Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge: It's On!

Yes, today is Day One of our Fall Back Into Fitness Challenge. There are nine of us who are communicating via Facebook to keep ourselves accountable and movitated to get back into fitness over the next 30 days.

Research shows that there are three components to a successful health/weightloss program: a workout program, an eating plan, and support. We're getting all three through this challenge!

For me, having other people along for the ride is key. I love knowing that there are other people out there suffering with me!

Personally, I'm doing a Beachbody program called ChaLEAN Extreme. It has been ages since I've worked out with free weights versus resistance bands. My rear end is KILLING me, people. I bumped up my weights on Saturday and I'm still feeling it.

I have hit some personal milestones. First and foremost, I'm happy to announce that for the first time in my life I can do a pushup. A real, honest-to-goodness man pushup. Can I touch my nose to the floor? No. But can I be on my toes and dip down more than a millimeter and actually a truly respectable amount? Yes! Nevermind that I can't use my arms later in the same day. Not important.

The other milestone is that I am in my eighth week of running. I'm following the Couch to 5K plan (the app I use is 5k101). Technically, I should be at the end of the program in this, the eighth week, but suffice it to say that I'm not the world's most natural runner. I repeated one week and then did an interim week because I was sure that if I went from 4 minute intervals to 8 minute intervals, I would expire on the spot.

Happily, I did not and am now up to 12 minute intervals. Yes, you heard that right: I can run for 12 minutes straight. That means I don't stop! Then I walk for the required 3 minutes. AND THEN I DO IT AGAIN! Crazy, I know.

I'll tell you what is crazy: how loud I huff and puff and how loud my feet are when they hit the ground. I'm certainly not going to run quietly up behind any wildlife. No, indeed, the quiet stillness of the early morning in my neighborhood is shattered on my running mornings. I hope no one is planning to bird watch.

But I am running. RUNNING. OK, jogging is probably more accurate, but I've always wanted to say I'm a runner.

And now I'm running off to bed.