You Say it’s Your Birthday

Another year around the sun. ☀️

Another year older, and another year fitter (ish?). A birthday is a lot like a new year, and luckily for me, mine is about halfway through the year so I can reassess where I am with regards to my goals. Everyone can do a mid-year check in regardless of when your birthday falls during the calendar year. So…here goes nothin’.

Former Me

Three years ago, I started on my fitness journey. I was at home, in my living room, hustling and sweating (because let’s face it, an outdoor workout after 6 am in July in Texas is less than appealing). Also I say “hustling” and what that truly means is “dying”, both literally and figuratively.

As I got more into the fitness community, my old self died off, piece by piece. Things I thought I would never do, suddenly became my new normal. Like waking up before 4 am to get to a workout. Or jumping over fire at a Spartan race…or running a 15k in below freezing temps…or attempting to beat my personal best at a Hyrox race.

You get the idea.

Currently…Loading “The New Me”

My views on health and fitness have certainly shifted. I have adjusted my goals a little bit away from just trying to be “skinnier” to truly trying to improve health. Every birthday has a way of showcasing just how quickly time flies…so there is no time like the present to improve health as you age. Yes, for me, fat loss is certainly a part of that process. But it isn’t the whole focus of the process anymore. I’ve (slowly, very very slowly) come to terms with the fact that “skinny” doesn’t equal “healthy” for me at all.

With that said, I do feel like I’ve deviated from my original goals somewhat. I’ve been working on my mindset but I don’t think I’ve actually gotten anywhere.

As far as my fitness goals (which I conveniently didn’t define), I’ve been “too hot”, “not recovered”, “too tired”, and a smorgasbord of other excuses…in addition to straining my back in the spring and tearing or straining my bicep tendon last month. Being on the injured reserve is a frustrating process.

What the Future Holds

As my injuries improve, I’m left thinking about what the rest of the year should look like for me. I’ve got 2 Spartan races, a Hyrox race, and the BMW Marathon Relay. So I need to step up my fitness game to be truly ready to hit a PR (or even survive lol).

I’ve been debating whether or not to include more rest so I feel more ready to push the pace during my workouts, and not feel so tired and drained all the time. I’ve also been debating about the type of workouts I currently do, and whether it is better to continue consistent (albeit mediocre) work, or to include more rest and recovery in order to be able to push the pace and potentially show greater improvement.

With the intentions of improvement, I am continuing my gratitude challenge, and commit to checking in weekly with my favorite insights. (Or every other week, if my schedule continues to be a bear. Giving myself a little bit of grace here.)

Do you do a mid year check in? What are you focusing on for the remainder of this year?