Project Stroller Strides Weeks 3 and 4 / Dedication

Some really amazing things happened last week. It started on Monday when despite having a doctor appointment 40 minutes after Stroller Strides wraps up; despite the appointment being all the way across town and despite the fact that I would first have to drive home, drop the girls off with their father and rush, sweaty and tired to the doctor - I went anyway. I went - even though I had informed my instructors the week before that I would have to miss class both Monday and Tuesday. I went – and afterward felt empowered and energized for having done so. I went – and it felt great!

Well… I should disclose that it also could have been the fact that at the doctor I tipped the scale 12 pounds lighter than I did when I was there in January. I know that In January I had clogs and a winter sweater on in January and that weight was not accurate, but was it 12 pounds inaccurate??? Class or results from class either way I WAS PUMPED! Like cheerleader pumped. Like random shouting out “Whooh!” and “Yeah!” and clapping my hands pumped… you know??? Cheerleader pumped.

I did not make it to class on Tuesday. I did my best- rushed from an early appointment back home to get the girls but still could not make it. My husband who was able to work from home to watch the girls for me had the girls happily playing and still in their PJs when I got back. As it was I only had 10 minutes until class started and it is a 15 minute drive from the house. I could have gone late, jumped in wherever they were and gotten whatever I could have out of the class, but sunscreen, clothes, water, snacks, it was not going to happen. I felt guilty. I had a legitimate excuse but I felt guilty. I liked that I felt guilty though. I said it before, I don’t usually like working out. I have always be one to use any little excuse for why I can’t make it to the gym.

*Oh look, I have to re-lace my sneakers -Might as well skip the gym today.*


*What? My water bottle is in the dishwasher? Guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to go for a run.*


*sun is out I’ll go swim in the ocean instead of swimming laps at the gym. Then the ocean is too cold…*

A lifetime of lame excuses and never a twinge of guilt… One day of good intentions not working out and tons of guilt. I like this! Something that’s fun yet challenging, I want to be there and I am seeing results!

The best part of my week without a doubt was being told three different times that my…*Ahem* ’gut’ was looking smaller. Although my darling husband has also been telling me that I am looking thinner, fitter, and better; and to hear this from him has felt great, these were three non-family members and that felt amazing! I will admit that I took an extra glance in the mirror a few times last week to see if I noticed a difference. I do feel different - I feel better, stronger and quite often sore but thinner? I wasn’t sure. I might have been standing a little taller since the compliments. I might have held my head a bit higher and let my shoulder fall back down where they belong instead of wearing them as earrings but a flatter tummy? Maybe… I will just have to keep at it!

This week I made a promise to myself that I would make up my missed class from last week by going to four classes this week. Monday and Tuesday at my normal location – no problem! Great workouts…hard workouts. I was feeling sore and knew that Wednesday’s class was a hard core cardio class. Monday and Tuesday had been a lot of lunges and my quads were on fire. Could I run and do jacks and hard core cardio? Thursday’s class would also be a brutal (in a good way) cardio workout. Was I really this dedicated? Wouldn’t just one day of do nothing… Hanging with the kids…being bums just be so nice? We could do whatever we wanted to… No, I promised myself and I would feel better after so even though I tried to find any excuse last night for why I wouldn’t make it to class today I went to bed knowing that I would be there, sneakers on, ready to sweat.

If you don’t already know my almost 18 month old daughter still does not sleep through the night. I am sure it stems from my fear that she would wake her sister so I perpetuated a behavior that I would give just about anything to stop. I say just about anything because we haven’t given a concerted effort to getting her to sleep through the night. At any rate, after giving Lily a few ounces of water at midnight she decided to sleep through until 8am. EIGHT AM!?!?!? Why can’t you girls sleep until 8am on any random day of the week when I don’t have anywhere to be? Why on Sunday mornings do you both insist after a broken night of sleep to be up at 5:30 or 6 o’clock in the morning? Today we needed to be fed, dressed and out the door by 8:30am! I can’t get myself out the door in a half hour without kids. NO! This is not going to be the excuse for not going to class! I said I was going to go. I promised myself I was going to go. I am going to go!

Gate the girls in the living room in front of the tv and get water and snacks ready along with something to substitute for breakfast in the car. Find my sneakers somewhere in the chaos a comb through my hair and hope I have a hat in the car because I don’t have time to look for one. I didn’t. Slather both kids with sunscreen, comb their hair throw clothes and shoes on them and coax into the car. We might just make it. I am starving and I am sure the kids are too. It’s colder than I anticipated and I am worried they might be cold and cranky and hungry, but we are on our way. I inhale a protein bar argue with grace about her hair being in a ponytail and the music on the radio, but it’s 8:50am and we are out of the house.

We made it!! We had about 3 minutes to spare but we got to class and got through it. There is something though about starting your day in chaos. I was sure that once we got to class and got going the last hour and a half would just melt away. Maybe it was the fact that it’s overcast today. Maybe it is the fact that my legs feel like lead weights and I could not muster much coordination today. Maybe it is the photos Kelly took of us in class today; and unflattering butt shot of me jogging down a hill and a horrifying profile mid sit-up with a gigantic spare tire jumping from under my shirt, but I will tell you one thing…. I am motivated to get my butt (and spare tire) out of the house tomorrow morning for Stroller Strides. I am dedicated to never looking like that in another photo for the rest of my life!

Killer Cardio Thursday… Bring it on!