I did it! I got out of bed two days in a row and exercised! My life is irrevocably changed! I’m a new woman! I’m invincible!
Ok, maybe not, but I do feel optimistic about sticking with this because it feels amazing to have time to myself to exercise before the day begins.
This morning I biked, an hour and a half leisurely ride on the indoor trainer while watching the first episode of Star Trek: Voyager which I’ve decided will be my new biking show. I remember enjoying it (though TNG was always my favorite) and I’m really excited for the escapism into a world where competent and ethical female leadership is respected and new adventures await.
The only thing about watching television while I ride is that it negatively impacts my performance by about 20% or so. I often hover just over 100 watts on average for power output during my rides and when watching tv I settle in and get distracted by the story line.
Today I averaged 75 watts during the ride.
But I still had an elevated heart rate for 90 minutes, worked up a good sweat, feel fantastic and have a mood lift both from the exercise and from the entertainment.
So maybe I can push a little harder, but maybe it’s also ok to have some easier rides if it makes exercise more enjoyable to escape into the world of Captain Janeway.
Right now my tentative plan is to run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and bike while watching Voyager on Tuesday and Thursday and leave the weekends as flexible depending on family plans. Maybe I’ll get in a bonus workout.
I hope this ends up working out well, because I think the morning routine would be good for me if I can keep getting up and getting moving!