A winter slug

It has taken me all day to prepare this post. I struggled to communicate what motivated me to start another blog. I have finally decided to throw eloquence and formality out the window, as these are not natural to me anyway, and just say it like it is. I’ll give you the long-winded version.

I have started this blog because I am a slug. I am a winter slug. The cold weather just about kills me every year. It has gotten worse since moving to Baltimore. In the West it wasn’t as bad because the cold is different  there. It doesn’t chill the way the Eastern cold chills – straight to your bones. But it isn’t just the cold that kills me. It’s the geography too. I am now a city dweller. I live in a city that I cannot run alone in unless it is the middle of the day and I stay out of certain areas. All excuses really because I have a Y pass and I can hit the gym anytime I like. The thing is, for some reason my fitness goals hit a serious slump right about mid-December. This year was especially tough. I was back in school and really driven to do well at my studies. As a result, I stayed up too late, eating food that wasn’t so good for me, sleeping too little, studying too hard, etc. I got great grades but my body paid the price. In just a few short weeks, I went from 3-4 days a week at the gym to 0. After finals, I had a bit of time to prepare for the holidays and recharge my batteries. Then my sweet parents surprised us with tickets to UT for the holidays and my R&R time went down the tubes as I tried to prepare for us to leave MD for Christmas. Fast forward to family time in UT filled with too many treats and not enough exercise and I came back to Baltimore feeling truly like a slug. Blah.

I need help. The idea has been fluttering around in my head for awhile now and I finally decided it needed to be out there. The idea is this: a network of women (and men – if they think they can keep up) spread far and near who want to be a part of something amazing. I want to create a place where ideas about healthy living and fitness can be shared openly. I want to celebrate others and my own triumphs, help work through the stumbling blocks and come up with new and exciting ways to implement positive change in my life and the lives of others. I want to talk about the sore muscles, the yummy, satisfying meals and the peaceful mediative moments that make life sweet.

I am looking for those with similar obstacles, goals and ideas worth sharing.

Why a blog then? It’s easy. It’s bigger than me. It’s a great way to get a lot of people involved. Here’s my motivation – in no particular order:

• I love hearing other people’s stories, experiences and challenges. It gives me strength and confidence to do things. It helps me grow and push myself in ways I didn’t think possible.
• I need accountability. I need to know someone else is aware of what I am working towards and help keep my on track.
• I enjoy giving, as well as receiving, encouragement, support and love when I am trying to accomplish something.
• Nearly everything in life is more fun when done with friends or family.
• I have always had greater success in achieving my goals when I have a support system around me. Going it solo is not only more difficult, but also not nearly as much fun.

Mostly I just want to hear your voices, be a part of your lives and hopefully enrich my own in a safe and positive environment. If you want the same things too then jump on in and join the discussion. I do not want to be the only one posting. (Quite frankly, I simply do not have the time to do it alone.) Let your voice be heard.

I love you for your interest, your friendship, your examples and quite simply for the people that you are each and every day. So… What’s on your mind?