Get Started

I've talked to several people this past month who have talked to me about wanting to get in shape. I've tried to be encouraging and supportive, and they seem as though they have every intention, but when I follow back up with them later, I find they never even started.

My usual pep talk to someone "talking" about starting to diet, or exercise, or both is to make sure they know what, in my opinion, the two toughest obstacles are. The first is starting, the second is staying with it for the first two months. After that, I've found that you've typically adjusted to a new lifestyle, and perpetual motion takes over.

I'm usually met with skepticism. Seems that people assume that if you're in shape, you've always been that way. Trust me, I wish that were true. In fact, I've found that most of the folks I know who are consistent in their fitness training and running, have been overweight at one point in time, and that holds true for me as well. There also is an assumption that those of us who exercise have no problem sticking with it. Again, for me at least, this is incorrect. Yes, exercise is a habit and an ingrained part of my life now, but there are days when it is a grind and just one more item on a laundry list of things to squeeze into my day. That's when having a exercise partner comes in handy. Someone to be accountable to, someone you don't won't to let down.

I didn't want to do a long run this past Saturday. I wanted to do my 4 miles on the treadmill at the Y, do some heavy upper body work, and call it a day. No such luck. Three people had responded to an email about the long run on Saturday morning, and so I was stuck. Glad they did. I enjoyed the run, as my long runs have turned into my only outdoor runs, and I felt great afterwards. I then headed to the gym with Jina, who, in the past month, due to increased enthusiasm, has become a great partner in my fitness efforts, which leads to another point about accountability.

Jina is my long distance partner most days. While I travel, I usually check to see how her day at the gym went, and share with her what I did. In the past, this was generally an annoyance for her, but now we compare notes. Why the change? Her enthusiasm and drive has increased. When looking for a partner, if you can not find someone to train at the same level as you, find someone with similar drive. In this respect, a distant friend or relative can serve to keep you motivated, share in your victories, and help you through when you may not "feel" like going another day.

In closing, let me offer one warning. If you are not fully entrenched into a workout routine, be careful in choosing a partner. That best friend or sister or cousin or brother, who isn't as motivated as you can bring you down. They may not want to spend as much time at the gym some days, or they want to talk during your entire workout, or they only want to run x miles today. One other warning, if you choose your spouse as your partner, don't try to push them into being as hardcore as you are...trust me on this one!

Yeah, this marathon post is complete. After falling asleep while typing it on Sunday (thanks Jina for picking the laptop up off of my lap before I dropped it), being interrupted to board a plane, and of course the hassle of getting work done first, it is finally complete. I'm running spell check, but fragmented thoughts may be present (wouldn't be the first time) because I'm not going back and proof reading it. There, I've typed a useless author's note just to make it even longer.