As of this morning, I have officially finished my personal Get Fit Challenge. I tried twelve new things, each of them twice (with a blip or two along the way).
It has been *fantastic*!
My goal for the winter was to maintain my fitness and my weight after a good spring, summer and fall of running and training and feeling fit. I have met that goal! My weight has been stable this winter, and I did an hour long run yesterday and did a fine job. Three or four years ago, or even last year, neither of those things would have been true in March.
This challenge was a crucial tool I used to meet that goal.
And it was so much more than I had hoped or planned for, too. I mean, I figured 24 extra workouts would be good. But they led to many, many more workouts than that. I have already incorporated into my regular routine yoga, spinning, effective workouts in hotel gyms with a little folded up page from a magazine telling me how fast to go, and quick morning workouts with a TV instructor when that’s all the time I had to spare. When I started running less because my running pal had to get his leg fixed, I had many other good options at my disposal.
I also learned a lot: It really does help if I make a plan to do something new multiple times before I write it off (this lesson has served me well in many areas of my life, actually). Other people to work out with is a really helpful thing. A time deadline gets me to the gym earlier, and an instructor gets me to work harder. There is a reason they make bike shorts. There is a reason so many people like yoga so much.
And I learned I can withstand feeling like a jackass, and the pay-off for doing so is great.
I also learned a lot about what I *don’t* like: The rowing machine, for sure. Chlorine smell on my skin. Being late to fitness classes. The rowing machine.
I am a little sad about letting go of this challenge. I have other fitness goals for this year – the first contenders are running my first half marathon and incorporating more ambient movement into my life – and I might write about those here since the Get Fit Challenge doesn’t end for another month. But this challenge has been fun, and useful, and educational, and I will miss it.
But mostly I feel pleased with the results, and proud for having done it.
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The goal is simple: In order to meet my 2007-2008 winter goals of staying active and maintaining fitness, I choose to try at least twelve activities I have never done before, each of them at least twice. I will record the results of those efforts here.
