Changing the way I look at exercise.

I've changed the way I look at exercise, and suddenly I think I've tricked my body and mind into liking it. Pushing my goal out from a 10week cram session to a full year prep for a half marathon has changed my outlook tremendously.  I wish I would have figured this out sooner.

I've always felt "soft" for as long as I can remember. I've never been a very muscular person, though I build muscle quite quickly when I actually put my mind to it.  This has always been something that has bothered me as I (like most women) tend to gain weight in the same areas consistently - my stomach and my thighs.  It only takes one photograph of yourself to snap yourself back into focus.  And even though I always realize it, somehow, things just never changed.

Since I have the entire year to prep for this goal, I have a less strict regimen that I need to stick to.  However, I find that I am exercising more often and am wanting to exercise 5-6 days a week.  When I am active every day, I feel better.  And if I am active every day, I don't feel bad if I take a day to rest.  I think this may be why I have failed in the past:

• If I have a goal of 3 days a week and I don't fulfill it, I fail, then I get discouraged, and I stop.
• I get so busy in my hobbies and my sewing projects that this becomes my daily regiment, not exercise, so again I fail, and I stop.
• I have too short of a deadline that is unrealistic and impossible to meet, so I fail, and I stop.
• I focus on a weight loss goal and become so focused on that instead of overall fitness, so if I don't make the number I fail, and then I stop.

My week is starting to look like this now:

• Run 2-3 days/ week
• Hike 1-2 days/week
• Spin class 1 day/week

Anything else is extra, the rest have become a daily activity... and it feels great! Now if I can just fix the "soft" thing...