The Scenario

I signed up for a 5K run earlier this year. I’m not quite sure what possessed me to do so, but I thought it’d be fun; I even convinced friends and family to join me. Some family, namely my sister, laughed at me, repeatedly reminding me that I haven’t run since…well, playing tag in grade school? She is right; I don’t even own a pair of running shoes. In my defence, it was January at the time and I was certain that I would be in shape by the time May rolled around- five months later. Suffice it to say, I clearly haven’t started training for the 5K. Chalk it up to the delusional thinking of a grade A procrastinator.

Now I’m in panic mode. There are only 30 days left!

The Solution

Get off my lazy ass and move. Simple, right?

The Challenge

This month’s Project UrbanSimplify challenge isn’t so much a challenge but a commitment to be active. I am committed to the following:

1. Walk a minimum of 2km a day, on weekdays. This is the distance from the nearest subway station to my office. I usually take the shuttle bus but as long as there isn’t snow, I’ll walk. On weekends, I have the choice of a 2km walk, 6km bike ride or a half hour date with Jillian Michaels.
2. Spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day doing a physical activity with the kid. This can include going for a brisk walk or bike riding. In the case of a rainy day, take him swimming at the condo pool.
3. Do yoga twice a week.

In my fit of genius, I also signed Daniel up for the run to keep me company. He’s currently in between soccer seasons and, with his travel schedule, he’s been out of exercise and in a lot of restaurants. To get back into shape, he’ll be doing a daily Focus T25 workout in preparation for soccer starting at the end of the month.

Health, of course, is not limited to exercise. It includes a well-balanced diet which, for the most part, we do. As part of my commitment to health this month, I will also share a few of my food philosophies and, perhaps, a recipe of two.

Last Word

Health and wellness are integral to living happy and well-balanced lives. I truly believe that, but in practice, I struggle with the staying active side of things. Daniel, constantly tells me that exercise is a forum to release pent up aggression, anxiety and frustrations, which we’re both experiencing due to busy schedules. I hope with sticking to my commitments, it will calm my mental and emotional state. And, give me a super toned body. And allow me to run 5K without having a heart attack.