The Game Plan

I think no one will be surprised to learn that I am struggling with skating right now. I am frustrated. I don't feel like I am improving. I'm not finding a lot of time for additional skating.

So there are several things I am going to do to help me move forward with my skating.

1) I'm going to put learning skating techniques on a hiatus while I work on stamina and endurance. I am going to skate lap after lap until I want to pass out, then I am going to skate two more laps. I'm going to do this for three months-ish. After that, there should be another Fresh Meat class, which I will join armed with the ability to skate for the entire hour.

I think, at the very root of the issue, my lack of endurance is inhibiting my ability to learn techniques. I get so tired out after two or three attempts at something that I have yet to master. This prevents me from trying something, falling, trying, botching it, trying, and trying, and trying until I get it.

Sara thinks--and she is my skating Yoda, so I have to listen to her--if I can build up my endurance, I will find myself naturally doing some of the things that have me stymied. Somewhere around lap 22, I might just find myself crossing over. 

2) I'm going to eat better and drink more water. Last night, I ordered a burrito for dinner after a super strenuous workout (see below). As I stood in line, it occurred to me that if I ordered my "regular," I would be undoing much of the work I just did. So I got chicken instead of steak. I got extra black beans and no rice. I skipped the sour cream and got the guacamole. And, you know what? It was good. And it was really easy to switch things around to make a meal that was better fuel for my body.

I am making sure I don't skip breakfast. I am trying to always have water near me to sip. I've cut out the Diet Coke. Yeah, that's the hardest one. I miss my DC. And to add insult to DC injury, there is a soda fountain at work about 50 feet from where I sit.

I am not dieting. I am just trying to fuel my body to help my energy and endurance. Which will help me accomplish goal 1.

3) I'm going to cross train. Now that winter is here, my skating time will be even more limited. I can't let that interfere with my level of activity.

I have vowed to myself that I would work out at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week. Two of those workouts will be skating. I have two options for the other workouts. One is the stationary bike in my basement. The plus side of that is I can watch 80s sitcoms while sweating, never having left the house.

But the other option is pretty damn fun. Doctor Sister and Sister Therapist joined a boxing gym. And they convinced me to try it out. And I loved it. Not only is it a killer workout, it's a lot of fun. It works muscles in my body that I never knew were there. And it's a place where I am making some new friends, learning how to wrap my wrists, and showing of my scuffed up knuckles.

Aside--When you are at a boxing class, and you drop to your knees to do a plank or burpee, it's good to remember that, unlike Derby, you are not wearing kneepads. Ouch.

Let's be real. I can vow to myself until my face turns blue. But I'm not accountable to anyone but Me. And Me can be kind of a flake when it comes to getting off my butt after a long day. I found the motivation that works for me. Money.

And there is an app for that. GymPact is an app for a social network where you decide how many workouts you are committing to for the week. Then you put your money where your virtual mouth is. Miss a workout that you pledged to do, and you get charged however much you set as your fine when making the pledge. This is real, live money we are talking about. Fulfill your pledge, and you earn the money of the people that didn't fulfill their pledge. It's pretty darn cool.

Is there anything my iPhone can't do? Oh yeah. It can't do crossovers. My iPhone might be my soulmate.