just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

I love to get out there and get the blood moving.

In theory.

In reality it's much harder to do - I talk myself out of exercise all the time. The fact is that I'm conflicted. Despite my lazy attitude, I am addicted to how I felt last year. Laugh as you may, in 2005 I joined Good Samaritan's Bridal Bootcamp. We met three times a week for twelve weeks and let me tell you, it was the best feeling ever. I did the session three times before my wedding in August 2004 and I dropped tens of inches and 20 lbs. I am their greatest advocate!

Now I'm seeking to regain that without having to make the trek out to Good Sam. With my new job directly north of me instead of to the east (which made Good Sam on my way home) it's just not going to work. Plus the cost has increased by more than 30% which is good for them and not so much for me.

So when I actually do get myself going, it's usually on my own. The group exercise at bootcamp showed me that I really do get results when I'm being motivated (yelled at), but I just can't seem to carry that over when I'm on my own. It's not so much the physical challenge - I really enjoy pushing myself to my limit. The mental challenge is more difficult. As my cousin aptly said, it feels somewhat pointless. I find my mind wanders and I'm not engaged with the activity that my body is doing. So physical exercise is a mental exercise for me. Now that I own an iPod I will attempt to keep my mind focused through music and rhythm. A focused distraction technique, if you will.

I have been doing Pilates at home right now, during the cold(er) months, and I have occasionally hit the trail with a friend. In fact, Rachael and I just ran four miles together on the Prairie Preserve last week. Of course, I couldn't move the next day. And she told me I run fast - which I find to be a joke because I felt I was holding her back.

I will run the Shamrock Shuffle this year. It's one of my cultivations and my dad, Rachael and I will be attempting it together. For my dad, it will be a breeze - after all he has run countless marathons in his life and he has run for as long as I can remember. I can't speak for Rachael. But I know that it will give me the same sense of satisfaction that I felt when I completed the Elvis is Alive 5k in 2003. If nothing else, I can just repeat Dory's line over and over to keep myself going: just keep swimming, just keep swimming.