"Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and once it has done so, he/she will have to accept that his life will be radically changed." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

5K? OK!

Odd, right? Crazy, maybe.  Definitely.  Yeah, this is weird.  I want to run a 5K.  

Back in November before Fred's twitch derailed our short term plans, I decided I had to get in shape.  As it turns out, I'm having a bit of a revolution.  Or growth spurt, in lifetime terms.

I like going to the gym in the morning to start the day.  It wasn't easy to make that change.  Now I notice a difference if I don't go to the gym.  I'm probably fitter now than I was in high school.  

Last week I decided I better transition from the treadmill, which I do 2 to 3 miles on 5-6 days a week, to outside.  Eventually I have to run outside if I want to do a 5K race, right?  There's a perfect sidewalk by the hotel that if you go to the end and back it's one mile.  I told myself to go run one mile and prove that I could.  Well, I did and then I ran another one.  ODD!  It gets weirder, the next day I ran 3.3 miles outside.  Proving myself wrong was strangely satisfying.  Now that I know I can do it, I want to find a run to do after we get back from Aiken.  All along I remember my motivation is that I'm doing this so that when Fred can go around a XC course again I will be ready!

Another part of my revolution is learning.  I'm reading a lot about what's good for my health.  Nothing outrageous, just some simple ideas and practices we should all follow and I should have adapted a long time ago.  Little changes and choices everyday DO make a difference.  Nothing is instant and eat your peas/broccoli/green beans. 

The other thing I'm reading about is horse related (surprise!)  Horse people understand horse people.  Non-horse people don't understand us.  How could we spend so much money on the big furry thing? How can we spend so much time with them? Why is it they so important to us?  What I don't understand of horse people is how do we do it all? How do we work, ride, and live?  It's so much to balance!  And I don't think you can ever really balance it all out.  I'm also trying to learn how to be the best at what I'm trying to balance.  I'll never be a great rider, but why not try to be my best?  I want to be a contributor at work.  I want to have a social life which results in great stories.  Apparently I want a lot.  Winning lotto tickets also goes on the want list.  



Here's something I didn't expect out of my revolution.  Exercising gives me the energy to balance.  Odd coincidence? I'd like more energy and I still have to say no to things.  I can now wake up on Thursday morning, go to the gym, work until 4, drive home to PA, and then ride one or two horses without sleeping in the next day.  


I'll keep working out and find a 5K.  There are more books on my Kindle list.  And when Fred is ready to get out there to run and jump, I'll be ready for him. 

1 comment:

  1. That's awesome, Chels! I always find I have WAY more energy when I exercise in the morning. Even if I just go on a fast-paced walk for 20 minutes, I get more done in a day than if I don't.
    way to go on staying so determined! It feels overwhelming for me sometimes, but then again, I did gain almost 70lbs. with Abigail.:/

    Have you tried Dr.Oz's Tangerine weight drink? It's not bad & it helps boosts your metabolism.

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