Accountability: When Do I Need It?

One of my goals for this semester is to hold myself more accountable. Typically I like to rely on others or some form of structure to keep me on track. I did it tonight, in fact. I went to spinning despite not wanting to because I had made an agreement with a friend to go. After all, everybody needs somebody sometimes, but when it comes to my personal health (among other things), I don't want to need somebody! I want to be strong enough to do it alone so that I can help someone learn to be authentically accountable for themselves.

A more long-term goal of mine that I believe will be much more attainable if I complete my 16 weeks is to get my parents involved in more physical activity. I've talked to my mom about the classes I'm attending and the increases in mileage I'm able to accomplish hoping to motivate her to get started with a plan. In class today, we discussed the impact that people in our environment have on us and the impact we have on them. Maybe some people need someone or something to hold them accountable at first to see the intrinsic rewards that come from living a healthier lifestyle. I think I did and do need someone, but I have a pretty convoluted past when it comes to fitness.

Week 3 Monday & Tuesday

Monday is typically my day off. I have a friend coming into town on Friday from Columbus though so I'd like to get some of my weekend fitness classes in during the week to spend more time with her. This week, I met up with my workout buddy, Emily, at the rec center at 9:00PM to do a 30 minute ab workout. I'm sore a day later and I'm sure more is on the way.

Tuesday (today) was tough. I had to get a little work done before I got to the rec center after class. Fortunately, that didn't take quite as long as I thought it would, but it was as frustrating as I thought it would be. I did my typical warm up of 15 minutes on a cardio machine, an arc today and then lifted arms. When I "lift arms," I honestly don't do a lot - between 4-5 exercises each time, but it's plenty for my level at the moment. Afterwards, I ran my six miles that I referenced above and it felt great to be outside where it was warm. I know I'm getting back into running when I don't rely on my iPod to entertain me during the run. I've been feeling like it's more of a distraction from the experience rather than a supplement. This is a good sign. Emily and I ended our days with a 45-minute spinning class.