It amazes me when I look over the past year and see some of my accomplishments. I want to discuss four that I'm most proud of: toning up, completing the warrior dash, biking 35 miles for the arts and two complete years with an employer.
In January of 2010 I took my measurements. Well, I thought I did. I measured waist, hips, and thighs. I kickstarted my workouts by adding in strength training. I picked up The New Rules of Lifting for Women. Intimidating as it seemed, I was hooked from the start. Between that change, adding in lots of lean protein and healthier meals, toning began to happen. It was time to start using the smallest notch on my belt. This was glorious! It meant to me, that I most likely have smaller measurements. Well, as of yesterday, the measurements still measure out exactly the same. Which leads me to believe I don't know how to measure accurately. But realistically, to me it's not about what the measurements say. It's how my clothes are fitting and how I'm feeling in them I judge that by. I'm still not fully satisfied, but I'm happy knowing that I am seeing genuine results by continuing a normal diet. This woman still needs her mirco brews.
In September I essentially ran my first 5K.. Well, kind of. I participated in the Warrior Dash. It was 3.08 (almost the 3.1) mile course that included several physical obstacles you had to do. It required a lot of upper body strength, which I had thankfully developed since picking up strength training in January. You had to climb steep walls using only rope, slide down fire poles, tackle water obstacles and various other fun challenges. My two favorites were at the very end. First you had to leap over a couple fire pits. Then, my absolute favorite, you had to jump through a mud pit and crawl under barbed wire - making you a complete mess. After the race, I downed my free beer and inhaled a banana and attempted to be hosed off by the fire department. However, at 50 some odd degrees in the cold Wisconsin weather, I was quickly deterred from that.
Another accomplishment I never imagined doing was completing a 35 mile bike ride. It was Biking for the Arts (childrens). I'm a huge supporter of keeping children busy - busy children are kept off the streets and out of major trouble, keeping them out of my hair. I'm also a big fan of riding my bike. I ride all over my town, but purely for fun. I also had never ridden anything over 17 miles in one day. In the end, I averaged an awesome pace and completed it with two co-workers. We had a blast, and celebrated our 35 miles with 35 ounces of beer.
This leads me to my final moment. I've been employed with my current employer for two years now. I've worked with the same corporation for more than two years in the past, but I've always moved locations, seeking something new. When I started this job, it was asked that I stay minimum of two years to cover how much they put into me regarding training. Things have happened with this job that I never thought possible. I have seen things I wish I could forget. I have laughed more at work than I ever have. With the good, comes the bad, but often I feel the bad is most focused on. I do hope to work on getting into a more positive perspective of the position, but until then, each day is different from the next.
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