A Winter Challenge

by | Nov 19, 2014 | Throwback | 20 comments

I had such a groove going.  Run every other day.  Sometimes it was 2 miles.  Sometimes it was 3.  But every other day, without fail, I was out running.

And then came the excuses.  It’s dark out.  I’m tired.  My joints hurt.  I washed my hair today…

It stopped being important to me.  I stopped making it a priority.  In the last three weeks I have hardly run at all.

And suddenly I’m familiar with what everyone calls the winter slump.  Okay, maybe no one calls it that–or maybe they do.  But it’s what I’m calling it.

But the thing is, I like running!  I like being active.  I like how it makes me feel and I like how it changes my body!

So here I am, implementing a little bit of a challenge.  The goal is to workout 5 days a week this winter.  It can be any combination of the 7 days in the week, but 5 days–no excuses!

I’m not going to put rules on this except that it has to be 5 days a week.  While I’d like to say I should run 3x a week and do cross training (i.e. some kind of workout DVD) twice a week, I’m sure that if I put those kind of parameters on this that I’ll likely fail.  I say that because if the weather or my workday prohibits me from getting out for a run, I could see myself saying “well, alls lost anyway” and grab a bag of chips and binge netflix instead.
So yeah.  There it is.  A winter workout challenge.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be something.  
Do any of you challenge yourself, fitness wise, in the winter?  Everyone usually panics around New Years and flood the gyms armed with resolutions.  Or two weeks before spring break the bathing suit panic sets in.  I’ve never been one of those people because quite frankly I wasn’t ever a person who works out.  But the winter months can be long, dark and sort of boring.  Once the Holidays pass, at least.  So maybe we can all take this challenge together!

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20 Comments

  1. Love it! As soon as basketball season ends, I'm getting back in the groove. Until then, my workouts consist of helping my girls get better. {And sometimes, that's as much of a workout as I can manage.}

    -Claire
    http://www.fashionandfeathers.com

    Reply
  2. I love it! I've been struggling lately because running is my go-to workout, but I don't like running in the dark and rarely get up early enough. I feel the same way as you- when I have a strict schedule I have an all or nothing attitude. If I didn't make it for a run on running day, oh well start again the next day. Keeping it flexible sounds better! Good luck!

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  3. I have tried to set goals that I am going to workout 5 times a week and have failed almost every time, so this month I have tried a new goal..get in 60 miles by the end of November. Yea…so far it is looking like that goal isn't going to happen but I have been forcing myself to go to the gym and spend more time in there than I probably would have. As of today I have logged 23.5 miles this November – I may not reach my goal but I have found that setting a mile goal has been a lot easier because I am like you – if I miss one day I will be in the mindset "well, alls lost anyways"

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  4. Definitely don't set too many parameters. I like this challenge. I'm trying to do a pilates workout a few times a week but the cardio is harder to fit in.

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  5. Girl, I feel your pain. My main excuse as of late is it being dark outside, it just makes me want to be a homebody. But I'm with you on setting goals. Mine might be 4 days a week but we'll see. I like to do the T25 workouts in my living room when I don't feel like leaving the place (but still get sore afterwards). Have a great HUMP-day over there at Campbell!!

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  6. Ohhh man. I need to do something similar. I am in SUCH a winter slump. It's dark when I get home form work and then I just want to curl up and cuddle… and eat. 🙂

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  7. I love this idea! I definitely need the motivation when it's dark and cold and I just want to wear pjs on my couch and eat pizza. I have been trying to post my workouts to run keeper which keeps me motivated too. When I log in and see all of my other friend's workouts it makes me want to get to the gym!

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  8. I am so there on not feeling motivated lately! It has been a major struggle for me but I am really trying to get back into the groove of working out consistently! This is a great goal!

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  9. You got this, such a good idea! I am 100% aware that it's so much easier to stay committed because Dustin and I do it together and we are kind of each others accountability partners. Without that, I'm sure I'd be in trouble haha! It's so hard to work all day then go home and it be dark & we're tired! We go to the gym 3 nights a week and try to go once on the weekend. We spend about an hour and 15 minutes and we do abs, cardio then lifting. My goal is to stay focused and continue this schedule and not stop once! The winters are brutal and all of the holiday treats are no help! Me & my stupid sweet tooth…

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  10. It is hard to motivate yourself sometimes, especially when there is all this good food, holiday movies, and layers of clothes to cover the stuff you don't like. I plan to stick with my five day a week works outs, try to do as good as I can with food…but allow myself to enjoy this time of year as well.

    I always used to laugh the first week of January when I avoided the gym because of all the people that would come flooding in for about 3 weeks before they gave up for next year. I think it is great if people want to set goals and get a fresh start, and if that is January 1, then so be it….but make realistic goals you plan to stick to! If you never went to the gym before….going 5 days a week right away isn't going to make you want to stick to it…ya know. I plan on doing a 21 day sugar/alcohol/dairy cleanse after the holidays….the only reason I wont do it now is because I am not going to deprive myself on my two favorite days of the year! haha!

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  11. I FEEL YOU. I was doing so good running at least 4 times a week for several months and then I just completely fell off the wagon. I've run a few times over the last couple of weeks but nothing like I used to, and I can feel it. So, thankfully, Isaiah is training for the police academy and has decided to work out 6 days a week, so I'm doing that too. On Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday I'm doing this circuit training workout I have that takes about 30 minutes, and on Monday/Wednesday/Friday I'm hitting the treadmill. It's easier to motivate yourself when someone else is doing it as well – husbands OR blog friends!! We've got this!! (Plus…an excuse to eat more Christmas cookies, AMIRIGHT?)

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  12. This is a great challenge. Less "rules" makes it a bit easier to stick with and in the end you're being active no matter what type of exercise you're doing. 🙂 And 30 minutes really isn't much. Good luck!!

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  13. I'm Jana and it's been almost 2 months since my last workout. I'm definitely in a slump.

    This is a great, manageable idea and I think I'll have to take your challenge.

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  14. Come to think of it…30 minutes a day is nothing. I used to work out on a regular basis but on my own terms (no pushing and yelling and forcing etc). Then I moved this summer and we do have a little gym nearby but it's not inviting…and we don't have zumba classes that would allow me to get more done. So, I stopped doing any of that. I 'm not into working out as much but an inviting class or two is always fun and helpful. So, when my husband and I tried to get back into things we started with 15 minutes only. Didn't want to overpower our muscles. It worked. we then started to add 5 minutes each week and are now on 30 minutes. We got lazy again…so we must get back into this routine…it's a healthy way to stay healthy and happy. We can do this. Let's all do this because this winter is going to be horrible. 🙁

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  15. Great idea! I was doing alright for a while, but fell off the wagon as usual. So damn easy to fall I to a slump, no matter what the season. You got this!

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  16. It really is harder in the winter I swear. But 30 minutes is totally doable! I usually find myself just doing body weight workouts while watching TV in the evenings. The time goes by so fast. But I love running when it's chilly outside. By far my favorite time to run.

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  17. The winter slump is real! Though I've had the fall slump too when it comes to exercising this year, haha. I love this idea and definitely have been trying to come up with my own (realistic) routine to get myself moving!

    Reply

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