BSHLB - 13.1 Miles to Go

I thought that it may be time to give an update on BSHLB (Best Shape of Her Life Bridget).

Well, luckily, you haven't missed much. I've been slowly trying to cut down on my ice cream intake (freeze-pops are healthy, right?) and increase the amount of veggies that I've been consuming (this was not difficult as previous consumption was at approximately zero). I've also started to move more. As in, actually working out.

Working out is a bit of a chore for me. Because I am, by nature, a woman of leisure. I've always thought I was born in the wrong era. I would be much better suited for Victorian sensibilities.

Strolling? Absolutely. I love a good stroll. Croquet anyone? Sure thing. Lawn tennis? Right up my alley. And all this while wearing a bustle and breaking for tea and small sandwiches every 20 minutes. Pure heaven.

Unfortunately, this is not the place in time in which I've found myself. Instead of strapping on ye olde corset, I'm expected to exert myself physically to maintain my girlish figure. This is unfortunate. Not only for me, but for all those that must witness my very pathetic attempts at physical activity. I am, in all athletic endeavors, a total spaz.

So this is why I turn to running as my go-to mode of fitness. I can put one foot in front of the other. I can do this without any scary equipment or balls flying at me. And I can do this at my own pace... i.e. extremely, almost incomprehensibly slowly. In fact, at my speed, I guess you don't call it running. You call it jogging. I believe it is jogging or yogging. It might be a soft "J". I'm not sure.

In order to ensure I continue my adventures in jogging, I signed up for the BAA Half Marathon today. And I have a running plan to prepare my withered muscles for the 13.1 miles in October. With one week down, I'm feeling pretty good about things. And the best part? I've somehow convinced Mike to sign up with me. So if things go really badly on that fateful day in October, he can carry me over the finish line.

BSHLB

 One of the things I love most about my husband is his drive and discipline. Mike goes to the gym every day. And then goes for a quick five mile run post-gym just because it is nice out. Mike eats fruits and vegetables regularly and will turn down delicious desserts and fried things because he doesn’t want to “overindulge” (a seriously foreign concept to me). Mike wakes up at 6:30am on the weekends, goes to the gym, walks Oscar, does the grocery shopping, takes out all the trash and recycling, and cleans the house before I’ve managed to wake up enough to even think about drinking my morning coffee.  He is one of those rare beings who instead of procrastinating about a task will feel the need to dive right in immediately so that he can move on to something else. 

I find this baffling.  Inexplicable. Strange. 

What is the problem, you ask? What could possibly be wrong with such a blissful scenario? Well, friends, nothing, really. In virtually all ways Mike’s productivity is a win for me. However, sometimes, occasionally, you might say this makes me feel a little lazy. A bit slothful. Slightly sluggish. 

Such was the feeling when I announced the arrival of BSHLB (Best Shape of Her Life Bridget). Well, maybe not upon the initial announcement. That was met with great fanfare. But the thirteenth or fourteenth announcement about how I was going to start working out regularly. Start feeling the burn. Building up those muscles, training for that half marathon, eating my fruit and veg. After weeks of talking about how I was going to do this instead of actually doing it, Mike had finally had it.

And he said, “Honey, why don’t you either start doing this already, or just stop talking about it.” Actually, I believe his exact words were, “Honey, sh*t or get off the pot.” 

I was appalled, APPALLED, at this reaction. Didn’t he realize I needed to psych myself up for this? That through just the power of positive thinking I could create life-changing results? Hadn’t he read The Secret?!

I wasn’t like him. I couldn’t just START something. I needed to ease into it.

But after verbally berating my poor husband, I started to think about what he said. And to think about how many times I’ve tried to “ease into” something. And how that never resulted in any real action or change.

   

So, I’m going to take a page from my husband’s book and just DO IT already. BSHLB, here I come. Less talk, more walk. And I’ll keep everyone updated on my progress. I mean, now that it’s out on the interwebs I need to make good on this, right? Isn’t that some type of law?

So I’m starting. Monday.  

No one starts anything on a weekend. It’s just not right.