Hello, dear readers. I’ve missed you! I have been MIA for several weeks because I’ve been adjusting to new heavy-duty meds, moving out of an apartment I have lived in for five years (my new place is sweet and Samantha FINALLY has her own room, so it is not a sad move) and just generally being sick. (Thank you to everyone who provided me with advice during my last flare-fest… there is nothing like being completely laid out by pain so bad you can’t hold anything down for days to make you appreciate the little things. Like baby ducks. I am a big fan of baby ducks).
However, I am back in the blogging spirit and I even have a little wisdom to share in my “comeback” post. But first… time to brag. I have a streak going. For all the charts and graphs and every other micromanagement I use to stay as healthy as possible, I’ve never been focused on the idea of fixating on a streak. However, I have put in one hour of yoga and a minimum of one half hour of running and/or strength training on every single day that I have not been completely laid out in pain (or on our major moving day) for quite a while now.
It turns out that generating a streak is highly, highly motivating. My body is now generally excited to get in the yoga studio/pool/gym… even though I feel like a dork having to wear a mask due to my immuno suppressants. And on days that my body is not excited to move (thank you, Lupus) I employ “The Bestie Test.” The bestie test is something I devised in order to regulate my perfectionist demons when it comes to training. Without the bestie test, I tend to push too hard and land right back where I started from.
My two best girlfriends, Sarah and Amanda, are smart and grounded sweethearts who love me even when I’m being a neurotic mess. They tend to push me when I need pushing and tend to say things like, “You’re being ridiculous, get back in bed you weirdo” when I push too hard. And, they have come to understand that Lupus behaves differently than other conditions, so they don’t freak out when I have to carry around plastic bags to vomit in public places, fall dead asleep during “Divergent” in the theater because of fatigue and crawl around instead of walk when the nausea gets too bad.
In short, the bestie test holds that if both Amanda and Sarah (who know both me and my condition pretty darn well) would tell me that I can probably handle my workout or if they would both tell me to get my ass back in bed, I have a pretty clear idea of whether or not I should push on a given day.
I struggle with being proud of myself for a number of reasons. However, I am taking GREAT pride in keeping my streak alive every day that the bestie test or common sense don’t keep me in bed. And as a result of my streak, I can actually see the kind of results I’ve been wishing for… for quite some time. During my next post, I’ll update you all on my racing plans and how training has been going during my “amazeballs” (as my daughter would say) workout streak. Until then, have a brilliant weekend and thank you for your patience in my absence! (And, if you are struggling with achieving a certain goal, consider charting a modest streak on your calendar. You’ll be amazed at how motivating it can be…)
