Week One of Challenges...DONE!

It is with a scream mixed with pain and delight that I have finished week one of the monthly challenges.   Delight because I am done the week and pain because my body is aching and right now, it is not a good ache.  Not every day is a bad ache but due to an unexpected house guest, I actually had to double up the days so I was still on track.  I was fine up through the 90 leg lifts but at the end, when I was doing the 40 sit ups, I felt like I was going to throw up.  And there will be more tomorrow.

But after a shower, I feel much better.  Water is a huge part of me. I love water, thrive in water and I swear, I spent 90% of my free time during pregnancy standing in the shower.  When I feel at my lowest, I just need to stick my body into some water and I feel all the pain, worry and anything else bothering me just wash away.  So yes, water was a big part of the challenges this week both for exercise (swimming) and for healing (warm showers).

When I signed up for the challenge, I didn't look at the end of the challenge, I focused only on the beginning.  After the first day, I looked through the month and my first thought was, "Oh my god, how am I going to do the last week?"

That first day, I was lucky if I could do five sit ups without needing a rest.  I hurt in ways I didn't realize I could and I struggled through each exercise.  A ten second plank made my body shudder as I tried to stay in position.  I felt completely deflated the first day but I shrugged and said, "It is only day one Sirena, you can't expect to be in shape on the very first day."

Thankfully, I didn't give up and instead, I kept at it for the entire first week.  And you know what?  I actually learned a few things over the last week and thought I would share them.

1. Giant breed of dogs are quite annoying when you are exercising.  I have an English Mastiff who feels the need to snuggle up nice and close when you are doing leg lifts.  I have since begun shutting her into a different room when I work out...and I get to listen to her whining at me because of it.
2. I can do anything when I put my mind to it.  Yes, it is hard but I have the ability to take control and keep working for it.
3. It does get easier...but at the same time it gets harder.  One week in, I can do 25 sit ups without needing a rest and I can do a 30 second plank without the fatigue.  I can also do 20 crunches, 10 push ups, 35 leg lifts and 25 squats without feeling too bad.  Of course, the numbers are now above those numbers so that is why it does get harder.  It is still challenging, even with seeing the improvement.
4. I can see the improvement.  Weight wise, I don't think I have lost much this week but I can feel the tightening of muscles that I long gave up on. I can also feel that I lost some inches.  I was hoping to go another 10 pounds before picking up some clothes but it is more than apparent that I have to go very soon (my pants will not stay up...which can be quite embarrassing).
5. Cats are equally annoying as dogs when it comes to working out. My cat Charlie likes to target me when I am in the middle of the plank.  He will run his body up one side of me and down the other before crawling under my chest and rolling over to look up at my face.  I would put him in a different room but he hides out of sight until I am at my weakest. I want to believe it is encouragement but when he starts licking my feet, I know he is doing it to be a butt head.
6. I feel better about myself.
7. My kids and husband are proud of me. I never realized how important it was to my kids for me to workout.  They used to bug me weekly about joining Kung Fu with them but I thought it was because they just wanted me to be at every class. I have realized this week that it had nothing to do with the class and had everything to do with wanting me to be healthy...As they say, from the mouth of babes.
8. It is a bit embarrassing having my kids be proud of me.  Not that I don't enjoy it but when they come into the room, sit down on the floor beside my head as I am panting through the 40th leg lift and they start chatting, their eyes sparkling with happiness, I feel a little embarrassed that I am so out of shape.  It is also very hard to discuss Pokemon while you are trying to keep count of your crunches. But I don't send them away, I simply work through my embarrassment and it is very cute when they start doing sit ups...or laps...or leg lifts with me.   

As you can seen, I learnt a lot this week and I am actually looking forward to the challenges next week.  At the beginning of last week, my least favorite thing to do was the crunches but now, it is definitely the sit ups.  I am sure that by the end of next week, it will be something different that I hate doing...possibly the leg lifts, but I will keep doing the challenge.  

On Wednesday, I will be measuring the inches lost when I do my weekly weigh in.  Please feel free to share your own journey on here as I love hearing from everyone.