Back to the beginning!

Here is the situation. Mistress is a phenomenal swimmer with perfect form in all strokes with a long history of competitive swimming. She went through college on a PAC10 swimming scholarship. Mostly swimming the mile, she would swim 25-30 miles a week. She gave up swimming for several years for us to start our business and our family but over the last year she has joined a Masters Swim program and most mornings is out the door to a early morning swim workout. 

At first this didn't bother me. I've had ultimate freedom the last year, so for me, I can workout at anytime I want during the day. I wasn't beholden to o'dark workouts to fit in a session before work. I could stay up late, sleep in and still get two quality workouts a day if I so desired. For an athlete training for ultra distance races staying up late and sleeping in are rarities, so I ensconced myself in that model of living as a symbol of my new trappings. 

Of course this new reality came with its downside. Minus a dedicated time to workout every day, I did my workouts a disservice with uninspired training or creating elaborate workouts to emphasis the fact that I wasn't trying to fit it in before having to do something else. This lack of schedule, this lack of accountability took it's toll in others areas of my life and before you know it, I feel like I've cheated myself out of my fitness the last couple months especially. 

This reminds me a quote from the Princess Bride, (bold for effect)

Inigo: I am waiting for you, Vizzini. You told me to go back to the beginning. So I have. This is where I am, and this is where I’ll stay. I will not be moved.
Brute: But the Prince gave orders –
Inigo: — So did Vizzini — when a job went wrong, you went back to the beginning. And this is where we got the job. So it’s the beginning, and I’m staying till Vizzini comes.

Back to the beginning!  Back to routine. Back to keeping a schedule. I am taking back my mornings. I am not foolish enough to think I would pop out of bed with vip, vim and vigor but I got out when I didn't really need to, to do what I really needed to do. 

I have nothing fancy planned for these first few weeks of early workouts, as really its not my main workout of the day like morning workouts used to be. Back then Mistress was in the house and taking care of the littles. Now that falls to me when she at Masters. I'm not planning on any 15 mile runs or 3 hour bike trainer sessions. My goals is to get out of bed with Mistress, which means going to bed early, then a few repeats of a familiar routine I do of push ups, ab exercises, pull ups, squats, burpees and plank for time. I vary each set with different hand placements , switch up ab exercises or a wall sit instead of plank. Add stretching tight muscles and if the littles stay in bed a bit longer some treadmill. 

Today was Day 1 and I got through the set 1x before Mo woke up needing his medicine and get ready for school. I am not used to working out in my living room so when I did crunches I saw the fan blades needed cleaning so I did that. The wood floor had dried playdoh and dog hair so I swiffered that.  The dog thought every time I did a burpee it was time to lick my face. In other words, I got up, got dressed, got through one circuit and got the room ready for me to do more in it tomorrow. 

That is progress and if I can integrate this morning routine back into my life and just get 1% better every day at it, I will be happy. 

It's not enough exist. I am going to live.