Working out with a nightlight

4:15 AM. It’s a time that no man or woman should ever see with groggy, caked eyes as you stubble around a dark room to turn off the phone alarm or answer a wake up call.. Yet, for the past year or so, with the help of a faithful workout buddy Chet, I’ve been getting up MOST days (except when we negotiate via phone that we want the other one to catch up on sleep- how thoughtful…).  Workouts begin at 5:00 AM and some mornings are more of a challenge than others.

Working out has been a good thing for me. It’s a time to push yourself to new limits. You can literally see a difference with a dedication to lifting. I started very weak in January of 2012. Chet basically forced me to work out after months of faithful spin classes. Its hard for me to do both cardio and lift weights well, but there was no getting around it. We were going to lift weights. As the months went by and I saw improvement in my chest, arms, back and shoulders (who has time for legs?), I became more and more motivated. Soon it became more than a routine….it was a morning right of passage. I was able to hit a peak at the beginning of the year with my chest bench press- I think it was 210. Its been challenging keeping up with working out since  I’ve been gone a lot in 2013. We are back working out again after he was out last week on his honeymoon, and it feels great to be back in a routine!

One bonus of working out besides the added muscle is the plain fun. Many inside jokes have formed from our mornings working out. We also have shared a ton of personal stuff between sets.  Aside from the accountability of keeping up with staying fit (or trying to stay fit), I’ve grown closer to a friend that is Christ-like, encouraging, challenges me, and always dependable. I think that’s a better reward than any new personal max in weightlifting, but feeling more confident in yourself without a shirt on at the pool is also a nice bonus.