I know. I know. I just shared a post on blogger responsibility last night and here I am posting “6 Steps for Getting Back in the Workout Groove”. Well…simply remember that I’m not a professional. This topic simply coincides with my life this week and I want to share about it and how I handled the challenge. Mmmmkay? Good.

So. Workout grooves. I have had some struggles finding mine again this week. I honestly missed my regular workout routine while away at Fitbloggin and felt excited to get back to it come Monday. However, once Monday rolled around I did not have the same motivation I previously felt. I knew I had to take some proactive steps to make sure I didn’t suddenly end up facing my race next Saturday without any training the prior weeks. And seriously? Next week is my race?! When? How?! But back to my post…

Step One: Find a workout that excites you.

I planned a spinning workout for Monday with my favorite instructor. Getting to see her again and have her kick my butt sounded good and all sorts of fun. Any other workout might not have gotten me out the door. Spinning can always motivate me to get moving!

Step Two: Plan ahead for a workout time that you will least likely skip.

I know that if I put my workout off until the evening I have a much harder time finding the energy to power through a session. Unfortunately, I could not get my gym time in on Monday morning. It almost deterred me from going to spin Monday night. Good thing I love spinning so much that it got my butt out the door. Needless to say, it reminded me why it is so important to choose a time that works for you! Don’t make getting back into a groove hard on yourself by choosing to workout at 5 am when you hate the morning or at 6 pm when you know you will want to die of exhaustion. 

Step Three: Find a Buddy.

this image doesn’t REALLY fit in this post but I LOVE it too much and had to slip it in - carriedphotography caught this one of Katy & I during the conference

I’ll be honest…one of the biggest things that motivated me to hit spin class on Monday night was you all. Blogging sure provides a heck of a lot of motivation sometimes! I know you all wouldn’t feel disappointed in me or anything ridiculous like that. Workouts are just my best blog brainstorming time! If blog brainstorming so you have something to discuss with blog buddies doesn’t motivate you, then find a “real life” pal to drag along and make things less miserable.

Step Four: Ease Back Into It.

Confession: I picked up this step in hindsight. After attending a conference that also focused on fitness I got a little gung-ho on my weights workouts of the week. I completed the following two workouts.

MONDAY: PLYO, CHEST, TRIS, & ABS WORKOUT (done as a circuit)

TUESDAY: HAMSTRINGS, BACK, SHOULDERS, & BIS WORKOUT (done as 3 different supersets)

Ahem. My body hurts. Ouch. Not the smartest move on my part to go back in so forcefully. Take note that easing back in would make things much easier to keep up with and more natural in getting that groove back.

Step Five: Be Realistic and Adapt As Necessary.

Along the same premise as step four, I quickly learned that I would have to openly adjust my workout plans so as not to sideline myself with intense soreness. Wednesday my training plan called for a 5 mile tempo run, with my tempo miles at an 8:43 pace. Ha! Hahahaha! My legs said no way and I had no problem adjusting that run’s goal to simply completing 4 miles, screw the pace. If I had tried to push it, my workout groove would have quickly turned into creating a nice groove in my couch cushions instead. You know…since I would not have a shot in the world of moving from said couch cushions.

Step Six: Just Do It.

Nike is onto something…

Remember all the reasons you love working your fitness. Then, get out there and go for it. Try not to make excuses because every bit of delay will make it that much harder to return later. Consider the goals you hope to accomplish, that approaching race (cough cough), the wonderful sense of accomplishment you feel after a workout, or the health you enjoy. Think about what got you to the gym or out pounding that pavement before your break. Use those same things to motivate you now and just do it. Getting started is 99% of the challenge for me! The other 1% is my sore legs. Dang you Fitbloggin trampoline workout and deadlifts!

• What ways do you get your workout groove back in action?
• Does blogging ever motivate you to do a workout?

Check out my guest post on weight training tips over at Side of Sneakers!

Busy. Hectic. Crazy. That would sum up this week so far for me. It would also likely sum up myself, especially the crazy part…but we won’t go there. The sad thing? I don’t even really know why it has felt like such a mad rush all week. We haven’t had too many more things on our plate than normal.

We have had play dates with friends at story time.

We have visited the pediatrician for a 4 month check-up.

Although don’t even get me started on the times they schedule well visit appointments. Losing nap time does not make a very happy Tina. Or Braedon. Or Makenzie. Sounds fun, huh?

I felt like a high school student cramming for an exam. Well, kind of. I had to cram a bunch of planning and prep work for the final exam review tutoring I have coming up in the next few weeks. Over 500 Spanish vocab words turned into online flashcards and practice questions. Me hace loca!!!!

I have also made sure to stay on top of my fitness routine. Tuesday I went to the gym for a run on the treadmill and weights. I completed 4 miles at a steady 9:30 pace and then hit up the weights to make my hamstrings, back, and biceps want to cry.

Then, yesterday I mixed up some cardio DVDs for a little fun variety cardio workout. I did about 30 minutes of a Turbo Kick workout and then the intervals of the 30/30 HIIT Cathe Friedrich DVD. It added up to 50 or so minutes of cardio madness fun.

Amidst all of that, I have had a toddler going through some teething. Her back molar is coming in on one side and its made for a little added crankiness. Thank goodness the kid loves green smoothies.

Smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, and macaroni and cheese are about all I can get her to eat because her mouth hurts her so bad. Poor kiddo!

And then, there’s baby B deciding to switch up his normal routine suddenly. Kids are little tricksters. They get you comfortable with how things are running so smoothly and then switch it on you. Bring it, Baby B. Momma can handle you! 😉

So, nothing too over the top – but enough to diminish my desire to cook up fancy meals from scratch. Okay. I can’t fool you. I never whip up fancy meals from scratch. But I do try to make the most of easy meals. Like with my trusty standby of sandwiches. Which inevitably makes me crave soup. Who cares if we hit the 90s? I can always eat soup.

My craving led me to scrounging up a can of vegetable soup, which I spruced up by adding a large handful of spinach to wilt into it. I also added some sliced up Trader Joe’s Jalapeno chicken sausage for an extra little fill factor.

It worked…but not as well as my sandwich. I spread Chavrie herbed goat cheese on some whole wheat bread with sautéed mushrooms and tomato slices. Then, I cooked it panini style of course.

Goat cheese makes me happy. It helps me breathe for a moment. Just a moment though. That’s all I get in the life of a mom. Now, time to get going again! Have a great Thursday my friends! And stay tuned for a heart pumping giveaway later today! 😉

• Can you eat things like soup or ice cream year round, despite the temps?
• Did/do you cram for exams? I always did! I worked better under pressure. It must have worked sine I only got one B all through college. <—Nerd alert!