Hello Thursday
February 4, 2016
Wow... to start of this post I typed 2014, backspaced the 4 and put 5 than backspaced the 5 and put 6. Apparently, I think its 2014 again today. Funny that that happened actually. Until I just typed that I didn't realize the irony to what I am about to write.
Today is Thursday. What is Thursday? Well, Thursday is rest day. At least it was for me, for the last 3 (or so) years. I would be at the 5:30 am class Mon, Tues, Wed, take Thurs off and be back at it Fri and Sat (Sun was also a rest day). Through the Open and during Regional training in both 2013 and 2014. I would go in and do some active recovery or a light workout that was prescribed for the day, but overall I have stuck to a pretty regular schedule.
So, whats changed? I stuck with my 5 day a week training through my whole pregnancy. I knew following Z's birth that it was going to be close to, if not completely impossible, for me to get to the gym on Saturdays. The truth is... I love my Saturday mornings with him. I dont want to go to the gym. I cherish that time, is is moving so fast. Now that he is a little older we can go for walks/runs, take swimming lessons, play all sorts of games and "try" to make sure good nap gets in there somewhere! My Saturday mornings are now filled with the slamming of a sippy cup off the side of the high chair and cleaning syrup from waffles or chocolate from chocolate chip pancakes off his face, rather than the slamming of weights and washing the chalk off of my raw callouses. You know what... thats ok. I wouldnt change it for the world.
I did however feel like I needed to make a change at the gym. I am fortunate enough that Hubs takes care of the AM duties (in more ways than one) and gets Z to daycare. I have able to keep with my 5:30am class. Yes, this requires me to drag myself to class after no or very little sleep sometimes... but that is my choice and it works for me. It gives me that very well needed "ME" time that everyone needs to have a daily dose of.
My mom use to come to my house and watch Z on Thursdays. They were so sacred to me at the start of his little life. I looked forward to every Thursday, sleeping in a bit and waking up with him in my bed (yes, I co-slept, dont judge) cuddled with me. I would bring him downstairs and nurse him, get some play time in and lots of giggles and smiles until my mom arrived and it was time for me to get ready and leave for work. I took pictures documenting each week... he was born on a Thursday (rest day ironically) and it was fun to have that special milestone each week with him. I also loved that for 10 months of his life he only had to go to daycare for 3 days a week with an added bonus that he had lots and lots of QT with Grammy!
Things have changed a bit. My parents fulfilled their dream of moving to NC. We knew it was coming, albeit it happened very quickly when the process started. Non the less, I do not have any at home care for Z on Thursday anymore. Hubs and I took turns for the month of December staying home with him and as of the first week of January, he is in daycare for 4 days. He loves it there, we are very happy with his development and care, so thats a huge positive. However, it was a change we had to get use to.
What was I ever going to do with my Thursdays now. Thursdays, since the start of the year have become just another day. I decided to pick up the day at the gym and get back to 5 days a week. I get up at 4:25... get my things together, creep into Z's room, (unless he is practicing his "wake up at 4:00" routine and is already awake) give him a kiss, tell him I love him and I will see him that night... and make my way out the door to the gym.
So, whats the big deal? Well... Thursdays, oh Thursdays... its "conditioning day" at the gym. Usually a metcon in the 20-30 minute range with very little weight and lots and lots of cardio. Hmmm.... my "favorite." Any time I had a work/schedule conflict and had to miss a day prior to Z being born, I would attend Thursday, I knew it kicked my ass. Thats exactly what it has been doing since the start of the year... Kicking my ass! Workouts straight out of my "goat" book... and far from my comfort zone with nothing "heavy" to help ease the pain. Yuck.
Today is Thursday. This is the 5th week of my 5 day a week schedule. Yep, Im tired. Yep, Im sore. But honestly, its starting to feel good. I have been working really hard and guess what? Its starting to pay off. The struggle I had every Thursday, trying to keep up in that class is beginning to be less of a struggle and starting to be more fun. The dread that I felt when I saw the long cardio/no weight workout is no longer dread it is now at the "challenge" point where I want to do more and push harder and get better/faster. I dont find myself saying "well, its a conditioning workout, I dont do so well with those" anymore. I am now thinking "I am going to get this one, I can do this!"
It feels good to have that feeling again. It feels good to push out of my comfort zone and get better at something I have struggled with for a long time. Crap... I actually "like" Thursdays.
It takes a lot to get out of your comfort zone. It takes a lot to admit that you even have a comfort zone sometimes. In the last year weights have become competitive with most of the ladies in the gym and my metcons are in the same general area as well. My "thing" use to be heavy weights, but I dont really have a "thing" anymore... I do still love lifting and feel most comfortable with a bar in my hands, but I dont have the opportunity to move heavy weight anymore while working on my form and my numbers have suffered from that. I would say that my comfort zone is still weights, but lately standing on the outside of that bubble and working hard has proven to help make some advancements in areas that have been needing work for a long time.
I have had to make a lot of changes in my life, in the gym and out of the gym, over the last year... I am going back to my old posts and reading my own words. I am embracing the suck, I am challenging myself, I am being confident and motivated and most of all... I am loving my life. There is lots of "magic" happening...
Step out of your comfort zone. Accept challenge and change. Own it. You will be happy you did.
Wow... to start of this post I typed 2014, backspaced the 4 and put 5 than backspaced the 5 and put 6. Apparently, I think its 2014 again today. Funny that that happened actually. Until I just typed that I didn't realize the irony to what I am about to write.
Today is Thursday. What is Thursday? Well, Thursday is rest day. At least it was for me, for the last 3 (or so) years. I would be at the 5:30 am class Mon, Tues, Wed, take Thurs off and be back at it Fri and Sat (Sun was also a rest day). Through the Open and during Regional training in both 2013 and 2014. I would go in and do some active recovery or a light workout that was prescribed for the day, but overall I have stuck to a pretty regular schedule.
So, whats changed? I stuck with my 5 day a week training through my whole pregnancy. I knew following Z's birth that it was going to be close to, if not completely impossible, for me to get to the gym on Saturdays. The truth is... I love my Saturday mornings with him. I dont want to go to the gym. I cherish that time, is is moving so fast. Now that he is a little older we can go for walks/runs, take swimming lessons, play all sorts of games and "try" to make sure good nap gets in there somewhere! My Saturday mornings are now filled with the slamming of a sippy cup off the side of the high chair and cleaning syrup from waffles or chocolate from chocolate chip pancakes off his face, rather than the slamming of weights and washing the chalk off of my raw callouses. You know what... thats ok. I wouldnt change it for the world.
I did however feel like I needed to make a change at the gym. I am fortunate enough that Hubs takes care of the AM duties (in more ways than one) and gets Z to daycare. I have able to keep with my 5:30am class. Yes, this requires me to drag myself to class after no or very little sleep sometimes... but that is my choice and it works for me. It gives me that very well needed "ME" time that everyone needs to have a daily dose of.
My mom use to come to my house and watch Z on Thursdays. They were so sacred to me at the start of his little life. I looked forward to every Thursday, sleeping in a bit and waking up with him in my bed (yes, I co-slept, dont judge) cuddled with me. I would bring him downstairs and nurse him, get some play time in and lots of giggles and smiles until my mom arrived and it was time for me to get ready and leave for work. I took pictures documenting each week... he was born on a Thursday (rest day ironically) and it was fun to have that special milestone each week with him. I also loved that for 10 months of his life he only had to go to daycare for 3 days a week with an added bonus that he had lots and lots of QT with Grammy!
Things have changed a bit. My parents fulfilled their dream of moving to NC. We knew it was coming, albeit it happened very quickly when the process started. Non the less, I do not have any at home care for Z on Thursday anymore. Hubs and I took turns for the month of December staying home with him and as of the first week of January, he is in daycare for 4 days. He loves it there, we are very happy with his development and care, so thats a huge positive. However, it was a change we had to get use to.
What was I ever going to do with my Thursdays now. Thursdays, since the start of the year have become just another day. I decided to pick up the day at the gym and get back to 5 days a week. I get up at 4:25... get my things together, creep into Z's room, (unless he is practicing his "wake up at 4:00" routine and is already awake) give him a kiss, tell him I love him and I will see him that night... and make my way out the door to the gym.
So, whats the big deal? Well... Thursdays, oh Thursdays... its "conditioning day" at the gym. Usually a metcon in the 20-30 minute range with very little weight and lots and lots of cardio. Hmmm.... my "favorite." Any time I had a work/schedule conflict and had to miss a day prior to Z being born, I would attend Thursday, I knew it kicked my ass. Thats exactly what it has been doing since the start of the year... Kicking my ass! Workouts straight out of my "goat" book... and far from my comfort zone with nothing "heavy" to help ease the pain. Yuck.
Today is Thursday. This is the 5th week of my 5 day a week schedule. Yep, Im tired. Yep, Im sore. But honestly, its starting to feel good. I have been working really hard and guess what? Its starting to pay off. The struggle I had every Thursday, trying to keep up in that class is beginning to be less of a struggle and starting to be more fun. The dread that I felt when I saw the long cardio/no weight workout is no longer dread it is now at the "challenge" point where I want to do more and push harder and get better/faster. I dont find myself saying "well, its a conditioning workout, I dont do so well with those" anymore. I am now thinking "I am going to get this one, I can do this!"
It feels good to have that feeling again. It feels good to push out of my comfort zone and get better at something I have struggled with for a long time. Crap... I actually "like" Thursdays.
It takes a lot to get out of your comfort zone. It takes a lot to admit that you even have a comfort zone sometimes. In the last year weights have become competitive with most of the ladies in the gym and my metcons are in the same general area as well. My "thing" use to be heavy weights, but I dont really have a "thing" anymore... I do still love lifting and feel most comfortable with a bar in my hands, but I dont have the opportunity to move heavy weight anymore while working on my form and my numbers have suffered from that. I would say that my comfort zone is still weights, but lately standing on the outside of that bubble and working hard has proven to help make some advancements in areas that have been needing work for a long time.
I have had to make a lot of changes in my life, in the gym and out of the gym, over the last year... I am going back to my old posts and reading my own words. I am embracing the suck, I am challenging myself, I am being confident and motivated and most of all... I am loving my life. There is lots of "magic" happening...
Step out of your comfort zone. Accept challenge and change. Own it. You will be happy you did.
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