Kimme: Measurements

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Yesterday, I got myself into a funk.  I decided to take some body measurements for my records.  I pulled out my old exercise and measurement logs., and saw that the last time I took full measurements was in 2011.  That was the first and last time I have ever systematically trained for a race.  That year I joined two running groups, one to train for the LA Marathon and one to train for running trails.   On top of that I was cross-training with spin and other body conditioning classes AND doing a lot of intense Kundalini yoga.  I had just come out of a long relationship and running and yoga were really helping me cope with the separation.  I think I may have been in the best physical shape of my life that year.

Anyway, I was not unhappy with my current body until I took the measurements.   How could my body have changed so much in the last 4 years?  It wasn't that bad, just an inch here and and inch there but it is not as if I stopped working out completely.  I thought I was doing enough to maintain my numbers...  my clothes fit,  I am at my same goal weight.   But I know what those numbers mean.  I am not as strong as I was.  I had forgotten how focused and determined and in hindsight, desperate I was to feel my physical best that year.

This year I will have the time and energy to get myself back to that level of fitness but I don't know if that is what I want to  focus on.  As I look back on that year I see how quickly the results from my hard earned efforts dwindled when I shifted some of my focus to my creative work and a new relationship.   One very good way I shifted after that year was that I took most of my exercise from the inside gym, road, and yoga studio to working out in nature.  That was a profound breakthrough for me.   The idea of being a really strong, fast, intelligent backpacker when I am in my eighties is way more exciting than having  a PR in my upcoming race this year. So that means training for slow steady increases in speed, flexibility, agility and endurance over my workout lifetime.

I think I am ready to let go of my exercise focus and goals from the past.  This is not easy...I never reached my goal of running a 4 hour road marathon nor my endurance goal of running a 50 miler.  And what about maintaining those measurements from the past?  That I am not giving up.   As someone that designs and makes my own patterns and clothes, I take the time and effort to make sure I create patterns that fit me.  At some point I got sick of my fluctuating weight and measurements and I made a promise to myself to chose a weight and measurements that I could stick with.   It is a pet peeve of mine that clothes are thought to be so disposable nowadays.  I envy men and women that can still fashionably wear clothing from their past decades.  That is my fashion goal and I will happily do ten extra squats and push ups a day to get there.