Starting Over

Sunday night I planned to go to the Monday morning strength training class at the Y. Only I wound up hitting the snooze button for a whole hour in my sleep before the alarm even registered in my brain enough to wake me up.

Then Monday night we were up late, which is a very old and ragged excuse of mine. This morning, despite being up until 12:30 last night, I pulled myself out of bed at 6:15 and did Day 1 of Week 1 of Couch to 5K. I think this is the 4th or 5th time I've done Day 1, Week 1. I am determined that this time it will stick. Unless I get some sort of injury again, which is what stopped me during my 2nd effort. Then I will do something else and not stop all activity completely like a loser.

Since we moved, we now live about a minute from this amazing footpath that is very popular with the runners and walkers on our side of town. The path goes down the middle of a semi-busy street, but has enough grass and trees on either side to muffle the street noise pretty well. Lining the street are all these AMAZING homes. Sometimes I'll walk up the path, but then walk back on the sidewalk across the street so I can look more closely at the homes.

This morning I was out there with a bunch of other people, some walking, some running, some running while walking dogs. Some in amazing shape, some less so. I listened to a Livin' La Vida Low Carb podcast* and wogged** down the path.

* I've been avoiding my low-carb podcasts lately because I didn't want to hear about the unhealthiness of the yummy things I've been eating. On the upside, now I have a big backlog to listen to.

** This is what I tell Jason I'm going out to do early in the morning when he asks where I'm going or where I've been because as far as he's concerned no one in their right mind would be up and active so early. Walk + jog.

I have been so lazy this summer, and for no good reason. My motivation just completely vanished and the idea of exercising or eating healthy wasn't super appealing. I haven't been eating too horribly, but I have definitely been remiss in the exercising department. I stepped on the scale this morning for the first time in a few months and wasn't happy with what I saw. That was good motivation to get my wog on, rather than just walk down the pleasant path.

There are a couple of reasons I want to be healthier. The first one is just because I know I'll feel better. I feel better when I'm taking care of my body - physically and emotionally. It's a fact that is so easy for me to forget.

The second reason is because we're going to Tucson in October. I haven't been back since my Nana passed away in 2002 and I'm excited to show Jason where I grew up. We'll alternate staying with my aunt and my grandpa, and I fully intend to eat my way through Tucson*. And I plan to eat a strawberry/lemon Eegee every day we are there. So I think it would be best for everyone involved if I have a good baseline of healthiness before I head off to relive my youth through food.

* Fingers crossed that the Tohono O'odham ladies with the frybread and red chili are set up in front of the mission on the day we go.

Another important reason is because Jason and I are starting to talk about having a family. As I think about what it might be like to actually have another person inside of me, and then someone I am responsible for taking care of, I realize that I want to make sure the things that go into my body, and the child's body, are as healthy as possible. I've been gradually adding more organic produce into my menu, and really thinking critically about my options when it comes to my protein sources. If I don't have the money to eat grass-fed everything, should I be eating the alternative? It has really made me think.

Then there's the whole physical process of being pregnant and recovering. There's a blog I read by a woman who has a 5-month old and who is such an inspiration to me. She set monthly, weekly and daily goals for herself for both fitness and amounts of quality foods she wanted to eat the whole time she was pregnant. She ratcheted down the intensity of her workouts as her pregnancy progressed, but still managed to stay active. Once she was up and about after giving birth, she continued to set and achieve fitness goals and is already back in pretty great shape. I want to be like her when I grow up. I'm just starting to work on it again.