Working on my fitness

Exercise and I have a long, sordid history. In short- I don't like it. I quit tap and ballet when I was 4 because I got "dizzy legs". I tried gymnastics, figure skating, soccer, swimming and many other things. I always finished the season, because that was the rule in my family, but I was never good. I played soccer mostly for the orange slices and capri suns and was really good at staying far away from the ball and picking weeds. I joined the high school swim team at the insistence of my best friend. We shared the slow lane and I often cheated on the work outs, cutting off a lap or two (or three). I shuddered when the word "volleyball" was uttered in PE and, because I was a good student and got A's in school, when the PE teacher said we had to finish running the canal in 17 minutes, I would cross the finish like at 16:58.

Mitch on the other hand is naturally athletic. He started karate when he was 6 and holds a third degree black belt. In college he was part of the rowing team. When he met he had a membership to the rock climbing gym. I worried he'd quickly catch on to how anti-exercise I am and move on. But instead, he's been encouraging me to try more things.

Several years ago I had a gym membership that I used regularly. I would meet a friend and we'd go to pilates class twice a week and aerobics once or twice as well. There were times we skipped in favor of a sushi dinner, but for the most part I attended regularly. When my work schedule changed, however, it was no longer feasible to be able to meet up and attend the classes. I tried a few weekend classes, but usually lacked the motivation to get up and go. I've joined gyms since, I go for a little while, and then quickly lose interest. The treadmill gets boring, I hate the elliptical, I'm afraid of free weights, and I'm a chicken about trying classes alone.

Over the past year my weight has increased significantly. To the point where my clothes are too small and I don't feel comfortable in my own skin. I've had weight issues for as long as I can remember. I was always the chubby kid and I like food. I like fruits and vegetables, and I regularly eat fish and chicken. But I also like baked goods and fancy cocktails. And I love cheese! The compromise is obvious- either I have to give up the baked goods and cheese or I have to increase the exercise. If i'm going to have my cake and eat it too, I've got to go for a run.

I hate running! Like nothing else I've ever hated, I hate running. If a bear were chasing me I would give up and be eaten instead of run. There is literally nothing in this world that can make me run. I tried couch to 5k, but it involves running! A brisk walk is fine, but that gets dull after a while. And to actually burn calories walking takes a really long time and I'm busy. This year at work has been the busiest of my career and most days I'm exhausted when I get home. Which often leads to more eating out and less exercise, which of course leads to more weight gain.

But i've recently gotten to the point where I'm ready to make some changes and I'm fortunate that Mitch is beside me 100%. I got an old bike from my mom and started to ride. It was rough. I could got about 2 miles and then felt like I was going to die. So we went and checked out some new bikes and after selling many, many, many books, CDs and movies to Bookmans, had enough trade credit to get a brand new bike. I knew it would be better, but I had no idea how much better. The bike I was working with was a 25 year old mountain bike in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Getting on a new bike was like magic- I could pedal, I could brake, I could ride with ease and increase my speed.

I'm not quite a pro rider yet, and I don't think I'm ready for the Tour de Tucson, but I'm already actually enjoying exercise. I was never a big fan of bikes. My brother Casey is 2 1/2 years younger than me but rode a two wheeler sans training wheels before I did. And when I finally learned to ride, he liked to get really close and "swoop" me, which led to me crying for my mom to make him stop and him riding away laughing at succeeding in his mission. Clearly I am not a natural. But the few rides I've been on lately have been fun. I'm building confidence and enjoying myself. I'm riding slowly and Mitch is being very patient and riding slowly right next to me, all the while encouraging and supporting, and never once complaining about the slow pace.

My goal is to get to the point that I'm confidant enough to ride my bike to a destination- like a restaurant or yoga class. I'm not ready for the real roads yet, but I'm getting there. In the meantime I'll keep riding around my neighborhood and trying to make myself like exercise.