From Dragging Ass to Kicking Ass

Week one of my #5kADay challenge was a success! Despite unforeseen schedule shifts, energy dips, and the everyday curveballs of modern-day motherhood, I didn’t miss a single day. In fact, I went above and beyond, trading in my Sunday walk for a hike. There was a close call, a day that would’ve been so easy to skip, but I didn’t.

On Friday morning, when instead of going for a run, I took advantage of my husband having the day off and went to a yoga class on the North Shore. After class, I went about the rest of the day, figuring that I could run in the afternoon during the baby’s nap. Counting on nap time to do anything is a gamble, and it was a gamble that I had lost, as she ended up taking a snooze in the car on our way home from our family outing. Le sigh. Plan B was to hit the treadmill after putting her down for bed at 7:30; but by 5:30pm, I was dragging-ass hardcore. Not only was I exhausted from my new early morning wake-up routine of getting up at 5:10am, but I was also on my period. (Ladies, I know you know what I’m talking about. #TheStruggleIsReal) I knew that if I waited until then, that there was a good chance that I flake. I entertained the thought of missing a day, or even two, essentially shifting my plan from #5kADay to #5x5k, aka 5 5k’s per week for a month. Didn’t have the same ring to it. Plus, I knew what I was doing: bargaining. I’m sure there are people who could just take the day off and get right back into it the next day. But I know myself. If I skip a day that wasn’t already a scheduled as a rest day, and I would inevitably end up watching a whole week of missed workouts go by. That’s my pattern with exercise AND diet. So, I nipped it in the bud, making the decision to work out right then. It was too hot and humid to take the kiddo outside for a run, so I asked the hubs to report for solo daddy duty so that I could go down to the gym. An incredibly supportive husband, he was on it. Then I was off! While I had scheduled an easy run/walk for that day, I wanted to get back to the fam in time to join them for dinner, so I ended up running. Fast. I worked with intervals and ended up running my fastest 5k of the week, with my fastest mile split at 8’49”. When I got back upstairs, I felt reinvigorated. After putting the baby down for bed, I was still feeling motivated, so I cleaned up the kitchen and put away 2 loads of laundry that I’d neglected since the day before. Then I did 17 minutes of core work. It felt sooo good to know that I had almost talked myself out of my mission of the month, but stopped the self-defeating self-talk in its tracks and went on to kick some major ass. Now, THAT’S what I call major gains. You may not be able to physically see them when you look in the mirror, but the micro-shifts made in the mind set you up for success in the long run by reframing how you see yourself. I went from someone who could talk myself out a workout fairly easily to someone who made it a non-negotiable. It was that kind of turning point.

Since then, I’ve continued that trend in the days that have followed, not only with my runs, but with my cross-training, as well. Even if it was the end of the day and I really didn’t “feel like it”— I still did it. I made a point to commit to at least 5 minutes of whatever I had on the books for that day. Without fail, I’d end up going on for 15 or even 30 minutes. Because I did that, it doesn’t occur to me to miss a workout, because I SHOW UP. Now, there may come a day when I can only squeeze in 5 minutes of crunches here or 5 squats there. But I will still do them. Again, because I SHOW UP.

Here’s how I plan to show up this week:

Monday 7/8: 5k Run/Walk + Strength Training

Tuesday 7/9: 5k Run + Core

Wednesday 7/10: 5k Run + Strength Training

Thursday 7/11: 5k Run + Core

Friday 7/12: 5k Run/Walk + Strides360 (Speed & Agility Training Class)

Saturday 7/13: 5k Run + Strength Training

Sunday 7/14: 5k Walk + Core + Yoga Class

All right, y’all! Here’s to another week of 5k-a-day fun… and then some!