IT'S AUGUST!?!? And I'd Rather Work Than Exercise...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22964099@N05/2204059683/ by bottled_void 

So, it is August. There are only a few weeks left until school starts with lots of things to do before that time. I love this time of year. I am usually ready to get back to school and back to some routine.  But, I always have so much to do to get ready for a new school year. This is one of those times in the year that it becomes difficult to exercise.

I started to feel the stress of August this week. I traveled off and on during the last two weeks, doing work for Choice Literacy and attending NCTE executive committee meetings.  I was feeling pretty good before I  started the travel--I had set up lots of my room.But, when I came back, I felt swamped and overwhelmed with all I had to do.  My to-do list was growing.

This is one of those times when fitting in exercise becomes hard. One of the things about being a teacher is that the year's cycle is a little crazy. We have months where we can almost do nothing other than work, and other times when we can have a little balance. It is easy to push off exercise during the crazy times. And I almost did that.

I did the Color Run the day before I left for my 2nd week of travel.  I knew the 2nd week gone would be crazy so I gave myself permission to take the week off, if exercise was too hard to fit in  or if the facilities didn't have treadmills, etc.  I figured either way, it would be fine and it ended up that I didn't fit any running in.

But, then I came home (Sunday night) and I was totally exhausted from the travel. We had relatives in town and lots to do. I had an all day workshop on Monday and didn't exercise ...Then I planned to get up early Tuesday to exercise before a session  had to give at a conference, but didn't. Then I was going to get up Wednesday morning before a meeting to exercise, but I stayed up too late watching the Olympics Tuesday night, so I didn't.

Wednesday, I got a ton of work done for school--thing created, curriculum studied, ideas solidified, etc.  I had a meeting around math from 9-noon and then worked the rest of the day on school things. The feeling of "so much to do" was strong as it had been for days. My thinking, as it often is when I am in workaholic mode is, "If I can just get this done, then I'll have time to have a life."  

But, I was going on about 10-12 days without exercise.  This was the first time since January that this had happened. Really the first time I hadn't fit at least 2-3 days in. And I knew I had to recommit.  As much as I wanted to stay at home, finishing up projects I had started, I knew I had to take 45 minutes out of the day and get to the gym. So I did.

Yesterday afternoon, I got out of my exercise vacation.  I didn't want to go. I didn't feel great. And I had lots of work I wanted to do.  I figured I'd have to take it easy and even if I just walked, it would get me back to exercise.

But I got on the treadmill and actually enjoyed the 30ish minutes I exercised!  I had actually almost missed it. I have learned a lot reading RUNNING FOR MORTALS and by running even a tiny bit slower than I have been running (and hating it), I can run and semi-enjoy it. I knew I had to do a pretty easy workout if I was every going to go back.  So I ran a REALLY SLOW 2 mile (15-16 minute mile) and I took minute walk breaks sometime every 7-8 minutes. But I planned that ahead. And I actually did not hate the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill. I had missed my running music and actually felt better and less overwhelmed almost immediately.

I came home and got lots more work done yesterday and I am so glad that I finally got out of this rut I worried would last forever.

This teacher thing makes consistent working out hard for me. I always get caught up in the work that needs done and it is hard for me to break away and get the workout in.  I know this about me and exercise and I am terrified of quitting this round. I am hoping that throughout this fall (which I know will be crazy), I don't get to the point that I go 10 days without exercise.  I can't believe how much better I felt after just a few minutes of running.  And I can't believe how much better I felt that I didn't put the workout off another day.

I am working on plan/schedule that keeps me exercising, even when I have a ton of work to do.  It is the reason I struggle with exercise and all things healthy. It is easy to exercise in the summer, in January, etc. But not so much at other times during the year. I often choose work over a healthy lifestyle.  This is the first time, since January, that this teacher-workaholic thing kicked in.   And I learned that (as I've learned many times), I just have to go out and do it.  This lesson seems so simple, but I seem to need to keep relearning it!

In the next week or so, I'll share my plan for keeping a running schedule up during the first few weeks of the school year. What plans do you have to keep moving once the craziness of the school year hits?