I Did It!

Last June, when my kids were taking swimming lessons, I decided that maybe this would be a good time to start getting more exercise.  After all, I was there at the Y anyway and maybe more exercise would help me even out my darker moods.  I chugged away all summer, swimming or running at least three times a week, sometimes four.  In the back of my mind though, I thought, "When school starts, I'll never be able to keep this up."

The last week of August rolled around and I really didn't want to let go of summer and throw myself heartily into school, especially not that first week when I wasn't really teaching, just sitting in meetings and trainings, trying to hide that I was doing Sudoku and not listening.  I think I worked out four times that week.  After that I just kept going somehow.  I don't know how I "found" the time; I just did it.  

I even kept it up during my Thanksgiving trip to the Wisconsin Dells and over Christmas break. Those weren't my most productive weeks, but I never missed a complete week. Again though, I wasn't really confident that I would be able to keep going.  I was sure I would get sick and be unable to do much and that I would totally lose my momentum.  After all, part of what was keeping me going at this point was not wanting to lose all the progress I had made.  

Then a couple weeks ago I got a really bad cold at a very busy time. Double whammy.  I did nothing for almost two straight weeks.  I kept thinking, "This is it.  My run as a regular exerciser is over.  I'll never get back into it."  But then I noticed that I was so darn grouchy, and I couldn't blame PMS.  I also noticed that episodes of Mugglecast were piling up on my iTunes. So, on Mother's Day, I dragged myself outside, with my kids on their bikes, and gave it a shot.  

Not bad.  I didn't run three miles- I know that's not very impressive either, but it's the farthest I can go- but I did go maybe two.  Then I went out again on Monday night.  And now on Wednesday morning I got up and ran even though I left my iPod in Heidi's car!  I did it! Now I know that I can get back into a good healthy routine, even if it gets interrupted for awhile.  It makes me feel almost giggly.