I'm totally addicted!

So I am ready to admit it - I have a true addiction. I think about it a lot and I often spend time in my head thinking about when I'll be able to do it next or how I will be able to do more of it. I spend time thinking about how I can squeeze more hours into my days so that I can be sure to get enough of it. I often plan my sleeping and drinking schedules around it. I rationalize to myself why I do it so much and on days when I am not planning on doing it, I talk myself into do it before it is even light out. I just can't get enough!!

I am totally addicted to exercise!!!

I guess there are worse addictions, huh. If you are going to have an addiction, it's probably a good one to have. As I have written about before, I have been loving running for a long time and have really enjoyed seeing how far I can push myself by putting in some miles over the years. However, with the fall I had in October, I have been tentative to run outside in the dark... which has lead to me exploring and expanding on some of the other early morning exercise that I do. Spinning has been such an amazing workout. Our instructor is amazing and works hard at getting my heart rate up and keeping it up for the entire hour. My heart rate monitor lets me see the "payoff" that comes from that class by seeing the "total calories burned" at the end of the hour. Plus, I LOVE the feeling of sweat dripping down me and totally drenched clothes. For me, it's the sign of a goal accomplished and time well spent.

Swimming (for exercise) has been something that I have been trying to talk myself into for a long time.. but just like being a new kid at school, i have been intimidated to go to the pool and try something new around others that clearly knew what they were doing... but this past January, I talked my morning running partner into joining me at the pool and I have been a total swim junkie ever sense. I love the refreshing feeling of being in the pool. I love feeling my heart rate up high and being out of breath, but not feeling the sweat because I am wet from swimming. I love pushing myself to swim just "one more lap" and then realizing it isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I love knowing that I am getting a full body workout in when it doesn't feel like it. I love knowing that I can do it when only a few months ago, i didn't think I could.

Running... well that will probably always be my favorite. I have been forcing myself to use the treadmill (or better known as the dreadmill) through the winter. It is just awful to be on that thing and I can't seem to get myself going for more than 30 minutes when on it, but once I can get back outside in the light... I know that longer distances are in store for me. There is something magical about taking my stress on the road for a run... it just doesn't seem to know how to follow me. The peace that comes from a run is something that I don't feel in any other time. Although, I am in awe of those that train for a marathon, i am not sure that I have the time commitment to do that anytime soon - however, I do hope to be able to keep up long distance runs for "fun."

On top of these, I also take a weight training class 2x week. Although i don't love that like I do the cardio workout, I know that the weight training is something that is important for my long term well being and perhaps even my tone.

So... here is my problem... I can't seem to fit all these in!! I want to swim more, I want to run outside more, but I don't think I am willing to give up anything that I am currently doing to allow for more of the other... so for the past several weeks, I have just been adding on when possible. I have started doing a quick swim before spin, or a quick dreadmill run before a swim or expanding my weekday workouts to add on days in the weekend. I am excited for summer when I will have more time and more daylight to fit more in! I wish that I could figure out how to pull of a tri-athalon, but between pricey entry fees, the special clothes that are needed, and the tiny dilemma that I don't have a bike... I am not sure it's going to work. But, I will continue to train for one - even if it is just one sport at a time!

So, one would think that I would be a super ultra skinny girl with all this exercise. Unfortunately not. I exercise for the feeling of accomplishment, for the feeling of pride, for the stress reduction and for the solitude.... but I also exercise so that I can eat. I don't stress about what I eat, I don't calorie count. I don't analyze every piece of food that goes into my mouth and what that means in terms of minutes at the gym. I think I am in a good place...

I exercise because I like it.

I eat because I like it.

all is good :)