I missed a week and a half of Boot Camp this month.
In fact, I really missed a week and a half of almost any exercise.
I don’t like it when that happens.
But the odds seemed stacked against me.
First I got sick.
I’ve been known to go to class when I’m sick because I hate to miss class.
But this time I was really to sick to work out.
Then I went out of town for a week.
I had the best of intentions.
I brought my weights for at home workouts.
I planned to run.
And the first day I did get in a hike and one short run.
But then my son had the stomach flu.
And I injured my foot.
I could hardly put weight on my foot, let alone run on it.
Before I knew it, another week had slipped by.
I was so anxious to get back to exercise and my 1/2 marathon training that I planned to run on my foot until it hurt too bad to run anymore.
Not the best plan, I know.
But I hate missing all those workouts, all those runs, and knowing I’ve been storing up all those unburned calories.
My how times have changed.

I made it to class on Monday night, and it was tough.
Even a week and a half off leaves me feeling sluggish and weak.
My weights feel heavier, and I get out of breath more quickly.
It feels like I’ve taken a big step backward.
It’s frustrating.
But then I realized something.
It wasn’t too long ago that missing a week and a half of working out would have been totally normal for me.
So would missing a month and a half of working out, or even 6 months of working out.
Regular exercise has not been a part of my life for very long.
And so, rather than beat myself up for missing 10 days of workouts, I need to celebrate that that is no longer my normal.
I have a new normal!
Now its a rare day when I don’t exercise.
When I think about it that way, I don’t feel so frustrated.
I feel motivated to get back out there and get going again.
Perspective is everything.

Maybe you’ve been missing some classes.
It’s so hot out, and the last thing you want to do is go to class.
In fact, you might have had ice cream for dinner last night because it was too hot to cook.
Or you’ve been on vacation, and it’s hard to get back to Boot Camp classes.
Your kids are home for the summer and your regular routine is thrown off.
Maybe you have an injury and it feels like a good excuse to cut out workouts.
Or maybe you’ve just taken a break and haven’t gotten back to it yet.
Whatever your reason, it’s never too late to start over.
Think about where you’ve been, think about where you want to go, and then get to it!
Start with one class, one run, one workout, and go from there.
The first workout is the hardest one.
But don’t let it slow you down.
You’ve got this.

When we change our perspective to see all we’ve done, rather than what we aren’t doing, its empowering.
I’ll be looking for you in class, my fellow Campers!
Today is a new day.
Let’s make it count!
Keep on Living Fit!
Greta