5K All Day

Y’all, I just registered for my first 5K! I know it’s no marathon; but for me, it might as well be. Over my life, I’ve had an on-again-off-again relationship with exercise. For the first 35 years, we were completely off, radio silent. Then, we had a torrid, love affair there for a while. I’d like to think now we’re settling into a long, happy marriage.

At the height of my health and fitness, I consistently woke up at 5 a.m. to either see my personal trainer (whom I miss dearly to this day) or hit the apartment building’s gym before work. After work, I’d high-tail it to my all-time favorite class ever – Night Club Cardio – every night it was offered, which was usually 2-3. And on Saturday mornings, I’d do a double-serving of boot camp with my trainer followed by Night Club Cardio. I’m exhausted just writing that!

Looking back, it’s no wonder that I wasn’t able to maintain that level of commitment for the long haul. When I moved to Seattle and lost my trainer and the class I loved so much, I fell off the wagon hard. Making matters worse, being an all-or-nothing personality, if I couldn’t do all the exercise I wanted, then I’d do none of the exercise. As we’ve discussed, my logic isn’t always served well by being written out in black and white.

It wasn’t until about a year ago, once I’d been on the keto diet for a minute and wasn’t quite as embarrassed to set foot in a gym, that I went back to exercise at all. I found a Night Club Cardio class (good, but not the same as my favorite teachers back home) and got a new trainer (personal trainers are such awesome people). This time, I tried to keep the bar set at something a little more attainable for the long term.

I didn’t want to do the same thing when I moved to NYC that I did when I moved to Seattle and think I’d stay on track (you know, the definition of insanity), so I was actually able to keep my trainer and work out via FaceTime (or Skype, something fancy like that) on my phone. Technology for the win! We try to get a session, sometimes two, in each week…and I can do them from my apartment, score! And with the walking to and from the subways, work, and everywhere else I go, I’m able to get in a relatively steady level of cardio.

That brings us back to the 5K. You’re looking at an official, registered participant of the Walt Disney World 5K in January 2020. I love, love, love Disney World. And even though I’ve been many times, I’ve never been while simultaneously being in relatively decent physical shape. For someone used to spending her time waiting in lines worrying about whether she’d fit in the ride, this will be a whole new world (an Aladdin reference is totally called for here). Here’s to 2020, I’m running (well, power walking) for you!