100 days (in a row) of intentional movement

I know.  What sick-o thought it could be done?  John Bingham, that's who.  He started all of this nonsense.  You might remember a blog post back in late December when I wrote about the upcoming 100 Day Challenge.  Well, it's over.  Just like that.  2011 is flying by, and I have a chart filled with 100 stickers to prove it.  This all sounds like a big downer, but I have to tell you about the upside to it all.  I followed through with the challenge!  Check out my happy little sticker-filled chart...

Normally, I don't do well with challenges.  I don't get the hype.  I can't stand bloggers blabbing on and on about the 72 different challenges they're participating in for the week.  I simply don't care!  I'm not at all motivated by any of it.  I work best with personal goals vs. outside sources prompting me to do things.  This is true for pretty much everything I do.  However, there was something different about this challenge.  I liked that there weren't any unreachable goals involved.  John stated he wanted us to get in "intentional movement 30 minutes a day for 100 days".  I can do that!  What I cannot commit to is something like...

• "Do 1,000 push ups every day for 100 days straight."...or...
• "Run 10 miles a day for 100 days in  a row."...or...
• "Forget that you have a husband & children & work & a mountain of laundry that needs to be folded while you hang out at the gym for hours on end."

Good God.  If I could do all that, I'd be on cloud nine (or single by the time it was said and done...and possibly Super Woman).  However, that's not what I want or need.  What I want is simple.  I want to run 11 races in 2011 - as injury free as possible.  I've been planning for this since before 2011 started.  I need to be well trained for upcoming race events.  I knew if I didn't keep going with my training, I wouldn't be ready for any of the races I had already registered, paid, and committed to run. The 100 Day Challenge kept me moving & training for these races during some of the darkest days of winter here in the Pacific North West.  There were periods of time I did not want to continue with the challenge at all, but I knew you guys were reading & would totally bust my chops if I decided to give up for no good reason. lol  [Nothing like a little public accountability, eh?]   You have no idea how many nights my husband and I would take off for a 3, 4, or 5 mile run in complete darkness after work. Week after week after week. We looked utterly ridiculous with reflective safety vests, visors holding two headlamps each, and winter running gear.  I never once wanted to go for a run when it was 35 degrees, so dark I could only see one sidewalk square ahead of me (even with two headlamps), and pouring rain...but I was so proud of my efforts once it was said & done. 

During the course of the 100 Day Challenge, I decided to kick it up a notch & joined a gym.  I've thoroughly enjoyed having the option to workout at home....or head to the gym on days I need an extra push.  I realize nobody there gives a hoot what I'm doing, but in my mind they're keeping me accountable one some level.  Crazy?  Who cares. It's working for me.  There were many days, especially days marked on my training chart as "rest days" that I did my physical therapy exercises for 30 minutes & called it good.  Those exercises are challenging for me.  [Duh, I wouldn't be in need of physical therapy if they were easy! lol]  Intentional movement doesn't mean busting your ass every single day.  Rest days are important.  I simply chose to do low impact / non-running related workouts on my rest days.  Especially if you want to avoid injury.  And don't even get me started with the exercise I've been doing the past few weeks.  Our front yard has been totally yanked out & re-sodded.  The backyard was basically a weed filled gravel pit when we moved in over Halloween weekend.  For the past four weekends in a row, I have done nothing but shovel gravel, dig holes and haul rolls of sod.  I'm working muscles that should never be worked (in my opinion)! lol

It's not too late for you to take on this challenge!  And there's nothing stopping you from doing it all over again if you're motivated to keep moving.  If you'd like to print a blank chart, click here. 

Get moving!  Print a 100 Day Challenge Blank Chart today.