90 Days: Consistent Cross Training
6:30am. Kettlebell class.
I even wrote it down in my fresh new planner with marker to solidify my intention. If I write it down, I'll surely go.
8 hours later, my alarm went off. I exhaustedly groaned, snoozed my phone, willed myself out of bed, tripped around our pitch black apartment, looked out into the dark world outside, and then climbed right back into our warm bed.
And then I laid there awake for an hour, scolding myself for not even being able to stick with a new goal until January 2. I sat there wondering why I didn't just get up and go in the first place - I really didn't have a good excuse. I was annoyingly tired after yet another night of Bitsy the Cat incessantly scratching our bedroom door for wet food, but...
1. The fitness class is free and provides a great workout!
2. It's located less than a mile from my apartment and takes about 3 entire minutes from door to door.
3. There's convenient, free parking right in front of the building.
4. It takes place where I freaking work.
5. There are showers and amenities, so I could just go to work right afterwards.
6. Attending the class would help me build my strength back up, which is now incredibly lacking after a year of nearly all cardio fitness.
7. Working out in the morning would provide some peace of mind, knowing that I wouldn't have to think about fitting it into my lunch hour or evening routine.
And yet, I still hit snooze and went back to bed. What gives?
I've said it before and I'll say it again - I feel like I have all of the motivation in the world, but continue to lack the discipline. I will give myself some credit - I haven't missed a single marathon training run in four weeks.
Why have I been able to commit so fully to this goal, but couldn't even get started with adding a single strength class into my morning routine?
I think it's because on April 11th, I'll have to physically be ready to run 26.2 miles in front of other humans.
If I add in strength training to my life, one day I'll be stronger or my body might appear more toned, but maybe that just isn't very motivating to me right now. Maybe if you told me that come July I'll have to be able to bench press 140 pounds to save Nick's life, I'd probably be a bit more inclined to show up to the 6:30am Kettlebells class.
I'm lucky that my company clearly values employee wellness in so many ways, including offering daily yoga, spin, and strength classes, providing a gym in every building, as well as hosting rejuvenating spaces across campus, like the ZenZone with its sauna, steam rooms, steeping pool, and meditation rooms. It's the exact culture that I've been looking for all these years, so I've really got to start taking advantage of these programs and services more often.
I recently paused to think about someone's advice for 2020. She said, "Root yourself in courage and willpower rather than motivation."
As I've found out, motivation is just another feeling that waxes and wanes and ultimately doesn't get you out the front door. Steady willpower mixed with a lotta bit of courage is going to get me far closer to my goals this year than my feeeeeeelings about doing something. I've had a good handful of feelings lately, but not enough resulting ACTION.
It's time to change that. Ready to DO.
6:30am. Strength Fusion. Friday. It's in my planner. It's now in my post. I'm waking the f up tomorrow and going to this freaking class.
Update: I made it to 6:30am class this morning! We did a BOSU ball core workout DVD together. 😒 Hey, at least I got myself out of bed and proved to myself that I have a little bit of willpower to flex.
Made it to my first shadowboxing class at Canvas Club Boxing this weekend!
The Next 90 Days:
1. 1x/week open swim sessions
2. 3x/week morning/afternoon strength classes at work (spin, kettlebells, barbells, yoga, kickboxing, strength fusion)