Monday Was Day 1

I woke up Monday morning, ready to take on the world.

Well, maybe not exactly the whole world, but just my little corner of it. I bounded out of bed, ready to make Monday a great day. Okay, maybe not bounded, but purposefully ready to make it a great day. (Smile.) I was ready for a fresh start to a new day, and to new habits.

Monday was Day 1.

Sunday night something prompted me to look ahead in my calendar. In doing so, I realized in 4-1/2 months, I will be riding a bicycle for a week across the state of Iowa. I haven’t been on a bike since August (gulp). My stomach began to churn. I have steadily worked out a few times a week for the last few months, but haven’t done much to really push myself. If I keep doing what I’m doing, in NO WAY will I be ready to take on an entire state on a bicycle. I might as well lie down and play dead now.

But that’s not me.

I am ready to take on this challenge. Bill has asked me to ride RAGBRAI with him this year. It’s a passion of his, and when he asked me to go, the reasons I would have said no were all selfish ones. May I list them? Standing in line for a shower each day, sleeping in a tent each night, riding and sleeping in the heat and rain, my daily hair and makeup routine, fifty-plus miles on a bike each day, muscle soreness (more like rear soreness!), and sacrificing all the comforts of home.

And the reasons I said yes? I love my husband. I want to support him in his passion. I believe God will use this week to strengthen our marriage. I may even fall in love with him even more. My faith will probably grow, because I imagine I’ll need to fully trust God for things that will be out of my control. I will experience things I’ve never experienced, and will see sights I’ve never seen. I’ll be able to eat pie every day (smile). And believe it or not, in a way, I look forward to not doing my hair or wearing makeup for a week! (Yeah, we’ll see how that goes.)

So, to prepare, I need to get stronger and healthier. I do well if I have a manageable time frame to focus on…90 days works for me. Ninety days from March 3 is May 31. Perfect. I am on a mission for the next 90 days to eat a balance of healthy foods, both protein and carbs, and drink lots of water each day. I am pushing myself in exercising six days each week, with a combination of weights and cardio. When the weather warms up, I’ll be stronger to get on that bike and ride. And I look forward to that.

My reward? Each day I exercise (that’s where I’m struggling the most right now), I’ll put a glittery star on my calendar. Yes, a silly star sticker motivates me! Of course the biggest reward will be my improved overall health.

What about you? Feel like joining me on this journey of healthy eating and exercising? I’d love to motivate each other! Find what works for you–whether it’s a certain time frame and star stickers or something else–and begin. I’d love to hear from you!