Why do you do it?

Happy Tuesday! Didn't get around to posting yesterday, good ol' Monday morning whirlwind at work. For your daily dose of Shannon the Weatherwoman, it is epically bad weather for the latter half of May here in Boston. At several points over the past couple days, there was zero sun in the 10 day forecast. Not just cloudy, but rainy. For 10 days. 10 days of rain. It is opening up a bit but that is pretty pathetic. What happened to April showers bring May flowers? Boston's flowers are drowning. I am trying to embrace the Seattle-esque weather, which is most easily done by reassuring myself that 1. it isn't yet Memorial Day so there is plenty of time for the weather gods to figure their shit out, and 2. rainy days bring gorgeous green trees/grass/flowers! Patience my dear friends...our time for lovely sunny warm weather will come!

For a short recap, yesterday's workouts were muscle beach in the AM and stairmaster + core in the PM. After 1 mile warmup on the treadmill, triceps were barbell skullcrushers [3x10], standing dumbell overhead extension [3x10] and cable pressdowns [3x15]. Biceps were heavy alternating dumbell curls [3x8each] and alternating dumbell hammer curls [3x10each]. Stairmaster was 30 minutes 'fat loss' program followed by 5 x 15 medball atomic crunches. Good day of muscle building and fat burning, what more can you ask for? This morning was another killer spin class by Derek, we did a stage of the Giro d'Italia which climbs a mountain and a volcano [won by none other than Alberto Contador this weekend]. I LOVE that he tries to simulate real rides during class, it is a great workout and gives you an awesome visual. Most instructors simply come up with a schedule of sprints, jumps, climbs, double times, etc with the only purpose being sweating and pumping your legs to the music. Anyone can do the latter, it is really cool that Derek integrates real rides into our classes. Anyway, happy Shannon post Tuesday AM spin class. Planning on spin class #2 this evening. I don't know what it is lately but I just CAN'T GET ENOUGH.

So...why do you do it? Why do you get up at 6 am every morning to workout before heading to the office when sleep looks much more appealing? Why do you spend an hour planning your weekend bikeride when the average American lays on their couch watching crappy TV? Why do you pour so much blood, sweat, and tears into athletics? Why do you say no to happy hour and yes to an hour long sweat-fest of choice at the gym?

I thought a lot about this question last night after I received a text while I was on the stairmaster. I was right in the thick of my fat burning mission when I got a text that read "yay, keeping that tummy flat!." While that was meant to be a positive, supportive comment, it really drove me nuts. I exercise for many reasons, a flat stomach NOT being one of them. A muscular, toned physique is a wonderful result of daily exercise, but that alone won't successfully drive you toward a life-long journey in fitness.

I choose to exercise on a daily basis for the following reasons:
1. Sanity. The realities of a desk job require daily exercise.
2. The physical challenge. I am lucky to LOVE to feeling of lactic acid, muscle burn, sweat, completely physical exhaustion.
3. Long-term health benefits. Having seen family and friends struggle with health problems, the #1 method to combat anything of the sort is daily exercise.
4. Strength. I refuse to be a physically weak woman, I don't need a man to do anything for me. 100% independent, strong [and yes...muscular] woman at your service.  
5. I am an athlete. I have always been and will forever be an athlete, it is my job to continue my athletic pursuits long after organized sports have finished.

So what drives you???