Steph's Group - CLOSED (Page 3)

Hi Steph,
Is it too late to join your group? I would love to participate in the mentor program. I am a 38 yr old mother of 3 girls (8, 7 & 3), work full time and my husband is a SAH dad. I completed my first tri last August and consider myself a runner (though I am very inconsistent). I am not a swimmer, but can get by with my very ugly strokes.
My goals for 2011 are to complete at least a couple more tri's both individually and as a relay team so my older girls and husband can participate with me. What I would really like to run a half marathon before I turn 40 in 2012.
I would love to lose a few pounds, but know that will happen as I start to train and get more active. I've been a couch potato since I finished my tri last year.
I need someone to hold me accountable for getting out there and exercising, which is why I like to mentor idea so much. It will be nice to chat with others who share similar goals and struggles.
Thank you,
Amie

Hi Gang -

You will notice that I closed the group today.  We have 16 members now (17 including me) so I thought that adding any more would make it difficult to remember everyone's name and keep up with their logs.

Here is a list of everyone in the group, their BT username and week's goal.  If any of this info is wrong or if you want to add your goal, please send me a pmail or reply back and I'll update.  Please also go ahead and add everyone to your "friends" list so that we can inspire each other.   If you want this info in excel for easier reference, please pmail me your email address and I'll send it to you.

Also, I found it more convenient to add a link to the group thread on my log so that I can just pop straight there without bothering to sift through the other groups.  If you want to do this, copy the following text and go into your "settings" and use the link function (it looks like a piece of chain) to add it to your dashboard:    http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=237473&posts=57#M3306307

Alternatively, you can just follow the link from my logs or someone else's.

You can also use the notification function (at the bottom of the thread) to have BT email you every time someone posts in our thread.  I have done this, so that I can keep tabs.  I'm not able to logon except at lunch and home, but this function lets me know what is going on.

Hope you are all doing well and your weeks are starting off great!
Steph

Thanks Maree!

I was thinking about writing a post on this very topic.

It is hard to get into or back into the exercise habit.  Everyone struggles with this after even a small amount of time off.

The best advice I ever got on this subject was from the Fitness for Dummies book.  Yes, I own it.    This is embarrassing, but I bought the book in about 2000/2001 because I knew I needed to do some strength training and had no clue where to start.  So, anyway, I'm not a flipper.  I read books cover to cover (even cookbooks), so I got the Fitness for Dummies book and started with the introductions and the very first thing they say is that you should exercise every day. 

"WHAT?"  I thought to myself, "that is just crazy talk for loony people."  I was in decent shape at the time and could run 4 miles 3x a week with no problem but the idea of daily exercise was ridiculous to me.  Well, now that I've been running and doing triathlons, I don't think it is quite so weird. 


I still don't do any strength training, and I think the whole "streaking" or never taking a day off concept is bad because your body does need rest, but the idea of getting in a daily habit is good!  It is way easier to plan your day and your life if you just assume that the workout will be in your day, like brushing your teeth.  Sure, early-morning meetings, oversleeping or other stuff happen but for the most part, at 5am on every day, I am doing something (or feeling guilty because I've missed it).  That way, I don't spend my "off" days dreading my "on" days or making deals with myself about how I can move my "on" day to tomorrow and take today off.  I just get up and exercise every day.  Not having a choice also takes the thought and deal-making out of the equation. 

I also find that if I don't lay out my gear the night before, I will skip my workout.  That sounds dumb, but it is true, so I just lay everything out the night before to remove as many obstacles as possible in the morning so I can't let one of them slow me down so I skip.

Now, I know that most people don't like the morning thing.  That is totally fine.  You just have to find the time of day that works for you.  Most people like to do evenings because it makes them leave work on time and then they eat dinner after their exercise guilt-free.  That doesn't work for me because (1) it adds an extra shower to the day, (2) I never remember all of my gear, (3) I never leave work on time, and (4) I will make every excuse in the book not to exercise after work.  Maybe lunchtimes are better for you, or maybe at night after the kids are in bed or while DH is on the internet.  Whatever.

Find your happy time and commit to doing something (anything) active during that period every day.  If you have to start late for some reason, don't just skip.  Do a shorter workout or s
wap ?spo?rts or take a walk or do some core in the time you do have.   Then, you won't beat your?self u?p about skipping and will still be in the habit.
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?AND, if yo?u have to miss a day, whatever.  You can just jump back on the horse tomorrow. 

Sometimes skipping a workout puts us in a downward spiral that leads back to the couch because we feel guilty for missing and then we overeat to assuage the guilt and then we do?n't want to workout the next day because we feel fat and then we skip another day and the guilt is worse or we feel like we are already off of the wagon so we eat more, and, and, and.  We have all been there.   It SUCKS.  However, f you have a daily exercise habit, you can afford to miss a day every now and th?en and it is not that big a deal.

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Edited to add that it might be a good time to mention that you should all pmail me your email addresses so that I can ping you if you stop logging in on BT.  I won't give your emails to anyone else or use them for any other reason, but I don't have any way of contacting you if you don't

AND, as if my post weren't already long enough, if anyone is the sort that needs a kick in the pants sometimes, please pmail me (click on messages in the user information box or click on message in my blog) your email address and I will follow-up with you if you aren't showing up here regularly.  I will not use your email for any other purpose or give it to anyone else without permission.  I will only email you if you aren't on BT.

Hope you all have a great day!

Steph