True Confessions: A 6-Pack and a 5-Minute Mile

I have a confession to make. I want a 6-pack. I have wanted 6-pack abs for as long as I can remember, yet despite my best efforts, this goal has always eluded me. Why is that? I even started my own “6 Months to a 6-Pack” program a couple years ago, complete with progress reports and pictures. What happened? After the first two or three months of seeing little or no progress, I just stopped. I gave up. I lost my focus, my motivation, and my determination.

I have another confession—I want to run a 5-minute mile. Not just one—I want to be able to run a 5k at that pace, and then a 10k, and then a half marathon, etc. By this point I am sure you are thinking, “She can’t even manage a 6-pack, and she thinks she is going to run a 5-minute mile? She has her head in the clouds!” And my response to you is, “Perhaps, but I can’t help it. I am a dreamer.”

The thing about me is, I have always been a dreamer. I dream big, but I don’t often see those dreams come true—at least not yet. I want to be married to my soulmate—I am still single at 36 years old. I want to be a millionaire—I am living paycheck to paycheck out of my mom’s basement as I try to pay off my debts. I want to own my own fitness and nutrition coaching business—I am working at an unfulfilling desk job because I haven’t worked out how to pay for the schooling needed for this drastic career change. I want a 6-pack—I have never come close to a 6-pack, not even at my most fit. I want to run a 5-minute mile—I currently can barely run a 10-minute mile. That’s 1 mile. Not a 5k. Not a 10k. Not a half marathon. 1 mile. Hmmm . . .

This week, however, I finally reached the breaking point. I am tired of not seeing my dreams fulfilled, and I am tired of not having the sexy 6-pack abs I have always longed for. So, the time has come. I am going to have a 6-pack by the end of the year. That’s right, it’s time for another “6 Months to a 6-Pack”, only this time I am going to succeed. I am committed. I am focused. I am motivated. I am determined. It’s time. More details tomorrow . . .

Fitness Training Journal - Day 3

I'm not sure today's workout could really be considered exercise. I did get up early, and I went and met my sister at the pool. We were going to work on some Total Immersion (TI) swim drills for the first half hour, and then swim laps for the second half hour. We ended up working on swim drills the entire time, making questionable progress in the whole TI balancing act, and then calling it quits. Guess I need to study those balancing drills a little more before my next swim. If only the book were completely waterproof and I could just take it to the pool with me.

I was going to skip the planned run for today until I remembered the "fun walk/run" fundraising event my older sister, Holly, invited me to. She volunteered at the event, which was organized by her sons' school. So I headed out there with my twin sister, Denise, and her two youngest munchkins, and we did a very slow ChiJog, if there is such a thing, while she pushed the stroller and we both did our best to focus on form as we were weaving around all the walkers. About two miles into it we ran into Holly, standing on the corner, directing traffic, cheering people on, at which point our fun run turned into a fun sisterly chat. We talked to Holly for a while and then headed home. So I guess I got my rest day today after all. Total calories burned: approximately 25.