Thanks, Holly Perkins!

Thanks to Holly Perkins and her awesome 360 workouts on Exercise TV, I have successfully woken up every day for 2 1/2 weeks to exercise! I feel tired, sweaty and invigorated after each workout and it's been good motivation to get up, even when I thought I had a cold.

And thanks to those of you who sent me some advice and encouragement. It really helped a lot. And while I don't know if I'm any closer to my goal (it's been tooo cold, wet and dark to walk outside lately!) I am certainly feeling good about myself.

Only 18 days until we're cruising. CAN'T WAIT!



photo: exercise TV

motivation, where are you?

I'm having a severe lack of motivation to do any sort of exercise lately. I slept in yesterday and practically slept through my ab workout this morning. Any ideas for motivating myself? We're only 38 days away from the cruise and I can't bear to undo all the hard work I've done!

November

This week the sun has really inspired me. So, because of the sun this week I made the goal of getting up every day and exercising, plus going on a walk every day too.

So far so good! Every day this week I have gotten up and done a particularly awesome sweat-inducing work out. I started off the week with some Bootylicious Buns 1 and 2, then moved on to some "Body by Jake" workouts and then today I was introduced to Holly Perkins and her "Fitness 360" workouts. They have left me quite sweaty, and I must say, I've had more energy this week than I have the other weeks when I haven't been so great about working out.

But the best part of the week has been the weather! I have taken a few walks during lunch to the park, and how amazing that I can still do that in NOVEMBER! I realize the forecast calls for rain the next million days, but still.

Yesterday Josh and I took a walk to the post office and it was the most beautiful day by far. I didn't even need a jacket, and coming from a girl who's always cold, that's pretty amazing for November. What I love about walking on Linfield's campus in the fall are the colorful trees. It's really amazing how vibrant the colors are. Here's an example of how beautiful they are. And how pretty the sky is too!

Anyway, here's to continuing my Exercise TV/daily walk routine tomorrow for my fifth straight day :)

P.S. we are now 65 days away from our cruise! Woohoo!

I needed that

Lately I've been busy and haven't made much of an effort to go walking. But this week I really felt the effects of it. I sit a lot during the day and have found myself feeling really restless all week. I have no lack of work, I've just felt so antsy. So today I decided to go for a walk and get out of the office during my lunch break.

And wow, did I need it. I immediately felt better. Breathing the cool, crisp fall air, stepping on and crunching the leaves on the ground, and moving my legs was refreshing. Usually I surf the web and check my hotmail e-mail, read my blog feed or check Groupon during lunch. But I am going to really make it a priority to get out and walk the days I can. Even when it's raining and cold. After all, I sit at my computer all day, so is it really a lunch "break" if I stay on the computer?

Can you imagine a better "pick me up" than Glee tunes?!

So today, instead of a Yahoo search and blog reading, my lunch consisted of listening to Glee tunes (and trying SUPER hard not to sing out loud) and collecting crunchy fall leaves for some fall decorations I'm making for the apartment (you'll have to read my other blog for a post about that!).

 Such pretty leaves!

Six Month Mark

Today marks three milestones: The first being I am in in the sixth month of my challenge, the second being my half birthday and the third is that we're double digits (99 days) away from our cruise!

So far I think my challenge has been going really well. I haven't been able hit the one mile goal I originally started with, but I'm not super concerned by that fact.

If you've been reading over the last month, I've done far more biking than I have walking, and I think it's been a good change. Biking definitely uses different muscles than walking, and I am sure it's only strengthening my legs even more.

Now that I'm 6 months into the challenge and 3 months away from the cruise, I am going to really kick the walking up a notch. I'm going to walk as much as I've been biking, and that has averaged 4 out of 7 days a week. So if you're ever up for a walk and don't mind stopping along the way, let me know. I need to get as much outside walking as I can while the rain holds off, and having a walking buddy always motivates me even more.

This weekend Josh and I are going to spend the weekend at the coast with Ben and Sarah Farley. I hear the weather is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s so hopefully it's true and I can get lots of beach walks in.

I'll post pictures from any walks we take :)

Happy October!