Today I finished Social Workout‘s October Challenge; Eat. Sweat.Blog. I am happy to report that I achieved 21 workouts and 11 food feats, with a goal of 20 workouts and 10 food feats! (see our post on 9/30/09)
When I began the challenge October 1, I was overly confident. Workout 5 times a week? Piece of cake! Accomplish 10 food feats? Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy! Many of the feats were things I have incorporated into my life already. I can’t remember the last time I ate fast food, or drank soda. I cook dinner almost every night, and usually make healthy choices. I blog (duh). This seemed so simple. Four feats, checked off before I even began.
But then a little thing called life came along. Suddenly, there was work where none had been (yippee!!). We had a series of out of town guests. My mother-in-law passed away. My routine of going to the gym every morning at 9 a.m. and staying there as long as I wanted to was shattered. Getting to the green market or the fish market everyday was getting difficult. While I maintained all of the good eating habits that I had committed to for the “food feats”, there are some things that are better not discussed on the food front. But somehow I succeeded despite all of this.
The moral of the story? Sometimes even the best intentions go by the wayside. It is important to give yourself a little slack. Having said that, it is even more crucial to prioritize. Somehow, I found my way to the gym most days, even if it was only for 30 or 40 minutes. One day I literally spent 22 minutes on the treadmill, and 40 minutes in the locker room getting ready for a busy day. But it was better than nothing, and I made up for it on days when I had the time. I also walked everywhere, easily logging 5 miles or more per day. The exercise worked my body and calmed my mind, making it a “must do” to get through the stress of the month. Having a goal and being held accountable for it, via the Social Workout site, was a big reason to keep going.
I am eager to see what they will cook up next. Whatever it is, I say”bring it”!
You can check indigojones’ stats on the Social Workout site.
photo: Glasshouse Images