My Year in Fitness: 2012

Being close to the end of the year (and an amazing one at that), I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Reflecting on how I've spent my time, and the progress I've made in certain areas, especially in fitness. 2012 was an amazing year of fitness for me. This and last year were the first years that I truly worked out all the time with a specific plan and accomplished specific goals. I've really come a looong way in terms of fitness. I went from nothing to half-marathoner in just a few years. I'm proud to look back on this year and see what I've done - literally - with my body!

My Year in Fitness! 

• January

- I worked my way almost all the way through Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD. I really liked this one as it was harder than the 30 Day Shred, which I did in 2011. But I got really sick my last week and a half, so I kind of fizzled out of that one, but there was nothing I could do about that one.

• February - April

- Started and finished Insanity (60 day program) before my wedding in June
- I love Insanity. Period. I was so afraid I wouldn't be fit enough to do it or that I'd hurt myself, but it was so worth all the effort. It wasn't that scary, either.
- I got such awesome results that I had to get my wedding dress resized a month before my wedding (eek!) because my strapless gown was literally falling off of me. I didn't actually lose much weight at all (maybe 3-5 pounds?), but it transformed my body from head to toe. My body was just a different shape after and it was awesome.

• May

- wanted to keep my results from Insanity but not start a crazy workout plan since I was busy doing wedding stuff
- did a combination of Hip Hop Abs & Turbo Jam, which was really fun to switch things up. I liked both videos for the variety but I probably wouldn't do either again because I felt they were too easy in terms of fitness but also too hard to follow since I'm not a born dancer.

• June

- again, right before my wedding so I didn't have a lot of time but...
- I did a combination of cardio (either outdoor running or indoor elliptical) & Jillian Michael's Blast Fat, Boost Metabolism and her No More Trouble Zones (both changenging hour long circuits that I LOVE)

• July - October 

- Signed up for the Boston Half-Marathon on July 11th (I remember because I had to sign up that day at a specific time because it sold out in only a few hours!) 

- Officially started training for the half on July 16th with Hal Higdon's 12 week plan

- Finished the half-marathon on October 7th! Byfar my favorite personal accomplishment of the year besides getting married :) 

• October (after the Half) - December 

- started round two of Insanity on the 16th 

- threw some running in once in a while when the weather was nice enough

And that's my year in fitness! In the next 19 days of the year (omgosh), I plan to finish Insanity on December 19th, then while I'm on vacation I will probably just take a break from working out besides a few runs, and I might throw in some old Jillian favorites if I have the time!

Some things I learned about myself & fitness this year are: 

• Good workout clothes are totally necessary and worth the price (usually). Without the proper gear, workouts aren't fun! This definitely goes for shoes too. I had to get new shoes when I trained for the half, but it was one of the best purchases of my life! 

• Sometimes I'm motivated, sometimes I'm not. But what keeps me motivated, personally, is having a plan. If I have no plan for a workout that day, I am waaay more likely to not workout at all. Making a calendar or schedule in advance has been totally key to my success in completing so many programs. 

• Even though scheduling workouts is good, I've never followed a schedule perfectly. This was especially true with my half-mararthon training. Some days, I could only eek out 3 miles when I was "scheduled" to do 4. Oh well. Stuff happens. You do what you can and you move onto the next day with a smile on your face :) 

• Running is awesome. Yes, I learned this this year. But it's been a truly valuable lesson. Running is one of the very few things that clears my head, which I have trouble doing these days. The mere thought of running right now makes me excited, motivated, and yet focused. I love it. 

• I am not a super-fast or "really great" runner, and that is okay with me. I can run, and however I can do that is super awesome. No comparing. No shame. 

• The lady who lives below me hates my fitness addiction. ;) This is where you either laugh or cringe. 

• I can really only workout in the morning, period. Other times of the day = no bueno. 

I love sharing my success with others because all this that I've written about has changed my life. I can only hope to encourage and connect with others with my accomplishments. That being said... 

• Question for you: What's your fitness goal(s) for 2013?