A Different Type of Committment

Or alternately, How I'm Getting My Behind in Gear

I am not one of those "naturally thin" people and have always had to be active to stay in shape. Growing up, I danced competitively year-round, which kept me healthy. I guess I took being active and having scheduled workouts for granted. Once college hit, the pounds packed on and I had to find a new way to stay in shape. My main downfall, however, always seems to be a lack of sustained commitment.

I certainly always start with gusto, but once I plateau and stop seeing results, my motivation wanes. Dancing was perfect for me because it was scheduled, and I was held accountable for being there. (Plus, I loved it, and it certainly didn't feel boring and tiresome like a lot of other exercise feels to me.) I've done plenty of dance-type exercise, which I find keeps the boredom factor at bay, but I still struggle with accountability.

Over the summer I decided that I was going to train for my first race, a simple 5K. I had run for exercise for years, but never trained for a race. Once I signed up there was no going back, and it certainly held me accountable. I really enjoyed having a goal and being able to achieve it was incredibly rewarding. I vowed to sign up for a 10K, but it never happened. Soon it was dark and cold and I was back inside being lazy.

Now that times a-ticking and wedding bells are getting closer and closer, I knew I had to do something to get myself back on the healthy track. I finally bit the bullet and signed up for the Monument 10K, one of the biggest races in Richmond. Mr. Hawk and I also signed up for the training team and have already completed our first two group runs. I'm very excited because running is one of the best workouts I've found for keeping in shape, and between signing up for the training team with Mr. Hawk and announcing it to all of you, I will certainly be held accountable! I can't wait for Mr. H and I to accomplish this goal together.

Does anyone else struggle with sticking to an exercise program? How do you keep yourself motivated?