Operation Gym Coup: Final Review

The whole month of June I had been gearing myself up for the last week and shuffling plans around in my head to find time to hit the gym on Friday, the last day of the month. After all, how can I finish the mission strong if I don't even go to the gym on the last day? The problem was, my man is coming home on Friday! It had only been a month since I'd seen him, but it had been two months since he'd been home and I could not wait! So I had been playing out the day in my head...should I go before work which I hate doing or should I go after work and be stressed out because I gotta get ready to pick him up at 8 pm from the airport.

After all of that stressing, I got pretty excited when I found out what you probably already know. Did you say, "huh?" when you read that Friday is the last day of the month? Well, you should have. I was checking out the calendar during that week guess what I learned. Thursday was the last day of the month! Not Friday. I totally knew that Stud was coming home Friday, July 1st, but for almost the whole month I kept thinking that Friday was still part of June and therefore, part of my mission month. I think this happened because I associated my husband being gone with Operation Gym Coup since the mission took place the (almost) entire length of time between my visiting him in San Diego and his coming home. Makes sense, right? Either way, I will have completed the mission on Thursday and wouldn't have to worry about squeezing in a gym visit on Friday after all! Halelujah! That was a good surprise.

Officially, I have to say that I really shouldn't get so excited about not having to go to the gym just because the month is over and, technically, my mission only lasted one month. I mean, that makes it look like I didn't learn anything, doesn't it?

Officially, I should want to go to the gym on Friday anyway...and most days after that as well.

I got so excited about not being required to go to the gym on Friday that it really reminded me that my attitude about working out isn't where I want it to be. Granted, most of the reason that I didn't want to go on Friday is because, frankly, I didn't care about anything that happened on that day except seeing my husband.  However, there was still a big part of me that wanted the mission to be over so I didn't have to go to the gym and that's the part of me that I'm trying to transform. Like any lifestyle change, one of the hardest parts is establishing new habits. I figured that if I made myself go to the gym enough to make it a habit, after that I would actually want to go to the gym. Either I was too preoccupied during the month of June for this to take a effect, or it just took a little longer than expected.

At this point, I know I am a month late in writing this review, I feel like I am much closer to that ideal "workout attitude" than I was at the end of my mission. So I guess it's a good thing it took me so long to write this because back at the end of June, I would have still been just hoping for it. Yeah, that's why I didn't update you right away. Ha.

So if you've been following along on this mission, you're probably wondering if I succeeded. Did I get my name on the list of Top Ten Biggest Users?

Take a look: 

Are you hearing that pathetic game show music when the contestant loses? Yeah. I was hearing that too when I saw it. What made it MUCH worse was that it was my bright idea to run by Anytime and check with Stud on his last day home. I was already either crying or thinking about crying most of the day since Stud would be leaving that day and then I had to go and check the stupid list. Man, I was disappointed. And frustrated. And angry. I had missed the list by two gym visits. Stud tried to give me a pep talk on the short ride home, but I knew I could have done it...I just didn't. My husband is super good at helping me keep a healthy attitude about fitness. He's challenging but understanding. He told that I had had a lot going on and that I couldn't get down about it because that would probably keep me from going to the gym the next month. Luckily (sort of), saying good-bye to him later that afternoon put the whole mission-failure woes right out of my mind.

When I came back to focus on it, I decided that it was already too late into the month of July to try to start over the very next month and log enough gym visits. Stud was here from the 1st through the 10th and though we did workout together twice, it was not the focus. On top of that, I was in San Diego the weekend after that (to read about that awesome last weekend check out this post). So I decided that I wasn't going to push the issue during the month of July. I did, however, get right back on the horse and have been to the gym several times in the last couple of weeks and it has felt great.

It is still my goal to make it on the list one of these months. It just may be August too so stay tuned!

Oh, and by the way, when you saw "Andrew B." on the list did you have to look twice? That's the second miserable time that that name has crushed my spirits. Waaaaay back in 4th grade we were getting ready to end the school year and my teacher was giving away prizes of things that we had used during the year but weren't needed for the next year. When each item was to be given away he would draw a name and then write it on the board with all of us watching. I don't remember what the item was but I clearly remember my teacher writing "A-N-D-R-E.....W." UGH. Stupid Andrew. What a letdown. That last letter was suppposed to be an "A"! You know, you see five out of the six letters of your name it and it never occurs to you that the 6th letter won't be what you're expecting. At least, those are my feelings. Sorry to anyone of you named Andrew reading this. It's not that I don't like you, it's just that your name has caused a decent amount of disappointment in my life. But perhaps so has mine for you so I guess we're even. 

Operation Gym Coup: Week Three Review

Wow! It's already the end of week three! Do you know what that means? It means Stud comes home in ONE WEEK! I can't wait. Until then, I still have some major work to do.

This mission has been going well but I haven't always been super enthusiastic about getting myself to the gym. In fact last Thursday I was practically in tears on the phone with my hubby. It was probably like 9:30 pm and I still hadn't gone to the gym and I hadn't gone the last two nights either. I couldn't afford that kind of slacking if I were still going to meet my goal. On top of that, I was going out of town that weekend and for sure wouldn't get to the gym Saturday and if I were going to go Friday, it needed to be in the morning before work. So there I was, on the couch, not wanting to leave the house knowing that not only would it be a late night, but also an early morning if I were going to get to the gym before work.

But Stud definitely encouraged me. He reminded me that a goal is a priority. Since when can you achieve your goals without having to sacrifice anything? Wasn't I going up north to relax all weekend? Couldn't I just push through the next twelve hours? How important is my goal anyway?

Needless to say, I got up, put on my gym clothes and made it to the gym by 10 something AND was right back there at 6:20 am the next morning. It sure felt good to follow through and I'm pretty appreciative of my hubby's motivational speeches.

Lately I've been thinking about what I like too much that prevents me from making my goals the priorities they should be. Here's a list of things that I've come up with so far:
1. Sleeeeeeeeeeep!
2. Relaxation/down time
3. Talking to Stud on the phone (that one seems fair!)
4. Crafting
5. Movies

All of these things often seem way more enticing than hitting the gym. However, I've been trying really hard to not see the gym as a drag, but as a commitment to the lifestyle that I want to have. It's like that song from the Sound of Music: "Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could." I can't expect to get fit without putting the work in. By the way, I think there's something to learn from that song, Big Bang theorists...helllooooo!


I was also really encouraged this week by getting a chance to meet and talk to one of the new owners of the Eden Prairie Anytime Fitness. She and her husband just bought it a couple of weeks ago and they happened to be there later at night one night this week. I was happy to see someone in the office because I had noticed that on AnytimeHealth.com, where I can track how many visits to the gym I have made, it only logs one visit per day. When I realized this I was pretty bummed because I needed to swipe my card twice a couple of days to get credit for doing the MS 150 (especially since I was gone those days and couldn't get to the gym if I wanted to) and I was also banking on getting some more double days in on the weekends to make up for some of my slacker days during the week. By the time I realized it was only counting once a day, I was already to the point where I thought I wouldn't be able to catch up even if I went every day until the end of the month. However, I talked to Amanda, the new owner, at the gym and she was able to look me up on their computer and confirm that all of my visits are indeed being counted, just not on my personal page at AnytimeHealth.com. 

Not only that but she looked at some other numbers and told me that I was currently in second place!

Yep. There was only one person who had logged more visits that I had (three more, to be exact). Wow! That was such a boost! This victory is mine for the taking! And it IS that dramatic. Ha. 

So with the pep talk from my husband, the knowledge that all of my visits are being logged and the little tidbit that I'm scarcely behind the top biggest user,  I had no problem getting to the gym almost every night this week. 

This last week is the final push and I plan to go twice both days this weekend since I have most of the weekend free. I'm even getting better at doing some weight-lifting and not just cardio while I'm at the gym. It is really important to add weight training to your routine. A lot of the time I feel like lifting weights is just robbing from my cardio time but the more muscle you have, the more calories your burn at rest so it's really not a bad trade-off. Plus, feeling sore the next couple of days really makes me feel like I did something and it's tangible evidence of your muscles (and your body) transforming little by little. 

This is what I got to see on my way to the gym one night last week: 

Couldn't ask for a better backdrop!

Here's to finishing out this last week strong!

Operation Gym Coup: Week One & Two Review

June has been flying by and I'm already two weeks into my goal of becoming one of my gym's Biggest Users. I meant to get an update out after the first week, but preparing for the MS 150 last weekend got in the way so I'm combining weeks one and two. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about this goal just because I've had so little motivation lately; I wasn't sure I could get myself to the gym almost every. HOWEVER, it's been going great! It actually feels soooo good to be going regularly again. I'm surprised at how much I missed it without even knowing.

It's so interesting how your perspective of "the gym" is shaped. When you think of the gym, you probably have a completely different picture in mind than I do. For example, sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go to the gym every morning before work. Would I see the same people? Would I be frustrated by how busy it is or enjoy the community feel? Would the morning light coming through the windows make me somehow feel differently or change my motivation? Would the knowledge that after I'm done working out, I have to go to work alter how long I want to work out since it always seems like I want to do something as soon as I don't have time? So many things subtly impact our attitude about working out and the environments in which we exercise.

I like working out at night. Always have. There are all kinds of reasons to not work out at night but I just prefer it. It feels so good at the end of the day to just go and get your blood pumping and endorphins flowing. It helps me let go of everything from during the day. So when I think of the gym, I picture a quiet place where there are only a few people who are finishing out their day by powering through a workout. The sky is dark and you can see your reflection in the window. The equipment is all neat and clean and the storage cubbies are mostly empty. It's such a relaxing place to get into your own thoughts and drives. It's just you pushing you.

Plus, the entertainment is way better at night. One of the things that has come to be a motivator for me is being able to watch specific shows at the gym. I love Anytime Fitness because a lot of their gyms are equipped with machines that have their own personal TVs with headphone jacks. We don't have TV or cable at home (just movies and Netflix streaming) so sometimes the biggest reason I drag myself to the gym is to see What Not to Wear or the new episode of Law and Order. It's like a treat. It also helps me endure a longer workout because sometimes I really want to see the end of whatever I'm watching. There are a lot of benefits to working out without distractions and focusing on your body, but listening to music or watching something can be really effective too. I don't usually plan ahead to go just for a specific show unless it's something I really like, but here's an example of what a week's schedule might include if I did:

Monday - Pawn Stars @ 9:00 PM on the History Channel

Tuedsay - Wing it!

Wednesday - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit @ 9:00 PM on NBC

Thursday- The Daily Show with John Stewart & the Colbert Report @ 10:00 PM on Comedy Central

Friday - Say Yes to the Dress @ 9:00 PM on TLC or Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC

...not the best TV has to offer but almost anything is better than nothing. Ok. That's not true. A couple nights ago I would turn to a channel, wait for the commercial to be over to see what was actually on, discover it was something stupid, turn to the next channel, wait for more commercials and so on...the second half of my workout I watched more commercials than I did any actual show. No wonder I don't miss TV. And I still haven't gotten into watching sports while I workout. I see all kinds of people watching sports at the gym and I just don't get it. This is mostly because I HATE watching sports on TV to begin with, but what I haven't figured out is whether they watch sports because that is their program of choice and they would watch it even if they were not at the gym, or if they watch it because watching other people being physically active is motivating them to work harder on the treadmill. Can someone enlighten me on this? Nothing's worse to me than when I gotta "share" a TV with some guy who has it on basketball. Enough about TV, eh? 

Down to business. How do you think I did the first week? Take a guess. From June 1st to June 8th how many times did I go to the gym? 

Here are some pictures of my cats to give you time to make your guess. 

 

Analie misses Brandon almost as much as I do.

They look for his truck to drive up (or at the birds). 

Ana watches TV to pass the time.

Derby dreams of Stud petting her.

Ok. Do you have you guess?

If you guessed THREE...

you were so wrong. And thanks for the lack of confidence. Sheesh.

If you guess SEVEN...

you were also wrong, but I appreciate your support!!

I went SIX times. Yay!

Here's a screen shot from my profile on Anytime Health so you know it's true. 

I was feeling pretty good after the first week. My plans for the second week got a little interrupted by the MS 150, but, hey, I rode 150 miles in two days! So I think I'm still on track. If you want to see how I got involved with the MS 150, check out this page. I didn't work out the Thursday or Friday before the weekend of the ride. I intended to Thursday but there was so much to get done and the day just got away from me and Friday I knew ahead of time was going to be a non-gym day. I'm eager to post about my experience with the MS 150 this year but for the purpose of this review I'll just say that it was a fabulous 75 miles on Saturday and a PAINFUL 75 miles on Sunday.

I actually made it back into the gym right away on Monday. I was pretty sore and a little stiff still so I went early enough in the evening to walk the 15-20 minutes to the gym instead of driving and spent my time there just stretching and doing some upper body weights. I also swiped my card an extra time to count one of the days that I rode last weekend and I'll swipe an extra time again to count the second day. I am totally giving myself "gym" credit for those two days. Total time on the bike was 5 hours on the first day and 6 hours on the second day...just a tad more than I usually spend in the gym on a normal day. Ha!

This week has gotten off to a slow start. Since Monday I haven't been to the gym. Two days off in a row doesn't seem to bad but I get kick it up a notch to achieve my goal. It's not really that I don't want to go to the gym...although I think the long weekend zapped some of my energy. It's scrapbooking. Yep. Scrapbooking is thwarting my goal. I decided that I want to make a scrapbook for biking and the MS 150 so I got a bunch of supplies and once I get going I just don't want to stop. It's hard when I'm all settled in in the evening working on a project to get changed and go out to the gym. But tonight I gottta go. I'm gonna be out of town again this weekend so I really can't afford to take any more days off just because I don't feel like it. Wish me luck because I'm starting to feel a little discouraged. I'm still confident that I will achieve my goal but I'm just dragging a little. Stud and I haven't had a decent conversation in what feels like forever and I'm so ready for him to be home.

Here's a glimpse at probably the most relaxing part of last weekend: all of the tents set up as the sun went down on the first day...

Operation Gym Coup

This mission really takes me back to Stud's first deployment. After a ten-day leave (during which he proposed), he left in March of 2009 for Iraq. My last semester of college kept me occupied for the next two months, but after that I struggled through a five month job search. That summer I was pretty depressed. I was living at home again, had no job, was terribly lonesome for my Marine and was steadily letting my physical health slip away. I knew something had to change. After all, I had all of this free time so why wasn't I spending any of it exercising? My motivation was nowhere to be found. That was changed by what I what I truly believe was another instance of "faithful interaction," my term for the way God intervenes in our lives.

I was at Caribou one day and as I walked out I noticed a little box for Anytime Fitness where you could enter your name to win free access. I was getting desperate for some kind of break so I thought maybe, just maybe, winning this would give me the boost I needed to get motivated. Guess what. I did win! I got a phone call asking me to come in and draw a chip from this big fishbowl full of plastic poker chips. Different chips meant different prizes and I pulled out the best prize they had: a free three-month membership! Man, I was thrilled and, just as I had hoped, this boosted me right out of my slump. I started going to the gym all the time and even started working with a trainer who was perfect for me.

After the three free months were up, I had really gotten attached to the idea that I could have access to a full gym at any time of day. I've always been a nighttime exerciser so I didn't want to give that up. Most gyms close at 9 or 10 and that's when I'm just getting ready to go! So I've been a member of Anytime ever since. However, lately you wouldn't know it but for the direct withdrawals from my checking account. For months we've been paying for a membership that we never use. I've never wanted to cancel because it is so convenient but it's such a waste if I don't use it. Well, in preparation for the deployment and in general disgust of the state of our physical fitness, my husband and I have been working on making physical fitness a priority again.

In the sad amount of gym visits that I have mustered over the past few months, one thing has always stuck out to me: the posted list of Biggest Users. We have access to the gym through key cards so every time you enter, it logs your visit and on the bulletin board is a list of the ten people who have visited the gym the most that month. I read in awe and daunter the names and corresponding number of visits to the gym and secretly I want to see my name on that list for all the things that it would symbolize. Until now I didn't think I had the drive to attain it.

Time limits have always been a powerful motivator for me so with just one month until Stud comes home for his final leave before he deploys, I knew this was the perfect time to make my mark on the list of Biggest Users and jump start my fitness goals.

Here's where you'll see my name next month: 

And here's the OSMEAC for this mission. If you're not sure what OSMEAC is, check out this post. Basically, it's a strategic method of communicating/executing a mission used by the USMC.

O Here's where I am: Overweight! Ahhh! It's true. I've been doing the slide (and not the electric slide). I've been getting lazy about working out and about eating healthy foods. I'm horrible with transitions. It seems like no matter what good habits I have established, a transition (like moving or getting married) comes along and I start slipping. And the good habits don't just magically reappear once the transition has run it's course. I find myself weeks or months later embracing bad habits.

S Here's what's happening: I am getting super frustrated with life. I can hardly run anymore, I get winded during simple activities, a lot of my clothes are too small and I refuse to buy bigger clothes severely limiting my wardrobe, I'm wasting money on a gym membership that I don't even use and I'm generally just disappointed with the backsliding that I have allowed to occur. I also could be saving even more money because if I go to the gym 12 times a month, my insurance will contribute $20 towards my gym fees. All of those things are bad enough but when I consider how my choices affect my hubby I feel even worse. Stud and I have always shared a desire to help each other be physically fit and achieve our goals together. When we met, we were both practicing Martial Arts (I still remember the thrill I got from him helping me with my moves when we were first dating). He got his black belt the first summer of our relationship and even though I'm still a green belt (I swear I'm staying here because it's my favorite color), karate was a great catalyst for us to explore fitness in general. When he was gone for training or his first deployment we would hold each other accountable and challenge each other to be the best we could be for ourselves and for each other. We both need help staying motivated so when one or both of us doesn't feel like making an effort, it affects the other one too.

M Here's what I'm going to do: My mission is to go to the gym enough times this month to be listed as one of Anytime's Biggest Users at the Eden Prairie location. I've had this goal in the back on my mind for awhile but now is the perfect time. My first full day back from visiting my husband was June 1st and he comes home for his ten-day leave July 1st so I have exactly one month and that is also how the Biggest Users are calculated (from one calendar month). The amount of gym visits it takes to be listed varies from about 21 to over 30 so I figure I need to log at least 24 or 25 to guarantee my slot.

E Here's how I'm going to do it: Willpower don't fail me now! It's a pretty simple mission. All I need to do is get in my car, drive the 1/2 mile to Anytime and *click* I'm in. Of course, I could walk or bike to the gym but since I like to go at night I might not...a sex offender just moved in along the route to the gym (Mom, don't worry...I'm a green belt). If I do a workout outside, my gym administrator said it's ok to swipe my key card to log the exercise since the important thing is that I am exercising. I haven't quite gone so far as to schedule my workouts but I'm sure I will be doing some right after work and some late at night. I highly doubt I will get up early enough to do them before work but we shall see. I tend to be more successful if I give myself some flexibility. I also am going to get private consultations from my very own Leatherneck (AKA Manly Marine). Stud has promised to help me with this mission by giving me some good weight training routines. He's got the strongest arms around not to mention a bunch of other studly qualities that make him qualified in my book to give out weight training advice. You didn't think I called him Stud for no reason, did you?

A Here's what will help: Just thinking about the progress I will have made by the time Stud comes home is pretty motivating. In fact, the drive that I get to get things done while he is gone is one of the good things about deployments and training. It's insane how powerful it can be. It also helps to know that my hubby will be working on the same thing. Out in CA, they have to PT (workout) twice a day. Moreover, getting weight training routines directly from him will help me feel connected to him through working out. Another big help with this mission is just sharing it will you. Now that I put it out there, I can't just forget about it because I'm not the only one who will know! I will also be able to keep track with Anytime's handy website Anytime Health. There you can create workout routines, log your daily food, create goals, keep track of your gym visits and get all kinds of information as well as connect with other users.

C Here's the accountability: For this mission my accountability will come in a few forms. Ultimately, the list of Biggest Users next month will reflect my efforts, but, before then, I am held accountable through the Anytime Health website which will keep track of my gym visits. I am also held accountable through this blog (with weekly updates) and through conversations with my hubby and the weight training routines I'll be getting from him.

Here's a picture of my new best friend: 

Check out their website here.

Watch out Eden Prairie's Biggest Users: one of you is about to get booted!!