It finally happened. The phenomenon has commenced. A new day has dawned on the world of, well, me.
Now, before we all start thinking I’m all self-centered and egotistical with this whole world metaphor, I want to explain what’s going on: it’s something you may have heard about.
P90X.
That’s right. I’ve decided to get myself prepared for the 90-day insanity complex that is known as P90X. This extreme home fitness program constitutes of twelve different workouts titled the following:
- Chest & Back
- Plyometrics
- Shoulders & Arms
- Yoga X
- Legs & Back
- Kenpo X
- X Stretch
- Core Synergistics
- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
- Back & Biceps
- Cardio X
- Ab Ripper X
It’s official. I’m insane. However, I’ve made the pact with myself and with a core group of my friends. I’m going to take one year to get myself back in shape, feeling healthy, and feeling happy. In one year (okay, just a little under one year), I plan on finishing out a year’s worth of self-discipline, determination and self-motivation by crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
“Whoa there!!!” I hear you say. Yes. I went there. I was always told to reach for the stars. Well, this time, I’m not reaching for any stars. I’m doing what many people before me have done, and I’m going to prove to myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I’ve gotten sloppy over the past few years, eating foods I really know I don’t want to eat, not exercising when I know I really wanted to exercise and not because I should. These things add up over time, and the result, well, the result is what you see when you look at me now.
I’m going to take a second and go weigh myself on the scale that has collected dust in my bathroom all year long. Guesses? I’m 5’9.5″ tall and practically inactive. I’m going to say 216.
Well, I was about right. 216.8 lbs. But here’s the kicker. It’s not necessarily the weight I’m concerned about. It’s how I feel. I don’t feel good. I want to be able to walk down the street and feel like an attractive member of society, not another stereotype of the typical American image.
A friend of mine ran the Boston Marathon this year, thankfully unharmed by the bombings that shook the finish line on that beautiful afternoon. He inspired me to think about how I could actually accomplish it if I really wanted to. My awesome mom, having just visited me with my dad, dropped a hint about finishing my last year at BU by running the marathon. How awesome would that be? I think it’d be an experience right up there with celebrating my 21st birthday on top of Mount Vesuvius in Italy… to the minute. (Even adjusting for time zone difference as well, of course.)
So. Friends and family on the other end of ChristmasLightsTheSoul who haven’t heard from me in a very long while (what an incredible semester it has been!!!): ARE YOU WITH ME?! I’ll be posting about each of my workouts periodically (trust me, I don’t think you want me to blog everyday about the same thing over and over again…) and keep you in touch with how it’s going. I have a long term vision of kicking my butt into action this summer with P90X, then beginning a very long, consistent and easy going training schedule in September for the Boston Marathon next April. I hope to take my “before” photos for P90X sometime this week amidst the craziness of work that I have (finals next week!!!) and then properly begin the insanity next week. That’s right. Taking it easy, yet sticking with it. No need to hurt myself!
If you have a moment, I would love to hear from you. I know it’s been a while since I last posted, but I’d really love to hear how things are going. I’ve missed posting on my blog, but one of the nice things about it is that I don’t have to pressure myself. That way, it never gets old! But trust me, you’ll be hearing from me for sure up until next April!
As always, thank you for continuing to follow me. Remember to keep on smiling!
