Tag: workout motivation

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How I Stay Motivated to Run and Plank

Written 02/01/2025

Hello Dear Readers,

This morning, I decided to reward myself with an extra 30 minutes in bed. Not out of laziness—no, this was a well-earned bonus round of rest. When I finally stretched awake, my body had plenty to say about yesterday’s workout. My abs, shoulders, and arms all ached in that satisfying, you did something tough kind of way. The culprit? Three solid planking sessions.

Now, if you had asked me a few weeks ago whether I’d voluntarily hold a plank multiple times a day, I would have laughed and changed the subject. But here I am, surprising even myself. I’ve already checked off one session this morning, but I’m gunning for at least two. My ultimate goal is to conquer the elusive three-minute plank, and until I get there, consistency is the name of the game.

Speaking of consistency, let’s talk about the tricky beast that is exercise. Staying committed to a fitness routine isn’t always fun. Some days, I feel unstoppable; other days, my legs protest even the thought of movement. The secret, I’ve found, is to make exercise less of a chore and more of a challenge. Instead of dragging myself through a routine, I turn it into a game.

And this month? The game just got a fresh update. My running app has rolled out new monthly challenges, and I am all in. I used to be a gamer, so this setup feels oddly familiar—like accepting quests in an RPG. But instead of slaying dragons or looting treasure, I’m chasing down miles and racking up achievements.

First up on today’s list: a 10K run. Not only will that check off one of my monthly challenges, but it will also give me a head start on the others. The app typically hands me three major quests each month—a single 10K run, a 50K total distance challenge, and a two-month 150K challenge. It’s like leveling up my real-world endurance, one run at a time. As long as I stick to my own running expectations, I tend to complete them all.

For tracking, I use the ASICS Runkeeper app. The free version has everything I need, though the premium upgrade unlocks extra features. I haven’t felt the urge to splurge on it yet—partly because my wife and I already use the free version to keep tabs on each other’s progress. Having a workout partner, even virtually, makes a big difference. Some days, she’s the one pushing ahead, which inspires me to lace up and hit the pavement. On other days, it’s me leading the charge. Either way, it keeps us both accountable.

So, as I sit here sipping my coffee, psyching myself up for that 10K, I remind myself: fitness isn’t about punishing your body—it’s about challenging it. And the best way to stay motivated? Make it fun, set goals, and turn it into a quest worth pursuing.

Now, it’s time to gear up and earn today’s bragging rights.

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Building Strength: A Journey of Patience, Progress, and Support

Written October 15, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

I woke this morning to confirmation that I had put enough effort into my pullups. My subscapular muscles and my biceps were sore. Even last winter, the pull-ups gave me muscle aches, although the aches were much less intense than today. 

I wear gloves my sister gave me last winter to protect my skin. My wife gifted me the pullup platform over a decade ago before I had a brain stroke. Due to the brain stroke, I could not use the machine for several years. My wife did not get rid of it. She adamantly told me that she would use it if I could not use it in the future. She usually gets rid of things we don’t use without hesitation, so this was abnormal behavior for my wife. I thanked her for not getting rid of the machine, regardless.

Because I have been working on muscle exercises, my wife wants to gradually add muscle exercises to her workout curriculum. She is more of a cardio person but says that is not good enough. She runs to keep her body, especially her energy, high. Still, she would get hurt without a proper body to handle her energy. She’s started stretching to be more flexible. Now, she wants to have more muscles. She has so many things she wants to do, and she wants to have a healthy brain to do them at a later age. I know she does not like muscle training as much. So, I want to help and support her in her muscle training.

Despite this soreness, I did another set of exercises before breakfast. I wanted to see how well I would do today. Completing a push-up set was more manageable than yesterday. I could complete more before needing to drop off for a moment.  So, I expect to be at least as sore tomorrow. 

I have loved training my muscles since I was young and did gymnastics. My training is about something other than bulking up muscles, though. You would need strong core muscles to complete some gymnastics routines. 

As we age, our bodies act a little differently. For example, retaining muscles while maintaining them will be easier. I also understand that I have restrictions since my kidneys are compromised. For one, I consume protein like I used to, which hurts me to gain muscles. But I also understand it is not impossible to gain muscles even if I am aged or have compromised kidneys. I need more patience with my body. 

Eventually, my muscles will catch up to what I’m forcing them to do, and the soreness will fade.  It might take a week or two to reach that point, but I’m in no rush.