Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Wednesday Workout Update - It Ain't Easy Being Me

I had a hard time getting myself to the pool on Thursday - it was dark, windy and cold when my alarm went off, and my bed was warm and comfortable.  Jeff had left half a pot of coffee before he went to work - I could throw on my sweats, settle in with coffee and the newspaper, and have a nice morning.  Plus I was feeling fat.  Last thing you want to do is exercise, right?  (that kind of rationalization sounded perfectly sane early in the morning, I swear!)  So I stayed home and relaxed.

Also, it was Thursday.  I seem to have a problem with getting to the pool on Thursdays.  It's probably definitely a mental thing, because I've already planned on having Tuesday and Thursday as my running days (once I can start running again) and Monday, Wednesday and Friday being my pool days.  Anyway, last Thursday I skipped swimming to ride my bike.  This Thursday, once it lightened up outside, I decided to go for a walk, just to test out the legs.  I ended up waiting and walking in the evening while Jeff did his run - we went to the scary statue park, where I did three loops around the statues.  It took me 31 minutes - fast, I was not, but then again, I am not cleared for brisk walking at the moment, so this was enough.  It felt great!  Just like old times...well, except for the whole "not running" part.

The funny thing about that walk was that on Saturday, I realized that my shins were a little sore.  REALLY?  I'm gonna have to go through that all over again?!?  Crum.  Obviously swimming does not work quite the same leg muscles as walking...which means that I'll get to enjoy the thrill of sore muscles along with lungs that will, no doubt, be screaming for mercy, once I get back to running.  Rats, rats, rats - I forgot that my conditioning is gone.

And then, this was the scene yesterday:

6:45 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze.
6:50 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze, think about getting up.
6:55 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze, try to come up with reasons why it's OK to skip pool today.
7:00 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze, notice that it's light outside.  Shoot.  Darkness was my excuse last week.
7:05 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze, bargain with self.  You don't have to go to the pool, but you do have to get up.  Decide to give it a few more minutes of contemplation.
7:10 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  hit snooze, but actually get out of bed.  Feed cats, let Paco outside, check online weather for thunderstorm, because then for sure I wouldn't have to go to pool.  Shoot.  Weather clear for now.
7:15 am - alarm goes off.  Me:  oops, forgot to turn the damn thing off.  Sigh.  Might as well put swimsuit on, but I don't have to go to the pool if I don't want to.
7:30 am - Me:  in car, driving to pool.  Promise self nap after, as reward for going.

Seriously, WHY OH WHY do I do this???  Well, I know why.  It's because I got out of the habit of getting up every stinking weekday and (to quote Nike) just DOING it.  I was afraid that my time off due to the surgery and recovery would result in this...the return of lazy Shelley.  I swear, that bitch just bides her time, waiting to come out...and she has returned with a vengeance.  I didn't spend most of my adult life overweight just because I ate too much - there was that little matter of zero exercise as well.  And you know how some bodies have "muscle memory"?  I swear mine has "sedentary memory" and would go back to that lifestyle if given half a chance.  What a thing to have to fight - ME.

25 comments:

  1. man I can relate to this today and a littleLOTbit this whole fall :)

    Love the sedentary memory concept as I know for me, each day, my bod wants to return to the time it did NOT do any cardio.

    it remembers.

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  2. You tormenting your alarm clock could have been me :) I sounds familiar.

    Don't be too hard on yourself, lazy Shelley won't be back. So you have a week where it's hard to get up and go for a swim. It happens to all of us. If it makes you feel better: I hit the snooze more than once this morning too and ended up not working out.

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  3. Oh the snoozing.. it's so bad and so good at the same time! I love to snooze, but the times I actually get up right away are the best. The hardest part is getting out of bed. Once that's done I'm good. :)

    When you have healed you will get right back into your previous routines, I'm sure of it! Kill lazy Shelley if you see her!

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  4. Firl! First of all you need a longer snooze button - 5 minutes? Are you kidding me, I'd be banging that alarm with a hammer! Second, you're right, sometime you do have to just DO it. BUT - why not stop the pool on Thursday and either walk or bike for now? At least if you did that lazy Shelley would just have to hit the road! (Hahaha look at that pun.)

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  5. Everyone in my family loves the snooze button except me. I tried it once. I could not relax waiting for that stupid alarm to go off again. Oh well. :)

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  6. I have the perfect alarm for you! It was gifted to my children from an aunt that I once loved and now hate! It's a dog that barks when the "alarm" goes off, ever time I hear that I get a little greyer.... ;-).

    We all do it Shelley and I find in the winter it's even more so, who wants to get out of a warm bed to go into the cold and snow ;-)

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  7. This is just a phase, and it will pass! Getting back on the wagon is SO HARD, and you are 90 percent there. I like Helen's idea - don't swim on Thursdays. Maybe giving yourself that room will take the pressure off and give you more motivation on the other swim days.

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  8. Hahahaha! I can't stop laughing long enough to make a serious comment. You had me at the title!

    And sedentary memory? Brilliant, along with the old-way-of-eating memory, it IS a miracle that we keep any weight off. And checking the weather-hahaha!

    But really, couldn't a little bit of your reluctance be the COLD??? I know I "want" to swim now, but as soon as the doc says its okay, we'll see how fast I get in the pool!

    Why do you use an alarm clock? Are you a night owl?

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  9. Hmmm.....that self bargaining sounds all too familiar (I say as I sit in bed saying I'll go do my run after I update my blog....after I have a glass of water....after I catch up with some blogs....etc). It's so easy to slip back. Always a battle. But good for you for going!!!

    Glad to see you out walking. That's the first "step" to getting back to running! :)

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  10. "sedentary memory" - I am still giggling about this ;)

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  11. ...I think you need to change your snooze to 10 minute increments. Haha. At least you finally got out of bed and did it.

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  12. I've been playing this alarm/snooze button tango for a while. One positive result of the recent time change is that I'm usually awake and less-inclined to hit the snoozer this time. Wonder how long that will last?

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  13. Just because lazy Shelley showed up for a day or two doesn't mean she has to unpack her bags and take residence.

    Our alarm clock is far enough away that we have to get out of bed to turn it off. No snoozing that way (also hard to read said clock without glasses on, but whatever).

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  14. I had to get pretty ruff with me today too, Maybe its the time change...I think it is just a case of the "I don't wanna"

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  15. I ask myself that all the time.
    Then I don't work out for a while.
    And then I ask myself - "How is that working for me?"
    And I see that I need to do it - if I feel like it or not!
    Cuz no excuse is really good enough at the end of the day.

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  16. Alarms, ugh. You mean Paco doesn't wake you? ;-)

    It is OK to switch up your routine. Honest. Lazy Shelley (sounds a bit harsh) is probably trying to get your attention about something.

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  17. I can totally relate. I love, love, love morning workouts, but if the snooze button even gets touched, I can pretty much count on my workout being cancelled.

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  18. Despite the struggle, you did it! (unless I misread). Oh...totally get a new clock with a longer snooze. The 5 minute ones are punishing. I swear that I'm better at snoozing only once or so with a longer interval whereas the 5 minute one seems to force you to go for way too many times.

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  19. As I was saying before google rudely erased my comment, I"ve been MIA due to being sick, overeating etc. BUT, between pie not being candy and your lazy bitch self getting the best of you, I am cracking up here.

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  20. I know what you mean about "sedentary memory." I think I have it too. Have had difficulty getting back in the groove since I had my arm and shoulder injury. Laziness just bides its time somewhere in this body, but I swear, it's days are numbered!

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  21. HI Shelley. OMG...I laughed at the term "sedentary memory". I think we all suffer from that now and then. You'll be back in the routine before you know it. I think once you can run again all the stars will align (silly) and all will be well with the world! Take care.

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  22. I totally get the body remembering being lazy. Not owning a car allows you to avoid this. I know that you can't really do that in most parts of the US but walking is built into my daily routine because I don't have a choice. I like feeling sore muscles, it reminds me that I used them. I get worried when there is nothing because I have this idea that means I am not pushing myself. Glad you made it to the pool. Running is just around the corner.

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  23. At this point I am at the opposite end of the spectrum; my body vaguely has "muscle memory" when it thinks about wanting to work out again, but then the sedentary majority overrules it. I am a walking example of what can happen if you keep hitting snooze! :)

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