Yeah, its been awhile since I put finger to keyboard to emotitype. Coined a new phrase today – “emotitype”! Hashtag that ;-).
My personal stories in the past have been mostly race reports, or travel experiences in exotic places (that always involved a race or training camp of some sort). Today I am just sitting here, inspired to write a bit more about me and what inspired this. I have been posting my own Work Out of the Day Challenges, Meal plans of the day recommendations and lean, clean recipes to share now daily for a few weeks. This got me roaming more around these platforms of social media, namely Facebook and Twitter. I notice more and more inspiring stories of sport and good nutrition changing lives for the better. I notice pictures of chubby peeps getting on bikes in tri suits, of before and after pictures with great weight loss stories, and so much encouragement and support from those already “in the tribe” of a healthy lifestyle!
This inspired me to just say to all you supporters and life changers, Thank You!! It helps each day to face the day. I myself had the complete burnout factor hit me this year. I used completing my third Ironman as a very valid excuse, that I deserve to be lazy and should revel in. That was okay, but that was back in September, and that particular excuse has a statute of limitations (maybe a few weeks, at most, especially if I want to continue to make a living doing what I do!!).
January rolled around and with all the resolutioners in my face, I went through a time where putting on my brave face and face each day felt false… New year, new YOU was my chant to others, but new year, OLD me stayed with me. Since it is MY JOB to be an inspirer, cheerleader, supporter and accountabilitee (definition of new word: someone others become accountable to) I went through some low lows feeling like how can I be an encourager when I am not able to get my own lazy butt vertical many mornings. I wanted to side more and more with those telling me how difficult it is to get into the gym because I started agreeing with them.
February rolled around, and I slowly found myself back pounding pavement, early morning swims, and spinning endlessly (ok, not endlessly, but I was back in the saddle, even if it was just for a few minutes at a time). I still feel burnt out, and I still feel like its an effort, but I am also experiencing what many experience who are trying to make a healthy lifestyle part of their routine. It takes a lot of moans and groans initially. It takes chanting to oneself “just get vertical” more often than necessary. It takes making a commitment to a training buddy that you WILL see them in the pool, or in the spin class even though in the back of your conscience you are leaving yourself room to back out. It takes NOT backing out… and with time, getting up early, getting it done daily, and eating clean becomes a habit! Habit helps turn behaviors into a lifestyle. Experiencing this from a viewpoint of those starting new, committing to this being the year of fitness and health, finding every effort to make it work, helps me relate more to those that really do struggle. When one has been doing it consistently for 25 years and lives it without a second thought, one can lose sight of those beginning days and weeks.
I will embrace the experience of burnout for the better now. I will relate more, yet keep motivating. I will be back in it with genuine compassion and encouragement so that I can contine to walk the talk, as I always have (minus October to February)… I will continue to post my workout challenges, recipes and meal plan tips every day on my Facebook page (Optimal Nutrition for Life – by Ilana) and Twitter (@ilanakatz). I will continue to practice and preach hashtag EatRight4Sport !! AND I WILL FOLLOW MY OWN ADVICE – February is half way through and burnout is over!! I will get vertical every day and encourage all my followers to follow me!
I thank you for support and understanding, and I thank you for not judging the ultimate food police judge herelf!!
