...to the tune of "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift. Can you hear it?
Anyway, I don't know how to juggle balls. I've tried over the years to throw them up and attempt this maneuver that seems simple enough but end up smacking myself in the face or throwing a ball across the room. Perhaps it's my lack of coordination. I tend to trip and hit sharp edges and corners on tight turns too. Luckily for me, lack of coordination does not equate to lack of flexibility...both literally and metaphorically.
You see, my life is in a state where "balls" are always in the air. I work best under a structured, and somewhat routine based environment, however, curve balls cometh on the daily. As a result, I have learned to be flexible. I have become quite comfortable with winging things and in the last couple of years have REALLY just turned into a fly-by-the-seat kinda gal.
There is always uncertainty when doing things this way. But with that uncertainty comes the excitement and satisfaction that you still got everything accomplished as anyone one else would have had to anyway, without losing your marbles because you're off some sort of track or schedule. It's not for the faint of heart, admittedly but it's working for us.
Most "normal" people that exercise regularly have a routine. A set time, day that they go to the gym or head out for a run. I have friends that are 6 am bootcampers, 5 am crossfitters, 4am long distance runners, midmorning yogis, afterwork gymrats, afternoon cycling machines or weekend warriors. I can't seem to fit in, or be able to commit to any of those with any kind of consistency.
A good friend and exercise buddy and I have the hardest times getting our workouts to "gel". There is always something prohibiting us from getting into any kind of routine together, even if for a once a week workout. We don't quit trying though. Our text messages go something like this: Her: "Cycle Monday?" Me:"I think so, let me check" Her, the night before class:"did you sign up?" Me:"oh, shoot I'll do it now, yes I can do it" Her:"they just cancelled the class" Me:"UGH!" or...Me: "run tomorrow?" Her"Yes, I'm in" Me at 4:45am:"Baby is sick, can't" Her:"That's ok, kiddo is sick here too." If this were two people trying to go on a date, it'd be doomed.
So when unexpected "openings" in our schedules occur, we literally jump for joy. President's Day was that kind of gift to us. Gift to workout...at 5am? Ya, for real. It's a gift. Our cycle class cancelled and we scrambled to find an alternative because OH EM GEE, we don't have to worry about getting the kids off to school in the morning! We can't be wasteful of that opportunity! So, off to Rev class we went. Perky front row, that's us! (well, not the perky part) And what do you do at the end of a date that you just don't want to end? You have a nightcap! Right? For us, that meant a 4 mile run immediately after a full body workout/high intensity spin class. I'll call it a proactive training baby brick! (two back to back workouts swim/run swim/bike bike/run)
Well whatever, you gotta get it in when you can. So we pulled a double! And, we got to catch up too! Win, win, win.
On our run, we discussed the very nature of our schedules and how difficult 'fitting' a workout in can be. I equate it as feeling like an old school switchboard operator. I start the week with a list of workouts that HAVE to be done (you know, for that self imposed plan) and I slot them in to my calendar where I find a hole. I may have to send hubby a text here and there to confirm kiddo coverage or get a feel that my absence would not be a nuisance or burden and also make weather adjustments but I start the week with a penciled plan. Then, the inevitable switching occurs.
I had full on operator duties this week with hubby travelling. This is what it (and I) looked like:
 |
| Me, every. single day. |
Monday DAY 8 - as planned: 1000M swim
Monday switch - Oh hey, holiday! Scrap swim & pull double duty w Rox (Rev & 4mi run), swim tomorrow.
Tuesday DAY 9 - as planned: 1 hour Bike Trainer
Tuesday switch 1 - Aha! Bike trainer day was checked off with spin yesterday so swim in the morning to cover Monday's workout.
Tuesday switch 2 - my alarm went off and hubby turned it off and did NOT wake me. Ah! Swim between soccer practice dropoff and baby pickup.
Tuesday switch 3 - I must be an adrenaline junkie. Soccer practice to gym, 20 min TRAFFIC heavy trip. Had exactly 30 minutes to get 1000M in (and change into dry clothes) before racing to daycare & soccer pickup. Ahh! Only got 900M & was light headed & winded running to the car!
Wednesday DAY 10 - as planned: 4 mile run
Wednesday switch 1 - Run was covered on Monday (yay!) - Run anyway after baby dropoff or Hot Yoga at lunch
Wednesday switch 2 - no run, stay home and wait for appliance repair man - maybe Hot Yoga at lunch or strength training at house while waiting.
Wednesday switch 3 - no lunchtime workout...late to work from 2 hour repair aaaand gotta leave work early to p/u son who's staying late at school for project. Will be home early and weather is gorgeous, so maybe run Sunday's track workout?
Wednesday - sigh. Rest day today. Traffic, tween discipline & study, grocery, dinner & toddler melt down...#hardlyrestful ;)
Thursday DAY 11 - as planned: Rest
Thursday - all caught up, no need to switch Rest day, hooray! but still need Hot Yoga that I missed yesterday, whole body feels tight. Shooting for a lunchtime class. *Update - son forgot lunch and I have to leave early for soccer drop off. #yogamaynothappen **Update - his so called lunch was pathetic! Made him buy lunch, went to Yoga and it was A W E S O M E. Sore all over and it feels so good...and tonight, he will pack a REAL lunch and get up on time to not forget it. ;)
Friday DAY 12 - as planned: 900M drill swim
Friday - half-ish day of work, ride outdoors (for Sat workout) after swim, rain in forecast, may have to get on trainer or join noon spin class
Friday switch - stalked weather all morning and decided to skip swim and go for the ride despite high gusting winds and dropping temps because the weekend rainy forecast looked less promising for a ride. On my way out got an unexpected invite by hubby for a little date time. Cut my ride short but rode hard with a killer headwind. Not quite an hour but 12 hard miles rather than the prescribed easy hour. I'll take it. :)
Saturday DAY 13 - as planned: 1HR easy Bike
Saturday switch - rode yesterday - get a swim in after soccer.
Saturday switch 2 - family day - no swim, gotta pull a double tomorrow.
Sunday DAY 14 - as planned: Track Run 4x800 @5k pace, 400 recovery in between, 2mi at 10k pace (~5mi total)
Sunday switch - track run & 1000m swim I missed & foam roll all the sore muscles.
Yay! Rain threatened all weekend but even got a bike ride trip to the park with babies! Track workout was great but HOT! Sun blaring, balmy and humid...felt like summer! I changed and raced to the gym, my quads were toast and was plain tired but still wanted a good workout so I made my own:
Sure enough, I left the gym in flip flops, shorts and wet hair only to get hit with the windy cold front. Yay, Houston weather! Brrrr. Did some foam rolling during Oscars. I wore my daughter's Sleeping Beauty tiara so I'd fit in. Ha! (Kidding, but I did wear it earlier in the day & forgot about it only to be reminded by a passing jogger while I was loading the kids into the bike trailer "nice tiara"...um. Heehee)
So...did you get all that? I'm not sure if I did but I do know that somehow, it all got checked off. It wasn't pretty but every workout is accounted for and this makes week 2 a success! Check, check and checkity check! I'm wondering if the challenge of getting it all done is my driver. Something to ponder...also, just as a behind the curtain tidbit: I wrote this post on Sunday night (2/15) and have edited the "switches" daily so it's ready to post on Monday (2/23). There would be no other way for me to remember the details of this craziness!
So tell me, do you follow a routine or are you more on the wing-it regimen like me? What drives you to get 'er done? Tell me in the comments below, I'd love to hear from ya!
Valerie
P.S - I think I hit most of my goals for the week I posted here. I've got my HR zones ready for the next training run/ride that requires it, signed up for a small tri (and am contemplating a couple others), got all my workouts in plus yoga and a foam roll. I am short a foam roll session but after this week, I plan on 10-15 minutes per night!
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