Let’s try this again
January 11, 2016
Let this be the last time (for the next three months) that I complete Week 1 of Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide. Last year I completed the four weeks of pre-training and pushed through the first six weeks of training. I was getting strong! And then life happened.
My father passed away, and suddenly I was planning a funeral. I couldn’t eat well. I stopped training. I stress-smoked two packs of cigarettes. I drank more beer than usual in the month following his death.
I’m still processing how I feel, seven months later. But this much I know: When things go wrong, I don’t want to be the person who turns to cigarettes and alcohol for relief. That was my father’s move. It used to be my first instinct. He drank himself to the grave, and I won’t accept that lifestyle for myself.
While I can’t undo the damage I’ve inflicted on my body in earlier years, I’m just happy I fought to change. I’m still here. I’m alive and well.
Health, then, for me, is not something I chase for vanity’s sake. I want to be strong enough to run long distances, to hike and backpack across the tallest mountains, and to complete even more crazy obstacle races. I want more life, more experiences, in my years.
So, today, I completed BBG Week 1, Day 1, for what feels like the millionth time. This time, I’m going to complete all 12 weeks. I need to get ready for the Spartan Super. I know it’s early, since the event is in July, but why not? Leaving this here to hold myself accountable. =)
