I got into shape.. So what's next??

For the past year, I’ve been determined to get myself into shape. Back in 2005, I was doing OK, because I was running a lot. I even managed to finish a couple of marathons. But in retrospect, even though I could run 26.2 miles, my overall fitness wasn’t that great. I ignored my core, didn’t do any strength training at all, and couldn’t be bothered to do a push-up. Even though my endurance was pretty good, I had loads of room for improvement.

                 

Then I got complaisant. I started running less and less, until I was hardly running at all. Gradually, any muscle I’d built up had reverted to flab. By the time I turned 42, I had a nice little muffin top. I figured that once you reach 40, these kinds of changes are inevitable. Right?

               

Last year, I decided to put that theory to the test…could a 42 year old woman actually lose the flab, rebuild all that lost muscle and uncover her abs?  I started doing home video workouts and – within months – I’d shed the extra weight. I wound up weighing 10 pounds less than I did when I finished high school. By adding strength training, I achieved definition in my arms, my shoulders… and yes, even my core. Today, I feel strong, fit and I know that, if I keep up my daily fitness routine, I'm likely to stay active for decades to come. Which is great...

                 

But now that I'm in shape, what do I want to DO? That’s the next question.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my home workouts. The 30-45 minutes I spend working out most days offers a tremendous payoff, in terms of conditioning and strength.



A few weeks ago, in my online group, another member realized that for a long time, he’d been eating right and exercising to lose weight. Now, he’s realized that the excess weight is gone – and he can embrace running… or hiking … or cycling… simply for the joy of doing it. Now, workouts are designed to sculpt the body, make little adjustments, maintain endurance – but that huge, long-term weight loss goal has been achieved. This involves a huge shift in mindset, and it’s one that I’m still coming to terms with myself. Now, I think I need another goal.

A few weeks ago, I had my first tennis lesson – ever. I’ve always wanted to learn to play, but have never taken the time. Believe me, I was awful. But I had fun, I know a lot of people who play, and it’s something I can learn. I've been toying with the idea of pulling my running shoes out of the closet again... maybe another 10K is in my future... or maybe a half-marathon?

I’ve always wanted to climb a mountain – not Everest or anything, but something challenging...

Will that be in my future? Who knows… but at least I know that it's possible. Stay tuned!