of strength training plans...why not go straight to the experts. And what I found...was actually some incredibly interesting information. I have to admit I was intrigued after having a conversation with a friend about figure competitions...and let me tell you...you want to see people in some of the best fitness shape of their lives...these folks are LEGIT. So off I went...lurking in forums, reading articles, and finally starting out on a couple of the free workouts that are posted. 2 weeks of strength training and I could see my energy going up, and feel a difference in myself, but I also really looked forward to my workouts.
The workouts in combination with changing my protein: carb ratio did something that I can't quite explain, or rather couldn't quite explain until this past Sunday.
About 2 weeks ago...yes...2 weeks ago, my branch supervisor approached me about whether I was interested in doing this Tri in early December. I had contemplated it before...but as I had "fallen off the wagon" with my initial November "fitness challenge" I was in the process of writing off this event and coming up with the excuses why I couldn't/ shouldn't do it. I had been training moderately for the past 9 weeks or so...and my branch sup had full faith in me and said that she and another co-worker would come out and cheer me on if I signed up...they would even do the 5k run portion with me. For some odd reason I said... "Sure why not" even though the warning sirens were going through my head of "what are you THINKING are you CRAZY?!" But I made a realistic goal... I would continue on with my training efforts in a modified way (its important to taper before an event to prevent injury and over training) and just aim to finish the whole thing.
Then came the snow...ooooh the snow...and the 22 degree temperatures...My mother started freaking out about me doing the event, I just brushed it off and said...hey I am just going out to have fun and finish it. Nothing more, and I am definitely in well enough shape to do a small competition, I will listen to my body and not over push myself.
Words cannot express how strong I felt yesterday. My body felt alive, my soul became alive, and despite not being able to feel my toes on the downhills because of windchill, and the burn in my thighs on 30% grade uphills, I felt STRONG. As I got off my bike and was running through the transition area to strip down for the swim...I was smiling from ear to ear. My legs felt like jell-o, my skin was red from the wind, and I was stripping down into my swimsuit outside in 25 degree snowfall, but I was having FUN. And I said to myself...just finish this...that's it, just finish. My swim felt the strongest I can remember, and I could actually feel myself correcting my form as I swam. I passed 5 people in the water, and finished. With a sense of accomplishment and strength and perseverance- I had met my goal.
So I went to get dried off, changed and didn't think much about staying for the awards ceremony. I had finished, I was exhausted...and FREEZING. So I left with a smile on my face and went my merry way home. Later that evening I received an email that the results were posted for the event, so I went to check and see mainly my time but get an idea of where amongst the other 200 crazy people I had ranked (you can take a girl out of competition, but can't take the competitive nature out of the girl). Slack jawed I saw my name in my age division #1. It was the motivation I needed to continue on training for my half-ironman, but with a new twist. First...forgiving myself for past issues setting my goals and standards too high (perfection is not realistic) and second, spending more time focusing on my strength training in the beginning, adding my endurance later. So for the next 7 months...I will be working through and creating my own plan to adjust to my body's needs. My goal...to follow-through, and to finish in Boise on June 9th 2012.
Usually when I "fail" to achieve a goal I set, I just give up. I make excuses as to why there is no point to continue, or just shut down. This has in turn led to me setting many un-realistic goals throughout life...and thus the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure brings me down and starts this vicious cycle of self defeat and depression/ anxiety. But this time, rather than giving up...I just re-evaluated my goal...and set a modified one... To exercise as many days as I felt good, and to push myself on the days that I felt "bad" to get some type of exercise in. To my surprise, I actually exercised 18 times for the month of November. That's more than half...and I have to say I feel good about my accomplishment. I made it O.K. for myself to not be perfect...I forgave myself...not for "failing", but for setting an unattainable goal.
This was an invigorating experience, which actually motivated me more than anything in the past 6 months. I have confirmed 3 sponsors for my Half-ironman in June 2012, and have begun a training program. The training program I started is actually for a Full Ironman, which I was modifying in distance to accommodate my half distance race. There have been a handful of workouts in the past 4 weeks that I have missed, however the sessions that I have been sure to maintain lately have been my strength training sessions and my twice a week swims.
I have to say strength training has always been somewhat a part of my training, but I am definitely more of a cardio-junkie than anything really. Give me some running shoes and a route or gym full of cardio equipment, or even a pool...I could do anything you throw at me for the most part. Weights, however, have always intimidated me...and in my quest to find "The perfect Strength Training" program, I have perused countless websites, fitness magazines, blogs, phone apps etc... They were all fun and kept me interested to a point, but as my office workout partner can vouch...I get bored easily and I am always looking for ways to "spice it up". Enter Bodybuilders.com
Never in my WILDEST dreams did I ever think I would start researching on a body building website...but I figured if I want to get the best of the best in terms of strength training plans...why not go straight to the experts. And what I found...was actually some incredibly interesting information. I have to admit I was intrigued after having a conversation with a friend about figure competitions...and let me tell you...you want to see people in some of the best fitness shape of their lives...these folks are LEGIT. So off I went...lurking in forums, reading articles, and finally starting out on a couple of the free workouts that are posted. 2 weeks of strength training and I could see my energy going up, and feel a difference in myself, but I also really looked forward to my workouts.
The workouts in combination with changing my protein: carb ratio did something that I can't quite explain, or rather couldn't quite explain until this past Sunday.
About 2 weeks ago...yes...2 weeks ago, my branch supervisor approached me about whether I was interested in doing this Tri in early December. I had contemplated it before...but as I had "fallen off the wagon" with my initial November "fitness challenge" I was in the process of writing off this event and coming up with the excuses why I couldn't/ shouldn't do it. I had been training moderately for the past 9 weeks or so...and my branch sup had full faith in me and said that she and another co-worker would come out and cheer me on if I signed up...they would even do the 5k run portion with me. For some odd reason I said... "Sure why not" even though the warning sirens were going through my head of "what are you THINKING are you CRAZY?!" But I made a realistic goal... I would continue on with my training efforts in a modified way (its important to taper before an event to prevent injury and over training) and just aim to finish the whole thing.
Then came the snow...ooooh the snow...and the 22 degree temperatures...My mother started freaking out about me doing the event, I just brushed it off and said...hey I am just going out to have fun and finish it. Nothing more, and I am definitely in well enough shape to do a small competition, I will listen to my body and not over push myself.
Words cannot express how strong I felt yesterday. My body felt alive, my soul became alive, and despite not being able to feel my toes on the downhills because of windchill, and the burn in my thighs on 30% grade uphills, I felt STRONG. As I got off my bike and was running through the transition area to strip down for the swim...I was smiling from ear to ear. My legs felt like jell-o, my skin was red from the wind, and I was stripping down into my swimsuit outside in 25 degree snowfall, but I was having FUN. And I said to myself...just finish this...that's it, just finish. My swim felt the strongest I can remember, and I could actually feel myself correcting my form as I swam. I passed 5 people in the water, and finished. With a sense of accomplishment and strength and perseverance- I had met my goal.
So I went to get dried off, changed and didn't think much about staying for the awards ceremony. I had finished, I was exhausted...and FREEZING. So I left with a smile on my face and went my merry way home. Later that evening I received an email that the results were posted for the event, so I went to check and see mainly my time but get an idea of where amongst the other 200 crazy people I had ranked (you can take a girl out of competition, but can't take the competitive nature out of the girl). Slack jawed I saw my name in my age division #1. It was the motivation I needed to continue on training for my half-ironman, but with a new twist. First...forgiving myself for past issues setting my goals and standards too high (perfection is not realistic) and second, spending more time focusing on my strength training in the beginning, adding my endurance later. So for the next 7 months...I will be working through and creating my own plan to adjust to my body's needs. My goal...to follow-through, and to finish in Boise on June 9th 2012.
I don't really have the right to say I'm proud of you so instead I'll say that you inspire me! Congratulations on a real break through.
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