Mommy/Student/Employee + Exercise = When?

The life of a mother is often times challenging...

...make sure breakfast is ready, backpacks are set, homework is complete, the house is up to par (whatever par is), laundry is kept, dinner is made, dishes are done, kids are showered, yada-yada-yada.  You catch my drift.  Now you are a mom in school, trying to further her own education... something she skipped out on after high school because she landed a great job or married into money, or whatever the case may be for not attending straight out of HS.  AND, that same mom is working part or full time to earn money for the monthly bills and make ends meet.  By the sounds of it, that mother leads a pretty chaotic lifestyle.  Welcome to my world.

If you understand this lifestyle, you understand that it is very rare to have a *me* moment and whenever the opportunity arises you either 1) jump on it because God knows when you are going to have another chance like this, or 2) skip out on it to be with the family... after all, you are a busy mom, student and employee that sees her family but 10-15 hours a week... sometimes  more, but realistically, less.  You will also understand that it is hard to find time to have fitness time.  That is the case here.  The last time I worked out, or even stepped foot into a gym was when I was 21 weeks pregnant... unless you count that time a few months back when I worked out at the gym here at OSU, but never returned after.

So in efforts to MAKE ROOM for a little exercise, I have squeezed in a swimming class to my schedule... this way I have to go, no excuses.  I have decided that enough is enough... I am already a statistic as for as weight goes... I don't want to become a statistic for health related issues- especially those that I can avoid by eating right and exercising.  I did it once upon a time...I can do it again!

Yesterday was the official start of swimming... but instead of suiting up, we had to sign liability forms.  So pretty much, if I drown, it is my fault- not OSU's!  Good God, I should hope that doesn't happen... especially not after my experience from this summer.  If you recall from a previous blog, I jumped off the diving board straight down, feet first... into 17 feet of water.  If I didn't drown then, I highly doubt I will in 5 feet of water!  Anyway- that took a morbid turn... back to swimming....

Mondays and Wednesdays I will be training (yeah, right... more like LEARNING) for the major strokes of swimming.  Front crawl, which apparently is a prereq- that I have no idea how it do properly- the breast stroke, butterfly and backstroke.  I will also have to write a routine- which can have water aerobics applied into it.  Before the end of the quarter I will have to have a body composition done... which will be bitter-sweet and I have to monitor my eating habits.  Which all and all, is a good thing.  I need structure, discipline and motivation.  If this is the only way to get me going... it will have to do!