My Spark Blog

So, now that I'm tracking both my fitness & writing goals on sparkpeople.com it's much easier just to use the blog there to make entries throughout the day. I have blogged about 5 times in the last 3 days as a result. I'm pasting today's latest blog below, but if you want to see the rest, please visit my Spark Blog. If you do, you'll see a link that says "Subscribe to this blog" which you can do... but only if you first register for Spark People. Registering is free, only takes a minute, and you can set your options so they don't send you any newsletters or anything else but my blog. I have never received any spam as a result of signing up for Spark People. If you want to really stay up to date with what I'm doing, I suggest you take a minute to register & subscribe. Otherwise, I'll probably try to post on this blog about once a week or so.
That said, here is today's latest blog:

"Ugh."

I so seriously want to be asleep right now! Not because I'd normally be sleeping at this time, but because I went to bed half an hour late and got woken up 45 minutes early. The second I opened my eyes I felt a headache and as soon as I got out of bed my lower back informed me that it was either not happy with the position in which I slept, or the exercises I put it through yesterday, or both. Whatever the reason, it had decided to punish me by being extremely stiff and painful.

I do NOT want to be up, but since I have no choice in the matter, I think I'll try some stretches to try and make my back a little happier and maybe pop a couple tylenol for the headache.

On today's exercise schedule.... well stretching, like I said, and then some elliptical later this evening. I don't particularly like to use the machines, but when I do the elliptical is my favorite. I still don't have a IRL workout buddy (thought I did, but they never got back to me about a set date & time) so going for an early morning jog or hike was out - I just won't get up that early unless someone is meeting me. And today the only half interesting classes started about an hour ago and I just couldn't bring myself to "get up and go" this morning. So I'm going to pray for something interesting to be on the tv's at the gym for a change and try to bang out at least a level 8 intensity for at least 30 min tonight. I'm kinda dreading it cuz machines are SO boring for me now, but .... not much other choice and I do NOT want to skip a day when I am doing so well.

I love ZUMBA!

I actually got up early this morning just to go to Zumba!

Luke came in at 8:30 to ask when I wanted him to set my alarm for. I told him 8:30. He said "It is 8:30." I said "8:45". So he set it and went out to finish getting ready for work. Then 5 minutes later we got a wrong number (and I swear the guy sounded TOTALLY wasted!) which I answered since the phone was right next to my head. After I hung up I started to try to go back to sleep, but then from the foggy recesses of my mind surfaced the thought that today was Tuesday, which triggered the reminder that I would get to go to Zumba tonight. I started to drift off again when another thought surfaced: "Oh wait, they have 10am class. I wanted to go to that." And then something miraculous happened.

I got up.

I didn't lay there deliberating and vacillating like I do most mornings I have to get up "early" for something (even something that cannot be cancelled). I just...got up! And I was ....gasp....happy.

Okay, so you're probably thinking 8:40am is NOT early. Well, for me it is. Especially after the sleep deprived extended weekend I just endured. (For details visit my newest blog at http://justanotherdayinparadise.webs.com/)

So anyway, I totally enjoyed the class even though I had to rush so much to get there on time that I only managed to get down one bite of a PB sandwich and one gulp of milk before dashing out the door and leaving my breakfast on the counter. (Meanwhile the kids, of course, had full bellies.) Still, when I left, I felt totally motivated. I am determined to start living my life differently. I am going to stop avoiding the stuff I hate and JUST DO IT. Because I will be happier and everyone around me will be happier if I do. To that end, I am finally going to just freaking CHOOSE an exercise support group and stop vacillating about which one and worrying over whether the group will be a good fit. If it's not I'll just join a different one- it's not the end of the world.

Sometimes my own fear of failure and embarrassment really annoys the crap out of me.

So anyway. That is what I am doing.

Right now I'm focusing on a few small but firm decisions.

I am going to divide my day by hour long sections and if something takes more or less time, whatever. It will work itself out. No more microscheduling- I can't stick to it.

The things I am most focused on accomplishing are these:

1 hour devoted to exercise each day + 1 hour prep & travel time
1 hour devoted to working on my novel each day
2 hours devoted to Ethan's school time each day
and a minimum of 1 hour devoted to cleaning/picking up the house each day