Getting Back on the Horse

Me riding a Peruvian horse that was obviously
meant for somebody more.... Peruvian sized.

 Ah, the old adage. Sometimes getting back into a routine after some time off is harder than you would think. Or perhaps even harder than it should be. Winter break was not good to my Ironman goals. The week of Christmas I got sick and was unable to run for about five days. I got a run in after my illness but it was almost immediately followed by my one and a half year old getting bronchiolitis. So after missing another week I was toast. For the first 3 weeks of January I ran probably only three days all together.

 Back when I played high school football I had a small group of friends that I would go to the gym with. One of these guys had a saying that if he "missed a day, [he] would miss a month". I didn't know if I really agreed with him then but now I see that it was very true. When we miss one work-out, for almost any reason, we are telling our body that it is okay to find reasons not to work out. There is almost always an excuse to not work out. "I went to bed a little late last night", "I have a homework assignment that I should probably get a head start on", "I can just go later today", etc. etc.

 So about a week ago I decided it was time to fix it, I had taken a full month off of running and needed to start again. Unfortunately, my hiatus from running did not come without consequence. I gained about five pounds, I can tell that I have gotten a little out of shape, and I am having to reset my goals in regards to when I will run my first half marathon.

 The question began to ruminate in my mind as to how I could fix it, and for me the answer was increased accountability. I signed up for an Aerobics class on campus. It is slightly awkward since I have since learned that the only people who want to be healthy at 7:30 am on Monday and Wednesday are female. Not Kidding. I happen to be the only guy in a class of thirty girls and we are all trying to Zumba and hip-shake our extra pounds away. It is incredibly awkward. But, I now have a grade that is holding me accountable to working out two times a week. Even though this is not running, the habit of getting up early to exercise has generalized and I am now finding it easier to run.

 So since my goals are shifting I have decided to begin a marathon training schedule that will in its course also help me finish a half. Feel free to keep me honest. If I don't post a run (using the widget to the right) please call me out on it. I really want to stay on track this time.

 I don't know if this same method is available or will work for you when you have speed bumps in what you are working on, but I can say that addressing the issue and not quiting on your goals will always be worth it. Check out my stepping stones tab to see my updated goal checklist. Hopefully you guys are cranking away at your goals, and loving it as much as I am!!!