Day 1 of Week 1

Okay, so my core workout streak died at 5 days.  Yep.  I flat out forgot to do it on day 6 and that had the affect I knew it would... I didn't do it on day 7.  Ha!  However, I am not giving up!  I read an article about ab work that said one should not do it every day because muscles need time to adapt and strengthen. I knew that but didn't really think I was tearing them down overly much.  The article also said that it isn't the surface core muscles that need the attention (which are supposedly what crunches work), but the muscles under them.  I knew that too from my personal trainer class, hence the pelvic tilt/kegel-ish exercise.  And finally, the article said that you don't need more sets, but harder moves.  That I didn't know.

Now, I may still get on the floor some evenings and do some of these exercises anyway, but that will not be the only attention I am giving to this area.  I have started Jillian Michaels' "Ripped in 30" workout.  I bought this video way back when I bought two others, but I hadn't tried it until today.  There are 4 weeks of 20 minute workouts which are to be done 5-6 times a week.  Each week the workout changes and gets harder. I did week 1 today and it was tough but not too much, so I know I'm starting in a good place.

I think I can stick with this.  I plan to, anyway.  These workouts will not take the place of my half-marathon training so this should be interesting.  But here's the thing.  I only have a month and a half left to train.  That seems mighty short when it comes to achieving the PR I want.  I'm feeling like I was a little ambitious, especially when I have a teething baby girl whose sleep schedule has gone wonky causing my own to do the same.  Still, why not go for it?  Why not put it all out there?  Jason told me over dinner the other night that I had to be willing to fail big if I wanted to go for it.  He said he thought I could give way more than I do when I run and that I needed to embrace the pain (I prefer to call it discomfort).  He's right.  I conserve.  I play it safe.  I train and then I perform and I can make the goal... but my goals are getting tougher and they are going to call for more drastic measures.

There may be a few things stacked against me.  Crazy sleep schedules, crazy southern weather (it is now very cold and rainy instead of warm and rainy), working running around Eloise's schedule and the schedules of my babysitters.  I still think it can be done, though, and I intend to go after it.  I enjoy it and I want to get back in shape.  Most of the baby weight is gone but there are still a few stubborn pounds hanging on and that is why I have brought Jillian back on board.

My favorite quote of the day from her video. "What's that smell?  That's fat burning!"  She cracks me up.