getting "personal"

You may have noticed this tab on my blog at the top of the page: 500 Miles in 2014.


My friend Leah once blogged about how she was trying to run 500 miles in a calendar year, and I thought it was a great idea (I still do), so I tried to do the same thing in 2012. I think I ran around 100 miles that year. Needless to say, not quite 500.

I decided fine, 2013 was going to be my year. I turned 25 and wanted to get in shape and be fit. I was finally off orientation at my job, and was starting to settle in to living in St. Louis a little more.
 

You know what's coming. I ran a total 7 miles in 2013. SEVEN. I used to run 7 miles in a day and it would be no big deal. Instead of doing something about it, I continued laying on the couch on my days off, justifying it by saying, "Well, I'm on my feet for 14 hours during my average work day!" That's true. I'm not saying it's not tiring, because it is. But guess what: my friends who are nurses do CrossFit, and run marathons, and go to kickboxing, and spinning, and are active. They work just as hard as I do and they are just as tired, and some of them even have children to take care of, or pets. I don't have either of those things.

I knew it was all just an excuse, and I was tired of it. I began to change my eating habits, and even though they are not perfect (and likely never will be), I have gotten better about the choices I'm making.

 Choice #1: Join a gym.
 I joined the same one that Sam & his mother belong to, so I have a built in gym buddy. I like this one for several reasons. One, exercise classes are included. Yes. Check. I hate it when gyms charge you extra on top of the membership fee you already pay. Lame.

Choice #2: Cut out soda.
 It's hard. Every single day this is a challenge. I go a few days without it, then I have a lapse. I'm constantly trying to work on this and hope that someday, I will be able to go more than a few days without Coke. And don't bother suggesting I drink Diet Coke, because I'd rather die. Ok that's dramatic but I seriously. hate. diet. coke.

Choice #3: Hire a personal trainer (note the title of this blog post.
 This was an expensive choice. I doubt that it's one that I'll be able to keep up with. Right now though, once a week, me and my personal trainer Malinda are going to be working it out. And let me tell you, how sore I was after the first day is a definite motivator to get in the gym on the days I'm off work because I never want to feel like THAT again.

Choice #4: Be happy.
And even though it's a struggle sometimes as well, that's what I'm choosing today, and hopefully most of the other days in the future.