"Not Tonight Baby, I'm Too Tired" - Words Spoken To My Treadmill

Before I turn in at night, I look at my treadmill and say out loud "I'm getting up early and doing the treadmill". With good intentions I set my alarm a half an hour earlier. The alarm goes off at 5:30am. I hit the snooze button again and again and again. Not only have I slept through my treadmill time, I'm running a half an hour late! I am not benefiting from extra minutes of interrupted sleep, I am beginning my day stressed out and tired. I am more likely to snap at my husband and my kids and start their day off on a sour note. The dog is definitely getting yelled at for no reason other than the fact that his breath smells and I'm running late.

Sleep - it becomes more precious and elusive when you're trying to balance work, home and family. When I was single, I'd go out dancing with my friends six nights a week and make it to work everyday. I was young and in shape. However, I lived at home with my parents and I only had myself to worry about. Once I moved out, I worked 2 jobs. One to pay the bills and one for spending money. I still went out 6 nights a week and never complained I was tired.

Stress, along with the responsibilities of work and family life, seem to leech out much of my energy. It didn't matter how much I slept, I  always felt tired.  I saw my doctor about my fatigue and addressed my underlying anemia and an under active thyroid. I was told it all went south after 40. Here I was at 38, exhausted and gaining weight. Friends told me I looked tired and bloated, 2 years ahead of schedule. Lucky me.
At the time I was back in school full time becoming a nurse. I had 3 school-aged kids. Soccer, basketball, karate, cheer leading, Sunday school, their homework, MY homework, housework and they want me to bake cookies for tomorrow's class party? Romance? Need you ask how our romantic life was at that time?  I had to get up at 4:30am just to complete my homework before the family awoke. I thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my life and day-to-day, I didn't know how I was going to make it through the nursing program. Something had to change.

I survived it by getting an exercise tape. That's right! I added one more thing to my plate. I only worked out 2 times a week but it worked. I wasn't as tired and I began to lose weight. I felt better about me! I was like Rocky at the top of stairs before the big fight. The dog suffered less and so did my family. I "went the distance" and graduated nursing school with my family present. I was awarded the Outstanding Effort award at graduation. If they only knew! My kids, my husband and my parents were so very proud of me. I was proud of me. However, I could not have achieved this success without the complete support, understanding and love of a good man. Matt did more than his fair share around the home and with the kids and he cheered me on the whole way, never asking anything of me. He deserved the Outstanding Effort award as much as I did, because this was difinitiely a team effort.

That same year we joined a gym. The kids enjoyed the pool at that age. Now they are all in college and they all belong to gyms. We set the example. The seeds were planted. A job well done. 
I now label myself as being 'fit'. I am not an athlete. At 50, I feel and look better than I did at 38. What a difference lifestyle makes! What have I learned over the last 12 years? I learned that replacing 30 minutes of sleep with moderate exercise has given me an abundance of extra energy to get me through my hectic day. I'm not running late, I am more awake and I feel better about me. My family thanks me. My dog thanks me.
If I don't manage it in the morning, I manage it at night - no matter how exhausted I am, I ALWAYS feel more energized and alive when I finish - even it's for just 15 minutes. So tomorrow morning baby, it's you and me. We have a 30 minute date to exercise, just me and my treadmill. Tonight my handsome husband, I most likely won't be too tired !