My Journey With Health And Fitness – Finding New Goals

I know I said that I was going to stay resolute about running/walking regardless of the weather but yesterday was a bit much. I started out for my usual 6.5km run to be followed by a 5km walk. However, yesterday was miserable. I did my usual head down to the beach and by time I started running on the pier it was windy, cold and the rain was coming at me sideways. I finished the run and sheltered in a public washroom while I called my husband to come pick me up. I took off the 1st 2 soaking wet layers of clothing and yes, even the 3rd layer was wet. And yet, I still did that run.

I’ve realized I am at the point in my fitness journey that I need to keep finding new goals to keep me motivated. It is pretty easy when I am in a class as I always have the opportunity to push myself just a bit further (today it was some pretty impressive weighted sit ups and I do mean sit ups not crunches). Sometimes I put some extra effort into cardio. Other times I load up on the weights. Another one is to do the maximum number of reps in the range we are given. I always feel such a such a sense of accomplishment when I challenge myself.

It’s the day to day fitness routine that I am trying to find ways to keep me motivated. I realize that just doing ‘goals’ such as run 10km (yeah, will be doing that again Saturday) or walk so many steps just doesn’t do it for me now. Ok, maybe it is because I have blown past so many goals that I just know I will be successful so it doesn’t really give me that lift I need to do more. I don’t know, maybe it is because I have been doing this for so long I don’t have any new ideas.

Well, I think I have found something. I mentioned that I will be doing the Workout to Conquer Cancer in which I have to work out at least 30 minutes every day in May (please read that as at least 2 hours every day while in Mexico). Again, a bit easy for me. But today my trainer said hey, if I set up a group to do the Grouse Grind in June are you in? HELL YEAH!!!!! I’ve talked before about doing the Grouse Grind but I’ve had some people discourage me and I have never found a way to make it happen. But now, I am excited to check just one more thing off the former short, fat chick list (again, while not fat I am still short).

Yep, 58 years old and looking forward to hiking up a mountain. Every once in a while I question if I have at some point in the last 4 years been abducted by aliens who altered my mind because my former unfit self would never have considered doing anything like this.