Workout progress.

I declare that I can back squat my body weight – which was a goal I’ve been trying to reach since last fall. It’s been very slow going, but you keep adding 5 pounds at a time, or even 2.5 pounds at a time, and you can get there. Thrilled! If I can keep that and do a few pullups, I’d be…superwoman. I should start trying to do the pullups. I’ve been able to do one in the past – premenopause. I’ll think about it.

My entire workout routine changed at the beginning of the year because my interests are changing.

I was probably spending about 90 minutes most days working out (mainly running) if you count the actual working out part, the getting ready to workout and the showering afterwards and also, slightly, the procrastination that happened at the beginning of each workout – 10 min of phone scrolling or just staring at the ceiling thinking “I don’t want to workout” <- yes, this happens all the time even when you like to workout. And maybe 3 hours on a Sunday because I had to drive to the long run place and then actually do the long run. I’ve done this for more than 10 years now, I don’t know how I found the time to do it (literally, I look back and think…I was a crazy person), I amazed I’ve been so consistent for so long – thanks a lot to Paul, my coach to help me get faster and learn to love running. And to support this – I would often throw in a 20 min yoga session most nights to stretch out.

But for whatever reason, I needed to change this amount of time working out. I needed to cut the time because 1. I was adding more socialization into my life, 2. I needed about 30 minutes a day to practice music and a little more time to actually go to lessons, rehearsals and performances (this is not consistent, right now), 3. Ginny, our weekday night caregiver, had a baby in January and went on maternity leave and so I did a lot of evening care for Edda and 4. I want some time to literally…do nothing (which is hard for me).

I actually did not want to give up the time running, I wanted to add all the other stuff in my life without giving that up – because, honestly I felt like I’m not parenting young kids anymore, it should open up vast amounts of time, and it did, but I rapidly filled up that time with random stuff. And then I was trying to do all of that stuff, but then I decided to just relax about the whole thing.

Anyways, I’m just telling you that I slashed the workouts to about 45 minutes everyday – and I’m trying to do the entire getting ready/working out/showering part to be only an hour of my day. I rotate through three activities – running, yoga and strength. So I’ve gone from running like 20-25 miles a week to like 6.5? Feels weird. I’m actually really enjoying the 45 minute yoga sessions which, of all three disciplines, I feel like I have the most natural talent for and is great because there are really no goals in yoga. I’ve not done such long yoga sessions regularly ever. And the strength sessions are supported by Ward, who is teaching me to Olympic lift.

I feel lucky/grateful that my body is working well. You never, never know when that is going to be not true. <3