Wash of a week

This past week was a bit of a wash. I had a family emergency that threw off my ability to exercise as much as I wanted to. I was away from home most of the week, but I did have occasional access to an elliptical. I got on the elliptical about 3 times for an average of 45 minutes. Otherwise, I did some crunches most days, and that was it. However, I didn’t feel comfortable going for solo runs in neighborhoods that I was not familiar with, especially since it was usually dark out by the time I got the chance to go.

Now that I am back home, I plan to get back into the swing of things, keeping in mind that this past week was largely out of my control. It’s when I beat myself up over things like this that I tend to get discouraged. If I plan to maintain my exercise habits for the rest of my life, there will undoubtedly be weeks like this. For me, keeping this in mind is much more encouraging and productive.

An inspiring person who makes me keep this last thought in mind is my father. He is dedicated to, and loves, playing tennis. Some weeks, he gets busy with work and has to cancel a few games or practices with friends, but always gets right back into it the moment he has time again. I hope to establish this as my pattern as well. I will not be able to get as discouraged or make excuses for myself and will be much more likely to pick myself up every time if the expectation is set to do so.