Accountability and Progress - Day 440

It is hard to believe that I've almost finished round #5 of a 90 day program that some said I would never complete. I find it hard to believe myself, that through all of the traveling and temptations of ice cream and beer that I have stuck with it. That cheat day on Saturdays does help. But truthfully, after sticking with it for 90 days it does become a habit/routine and the small helping of ice cream every once in awhile is okay. Let's face it in my 45th year, I really do not need to look like Arnold, I just need to be fit and healthy. I'm good with that, but a little voice in my head is always pushing me harder. That's also okay, as long as I keep it in check and it really does help me to exercise everyday.

I've recently added a new variation to my regiment. Kettle Bells. A Russian torture device that looks like a cannon ball with a handle. Most men start with a 35lb bell or one pood equal to 18kg. There are many different exercises that can be performed with it, but the most popular and torturous is the two handed swing. It takes a strong focus, great technique, and pure determination. Unlike most exercises, it is not something that can be paced or modified. There's one speed only. After 5 minutes of swinging, my heart rate is up to 200 bpm, and it seems like it takes me another 10 minutes to stop breathing heavy. I really need to learn how to breath better! Not an exercise that I would recommend for anybody before at least one round of the X!

I'm really loving the coaching aspect of this as well. On one side I have the newbies with all sorts of enthusiasm at getting started after usually months of "does it really work?", in the middle are the people who are saying I'm getting incredible results or "I have lost two sizes but the scale hasn't changed", and at the end are the happy graduates who can't believe the change they have made, and like me have no desire to stop feeling so good. Every once in awhile, somebody stops after 90 days feeling great about their accomplishment, but not willing to continue the devotion, generally, I see them back in the swing of it after a month.

As an example, our neighbors just completed their first round last week. Nancy was an avid runner before the X and had a lot of reservations about doing the X, and not having enough time to go running. I told her to do the X for one month, and then add back in running. She just went running for the first time in three months this week. She was pretty nervous beforehand she said. A three mile run after 90 days seemed like a lot. She actually got bored running and didn't even enjoy it.....personally, I never understood running in the first place, so it is tough for me to understand. But I do like knowing that the X got her in so much better shape than her daily running did in the past. And now, given the choice, she is sticking with the X. She's ready to add in the Kettle Bells!

Financially speaking, coaching is great! I may have mentioned before that I really only did the business side as a tax write off. Now I'm shopping for a pool in the backyard and expect ground breaking to commence next spring!