I Challenge YOU!

Date: 4/6/2012 - (6 months to the wedding)
Weight: 213lbs (maintained, no loss - no gain)

The other day I came home from work to my usual afternoon routine...take the dog out, get the mail, promptly change out of work clothes into sweatpants, get dinner started then zone out infront of the computer.  As I'm scanning through the latest, lamest and greatest of facebook, I notice someone had posted a photo and caption that said "April Plank Challenge."  I am immediately intrigued.  I can do a plank!  It's actually one of the exercises I don't mind.  So I'm looking over the challenge schedule when I realize the challenge is to be able to do a 5 minute plank by the end of the month.  WTF?!?!  Yes, I said it.  Who can do that?  I was going to just keeping scrolling down but I stopped myself and re-read the schedule.  It starts off slow with 30-40 secs a day for the first week then up to 1 minute 30 secs by the end of next week.  This got me thinking about challenges.

How many times have you thought:  "I can't do this, can I?"  I know I do a lot.  For instance, a week ago at my 5 am training session, Kevin had me do box jumps.  He sets a step on 5 risers, then standing flat footed infront I jump and land on top of the step....softly. Kevin always stresses that part....SOFTLY.  I easily accomplish 5 risers.  Next time around, he ups it to 7, a whole 6 + inches higher than I'm use to.  I start whining (out loud, which does not phase Kev at all) saying I need a mouthguard and I hope I don't smash my face.  He just laughs and says " Get up there."  I swing my arms back and JUMP!  I did it!  Kevin right away says he new I could and that he has more confidence in me than I do. 

This brings up a couple very key points to acheiving a healthier lifestyle.  1)  Take on the challenges that you fear!  Rip that band-aid off, bite you lip, suck it up, and DO IT!  1 of 2 things will happen: you'll succeed or you won't.  If you don't, try again.  If you do succeed....pause for a moment and feel the pride.  Let it wash over you and soak in it for minute!  You'll need to remember that sense of accomplishment next time you come face to face with another fear.  and 2)  If you don't believe you can who will?  Now I think confidence and positive mental attitude is a HUGE part of accomplishing anything in your path.  But we all fall victim to negative thoughts and get off track.  When you are down and out, who is your support system?  Are you surrounding yourself with like-mind people who have similiar goals?  My entire support system is made of a mix of people.  Some join me in my healthy lifestyle physically and some are sideline cheerleaders....either way, they all are very important.  This is something I have to do for me, but it's nice to know even when I doubt myself, someone knows I can do it and is pushing me to do it!

Here is the challenge schedule.  The website is listed under the date, I have used if for other workouts too, so it's nice to reference back to it.  So far I did 40 secs on Monday and 60 seconds on Thursday.  I will now try to stick to the schedule for the remainder of the month.  I challenge you to try something you haven't before.  Start slow like this schedule and work your way up.  I will let you know how this pans out at the end of the month.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!  Let me know what challenges you're trying or join me in the plank challenge!!

Be Happy ~ Be Well

Katie