The Best Gift to Give – No, Not Scotch.

We’re approaching the holidays with somewhat frightening speed, and it’s got me concerned.  Not because I have lots of presents to buy (I do) or because I haven’t lost that ten pounds I said I was going to lose before Christmas (I haven’t) but because I’m experiencing something I haven’t experienced in quite awhile:  fear of the cold.

Yes, you heard me right. 

Somewhere in the past two weeks, I lost my winter MoJo.  Two weeks ago, I was all “bring it on! I heart the snow”. Now I’m all “what sane person goes outside when the snow is blowing sideways?”  I think it has something to do with the fact that I still haven’t cracked the nut on early morning running (or walking) – and that when I get home at night, it’s craptastic weather, and I’m tired and want to bake cookies.  Or whatever.

So you’re probably thinking “so go to the gym.  You have a membership, just go.”  And you’d be right.  But I don’t wanna.  I wanna go run on the lakefront.  RUN.  But I’m not quite ready for that – especially in snow.  I want to go snowshoeing – but we don’t have enough snow.

Do I sound like a petulant five year old? Because that’s what I’m channeling right about now. 

So this is what I’m going to do:  I am going to go home.  I am going to do ALL of my PT exercises, while watching some seriously poor television.  Tomorrow morning, when the windchill is going to be NINE BELOW at 6:00 a.m., I’m going to the gym (planning for that extra half hour to clean off my car from the frozen ice/snow mess which it will be encased in).  And that’s the best I can do.

So why did I call this post “The Best Gift to Give”?  Because I know, in my heart of hearts, that taking the time, and not making excuses, and getting in some activity IS the best gift to give yourself during the holidays – hell, during any day.  It forces us to slow down, take stock and consider what’s important – our own health and welfare. 

So I need to make time for it, even if what I really want to be doing is baking Snickerdoodles and escaping into a good book….and you should too.  This is the time when most of us fall off the wagon. 

Let’s get back on together!

Have a great Thursday, and I’ll see you on the path!