And So It Begins.....Again

As we begin to put the finishing touches on what has been a very fast-paced and busy summer, I must admit I am glad to be getting back into more of a regular routine. I love summer, what with all the grilling, fishing, camping, swimming, and spending time with friends outdoors and enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. And, I can't really complain too much about summer of '08, except that I didn't do nearly as much of the aforementioned list of activities and I would have liked. But, I don't suppose I ever would get to do as much as I'd like. I'm sure there's a reason for that, one which only God knows.

One regret I do have, however, is that I really fell hard out of my workout routine. Much of this was due to working third shift, as I often went in to work earlier in the evening to rake in the overtime hours and ultimately pay the bills. I had tried at one point to come home from work and go for an early morning run, but most often the kids were up and at 'em too soon, so that didn't work so well. Mandi's routine was such that she slept until nine or so in the morning, which I felt I owed her since she was often at home in the evening by herself with baths and other such parenting duties. Heck, the least I could do was let her wake up on her own accord, without the assistance of an alarm clock, right? By the time I got to bed, it was usually around ten o' clock and I wouldn't get up until supper time, around sixish. By the time I'd either go to work early or take care of a few to-do's, well, you get the picture. Where in the world is the time for a workout??

So it felt particularly good to get a good workout in this afternoon with Mandi. We went through one of our workout videos, which is equivalent to walking/running four miles. It was a little tougher than I remember, but I suppose that's par-for-the-course since I had fallen out of a routine. While we never stopped eating properly, the lack of exercise has taken it's toll on my energy level, and I've put on about ten pounds over the summer. Well, I'm back at it and I aim to reverse the gain, and keep on going to erase this belly of mine. My goal is two-fold - as I've mentioned in the past, I would dearly love to be in shape enough to run the Lincoln Marathon next May, and I would also love to reveal the coveted six-pack hidden within the confines of my abdomen. Now, I realize such a revelation will take some extra work outside of merely running, and I am prepared to accept such work. Bring it on!

I'll keep ya posted on the progress as the weeks press on.