One Personal Challenge Completed

Day 12

Our school district, like so many other organizations, holds a fitness contest to motivate employees to exercise and get healthy. I am sure this comes from some type of group insurance incentive. Each team selects a name and is equally positioned with members who exercise weekly between zero hours and up. You guessed it – I was our team’s zero minute person. Each year at about the middle of the challenge I ask myself the all-telling question “why am I doing this?” and then I promise myself never to join in the “fun” again. Well today here I am, ending my third year of participating.  And can you believe it; our team is winning the challenge. Today we turned in our last exercise log for the contest. I have never, I mean never, exercised so much in my entire life – not even as a kid I am sure of it.

So tonight I am reflecting on this challenge just as Stacey http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/reflection/ has suggested that we reflect on the Slice of Life challenge to date .  Soon, I will take Stacey up on this suggestion but first, I better reflect on this fitness challenge before the word exercise escapes me, until next year. 

What I have learned or confirmed:
Through this challenge I have learned that I am a team player.  I could not let my team down. I pushed myself each week to increase my minutes, as I really wanted to contribute to the team.

I have confirmed that I am an honest person because there were nights when I was complaining that my husband would jokingly say, “ah just say you exercised.” He knew, just like him, that I could never be dishonest not even about a minute.

And I have learned that you can’t force a person to do much in life if they really don’t want to. While my daughter joined me several nights when she was home, my husband refused my invitations. I don’t know, maybe those cheesy exercise Cd's frightened him!  I know the Belly dancing Cd was hard to finish, I was laughing hysterically!

I confirmed that there is something in me that just doesn’t want to admit that exercise can feel good and it isn’t really that bad once you get in a routine. I am trying to be honest with myself. The truth is deep down I still dislike the thought, but the treadmill has become my friend, especially when I strategically leave a book on the treadmill waiting for me until the next time I step on. Let’s face it, who can leave an unfinished book? So, I have also learned that reading isn’t only a necessity for me, it can also be a reward or incentive.

Oh, and yes, the truth, how is it possible to gain three pounds when you are exercising more than ever? There really is no reflecting on this. Well okay, I am supposed to be an honest person… I could keep a food journal!

Seriously though, this learning tells me that I have to open my mind to the idea and routine of exercise. That I don’t really hate it as much as I say I do, just almost as much.

The real test of this reflection comes tonight... Will I or won’t I?