Mr. T and the 3 Challenges

Mr. T

I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Treadmill (let’s call him “Mr. T”).  He lives folded up in the corner of my guest bedroom.  Mr. T and I have an on-again-off-again relationship.  It has been “off” for over a year now.  I folded Mr. T up and moved him to his current resting place when I was thinking about selling my condo.  He hasn’t yet made it back out to the common areas.  A couple of years ago I joined Jenny Craig and lost over 30 pounds.  When I was consistently losing weight and excited about it, I used Mr. T almost every day for at least 30 to 45 minutes.  I have been told time and time again by various trainers / exercise types (you know who you are) that if I just stick with an exercise regime for at least 30 days, it will become a habit and that once I breach the “magical habit forming threshold,” I will crave it, need it, enjoy it and do it without even thinking, as if the exercise is now a basic part of my day, my life.  Sorry, I have to call bullshit.  If this magical threshold does in fact exist, then I must suffer from an acute exercise habit forming disability (“EHFD”).  I’m not sure what the exact wording of the diagnosis is in the DSM IV, but it’s a serious condition.  Trust me.

So, in light of the foregoing, I am challenging myself this week (CHALLENGE NO. 1) to take Mr. T out of the corner and reintroduce him to the common areas.  I am also challenging myself (CHALLENGE NO. 2) to walk on Mr. T at least twice this week for 30 minutes.  I know this sounds silly to those of you who go to the gym or run (or whatever flavor of exercise you partake in) every week (even if you hate it), but you have to remember, there are those of us out here suffering from EHFD.  We need your help and support!!!!  Damn, I just wish I was famous so I could go on Dancing With The Stars, get myself back in shape and call it a day. 

I am also giving myself a food challenge for the remainder of the week.  My final challenge (CHALLENGE NO. 3) is not to drink any soda (diet or otherwise) for the remainder of the week.  I meant to start this challenge on Monday, but I had my first contract gig interview this morning and there is no way I could have put on a suit for the first time in over four months (plus high heels) and set out for an interview without a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper; just couldn’t do it. This is not a no caffeine challenge, mind you, but strictly a no soda challenge.  I am not going to set myself up for failure and say no more soda ever.  My goal is to give myself different weekly challenges (whether it be giving something up for a week, or adding something good to my diet for a week).  Maybe if I don’t do anything consistently for a month I can trick my EHFD and actually change my lifestyle.  We’ll see.  Sorry if this blog is boring anyone – I haven’t really done that much yet, but I’m working myself up to it.   Exercise is obviously a challenge for me (understatement).  I am hoping this blog will motivate me, but I am prepared for the reality that it may not.  I’m not giving up yet!!!!  Feel free to join me on the challenges!!!!

Fingers Crossed and an Open Mind (not so much about fitness)

So, I haven’t really done much fitness since starting my fitness blog, well, in all honesty I haven’t done any fitness.  I have given lots of thought to the fitness I would consider doing, which should count.  I’m all about the baby steps.  Well, I take the “no fitness at all” comment back, Stacey and I spent two nights at my cabin in Mentone, Alabama and we did take an agonizing 30 minute walk along County Road 642.  It was so hot and humid that my sunglasses fogged up and lines of sweat ran from under my sunglasses and down my face.  Not so much fun.  I am soooooo ready for Fall (*sigh*). 

My friend Deborah Lucy (formerly Deborah Franz) and I both resigned from our law jobs earlier this year.  I went to Ireland for three months and Deborah just completed a six month, 2,190 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.  On a typical day she was hiking like 20 miles.  I don’t really feel bad bitching about a 30 minute walk on a country road when Deborah just completed a 2000+ mile hike.  Deborah and I are totally different people.  We are motivated by different things and have different goals in life.  She is in love with the fitness and I have more of a “I hate your stinking guts, I hope you die” relationship with the fitness.  I guess I am hoping to change my attitude/perspective a little so that I fall somewhere in the middle.  I don’t kid myself into believing that I will ever be in love with the fitness.  Fitness and I have just never made a lasting love connection.  I guess I would like to have more of a “friends with benefits” relationship with the fitness.  That’s what I am aiming for anyway.  Deborah did a wonderful blog during her hike of the AT if you want to check it out (www.postholer.com/pickle).  I think she is hoping to turn her blog posts into a book at some point. 

As of yesterday, I have officially begun the job search process.  I am already getting the feeling of being led out into the middle of the woods blindfolded, spun around 30 times and then asked to find my way back.  Before law school, looking for a job meant pulling out the classified ads and circling prospective places of employment.  Once I had a few options, I would simply go by and fill out an application.  It was easy as pie (Why is pie easy anyway?  Or do I have that cliché wrong?  I've been told I am cliché challenged).  I didn’t get paid all that much in those days, but then again, I really didn’t need that much.  I got along just fine.  I have had a variety of exciting jobs throughout the years and have always had great work ethic and done my very best at whatever I did, whether it was flipping burgers at McDonalds and earning myself the Employee of the Month and the McHustle Award in 1988 (I’m not making that up), running the positive peer culture program at the adolescent group home, becoming an expert at folding sheets in the housekeeping department at the Richmond Hill Inn (that skill has served me well over the years) or teaching goofy 4 and 5 year old preschool kids at A Child’s Place.  I never doubted that I would find something I liked and I never doubted that I would charm the interviewer or totally rock at the job (the couple of months I served as a telemarketer for JC Penny insurance notwithstanding).  Then I went off to law school and the law firms came to campus to interview us.  All we had to do was drop our resume in a box in the career services office and wait/hope for calls.  I have worked in three large law firms over the past 8 years (Jones Day, DLA Piper and Schiff Hardin).  I never once had to pull out the classified ads to land those jobs.  Jones Day came on campus, interviewed me, then offered me a job, and I joined my mentor and partner at both DLA Piper and Schiff Hardin (It was really her expertise and qualifications that got me those jobs, I know that.  She was the outfit and I was the accessory.  Now, accessories are key to styling any good outfit, I know that too, but I know I was the accessory).  Sure, I had to put on a suit and go through a full day of interviews at each firm to convince a dozen or so attorneys that I was worthy of the job (you can’t just be any accessory, you actually have to compliment the outfit and "make it work"), but still.  Now that I have decided to veer away from the big law firm career path, I have no earthly clue how to really go about the job search process.  The classifieds section in the legal newspaper is not even half a page usually, and I assure you, the few postings that are included are not real estate jobs.  Plus, I am still struggling with what I want to do and what I will be good at.  So it’s hard to look for something when you don’t know what you are looking for.  It’s like losing your glasses and then some wiseass asking you where was the last place you had them?  Wel-l-l-l-l-l, if I knew that my glasses wouldn’t be lost now would they?  It’s all a bit scary and every third or fourth night of the week I have a completely sleepless night where I just can’t turn my brain off.  Last night was one such night. 

So, what I have I done so far to look for a job - you ask?  Yesterday I met with a former Jones Day colleague (and friend) who now works as a recruiter with one of the top legal contracting agencies in Atlanta and passed along my completed registration package for contract work.  She seemed confident that she could find me some actual substantive real estate placements, but in the meantime I said I would do some document review placements just to have some cash flow coming in.  I am hoping to get my first gig in September.  I also called the Georgia State College of Law career center and asked about their alumni services.  The head of the career center said “of course she remembered me” and assured me that they could help me figure out what else is out there for me – besides big law.  She said, and I quote, they would help me “get back in the game.”  Even though I am not 100% certain I want to be “back in the game,” I will meet with them next week to see what’s what.  I have started the process.  Not sure if I am going about it the right way, but it’s my way.  Every day I go between having very optimistic thoughts and having completely destructive thoughts.  I have to constantly remind myself that things always seem to work out one way or another.  The end result is not always what you expected, but 9 times out of 10 it works out for the best.  So, for now, it’s fingers crossed and an open mind.  Send your positive thoughts my way!!!!



Told you I wasn't making it up!  I got mad skills.



Begging for Followers!

Hey friends (sorry, don’t mean to sound like Nancy Grace), it’s me again.  I’m not long home from Ireland (just over a month).  My goal in going to Ireland was to work on mind, body and spirit, and well, yeah, to just get the heck out of dodge for a while.  After reflecting on my time in Ireland, I believe I did all of those things.  I made new friends, had new experiences and I was very active (both socially and physically).  Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though ALL of my “new self” made the trip with me back to the States.  I am no longer walking (in all honesty it is hotter than the fiery pits of hell outside, but still) and I am deadly certain that any weight I lost in Ireland has found its way back to me.  So, I took a walk in the blazing heat today and had a fabulous idea.

I decided that I would blog my way to fitness.  I realized that I was often motivated to do fun and exciting things while in Ireland because I knew folks were following along.  It truly did motivate me to get my arse out there and live!!!   So, I thought maybe blogging would motivate me to become more active here as well.  I thought if my friends and family are following my blog I might be motivated to think of new and exciting things to do to get my body moving and start living a healthier life.   I might join my friend Tamera at one of her Polelateaz classes (yes, that’s exercising on the stripper pole – sounds like fun, huh?).  I might go with my friend Diane to a salsa class (even with my two left feet).  I might join a walking or jogging club.  Who knows!   The possibilities are endless.  And I might even be open to a suggestion or a challenge or two (*might*).  I won’t, however, do boot camp.  I did that once, was the fat kid in the back who came in last while everyone else stood at the finish line cheering me on (I hate that!!!) and broke out into an allover body rash because of the fertilizer used in the park (we did a lot of rolling around on the grass). 

Now, this concept might not sound as exciting to many of you as following the Ireland blog, and you are probably right, but I promise to make it as fun as possible.  A couple of things I learned from my friends in Ireland are  (a) when you need help ask for it and (b) even if you are more comfortable with giving than receiving, get out of your own way and accept help from others.  So, I have decided that it would help me if y’all followed along.  Maybe this will help you be more active too.  Maybe you are already active and you can motivate the rest of us.  Who knows.  I will be making this up as I go along, but I do know that having you following along will be essential to my success.

Along the way I will be looking for a job, devising my plans for the future and turning 40.  All of those tidbits will make it into the blog as well, so you won’t be reading a blog just about me bitching about having to walk for 15 minutes in the blazing heat or my desperate moments of stuffing my face with a bag of powdered donuts.  I haven’t decided whether it will be a daily, weekly or monthly blog.  It’s all still in the works.   The blog can be for you too if you are struggling to live a more active life – post your comments – feel free to bitch, motivate, ask for motivation, whatever.   Also, feel free to share this with someone else who could use the motivation or would be a good motivator.  We can make it a fitness blogging free-for-all.  I can’t promise I will succeed with this and I might get tired of it before long, but I’m going to give it a shot and I hope you will follow me!!!!! 

[FYI - You can subscribe by email using the "Follow by Email" link to the right of this post and that will send you an email when I post, but still make sure you sign up as a "Follower" so that I know folks are following - that is what's going to motivate me - seeing all my followers and knowing I can't disappoint!!!]