Day 3 - Choose to commit. Choose to win!

Today I *almost* listened to that Day 3 voice that often says, "You can take a break.  You deserve it.  This is haaaard!"

I almost skipped my Insanity Day 3 - Cardio Power & Resistance workout to go to lunch with my roommate.

But part of me knew it was a hard-as-anything workout that I would not want to make up later this evening.  That's what I've previously allowed to happen; I push my supposed "priorities" & commitments aside when they get too hard to live up to.  Then I kick myself.

Today, I insisted I needed to workout.

So I did.

And I still had time to have a healthy lunch with her after.

Huzzah for changing some deep ruts in my brain for better ones!

Day 2 - Deep Water

So, I'm 33 years old, Black woman from the South.  Never learned to swim.

Some other people dispute that because I can dog-paddle myself from one end of the pool to the other as long as I can keep my head under water and/or make it in one breath.  I maintain I can't swim until I can tread water without fearing for my life.

Yesterday was my first time ever to swim laps in 11-ft deep water with a kickboard.  Heart pounding, probably flop-sweating but you couldn't see it because I'm in the water, I eventually psyched myself up enough to make it all the way across the pool.  Whoo-hoo!

After a while I was able to open my eyes underwater.  I noticed that the water looked much better in the deep end of the pool - where I felt I was in more danger - than in the shallow end.  In the shallow end the water was murky, the lanes were more crowded, and I could easily see the debris floating around.  It was a little bit gross.

Out in deeper water I couldn't see or stand on the bottom and had to trust physics actually works and I do, in fact, float.  Out there, beyond the BLACK LINE OF SELF-LIMITING DANGER at 5.5 feet the water was bluer and crystal clear and more peaceful.  Fewer people were out there thrashing around.

So, I feel a metaphor coming on.  (Blame those 2 semesters as an English major.)

Could it be that when I push myself beyond those self-imposed limits and irrational fears, my heart will pound, I'll break out into a flop sweat, and it'll be okay anyway?

And could it be that when I look around after I've pushed myself beyond what I think I can do, I'll find a beautiful new world and a compelling new perspective around me?  Hmmm.

Rocktober First!

01 October 2012 - 91 days left in 2012!

And what are you going to do with it?

One of my favorite sayings is 'The best time to plant a tree was 100 years ago. The second best time is today.'

So yeah, it would have been awesome if I'd learned how to make a *realistic* schedule & stick to it back in January like I intended.

And it would have been spectacular if I had started Insanity with the proper intent & a support system in place back in March so I'd be at my goal weight for my 33rd birthday in May.

And -Lord love a duck - it would have been aaaah-maze-ing if I had been building my savings all this time so I'd have more of a cushion.

But I didn't.

So now I can either wallow in shame and blame and recrimination...

Or I can get to work!