They can't all be about sweat

Image Source Page: http://epguides.com/LaverneandShirley/

  As much as I’m enjoying reruns of Laverne & Shirley, I’m afraid I haven’t found much fertile ground for writing there.  Sure there’s their indomitable spirit (“There is nothing we won’t try, never heard the word impossible!”), but those are for another day.  Those are for when I can get back into the gym or on my bike.  My body is too busy recovering and prone to napping these days, so I need to find something else to celebrate & motivate. So here it is: 

  I tried a new food!  Well, a new beverage really: prune juice!   Plums aren’t the least bit scary - there were 3 plum trees in my childhood backyard - yet somehow the image of a tarlike beverage derived from these wonderful fruits has always made me squeamish.  But I figured that as long as I’m already dealing with bloody bandages, why not throw something un-fishy and un-fungusy like prune juice in for my first food phobia challenge.

  The verdict?  It tastes nothing like plums!  If I could keep the juice toward the center of my tongue, away from molars and the taste buds hiding out there, perhaps I could drink prune juice without shuddering.  But once the juice finds its way to those unsuspecting taste buds, it turns from questionable fruit juice to… ugh… black licorice flavor.  I’m not talking about anise, a spice with a lovely flavor; I’m talking about the skewed anise flavor that’s turned into the jelly beans I won’t eat and the licorice I won’t touch.

 {I’ve no doubt that I’ll be hearing from people who have suggestions for making prune juice palatable.  So be it.  I’m not saying prune juice is a bad thing (it’s high in antioxidants, potassium, Vitamin A, and of course fiber); I'm just saying I tried it and it made me shudder.  Nonetheless, because of its healthy properties and the fact that it's neither fish nor fungus, I promise I’ll make myself drink what remains in the bottle rather than pour it away.}

  What matters here is that despite imposed limitations, I challenged myself to try something new.  It wasn't a new piece of equipment in the gym, it wasn't a new bike route, and it wasn't a new class.  It was a challenge of will and mental strength, and I succeeded!

  In conclusion, here are three victories I’m counting today:

1.      The prune juice thing.

2.      I stood long enough to fold two loads of laundry!

3.      I’ve been drinking all the water I challenged myself to (have you?).

NEXT CHALLENGES

Mental:    Identify hunger, and eat in response to that, rather than to sneaky feelings like boredom or tiredness.

Physical:    Walk to the far end of my street and back.  I’m allowed to rest on the bench if I need to.   (You may wish to choose a more relevant goal than walking to the end of my street; perhaps you can walk to the end of yours?)

Nothing's gonna turn us back now, Straight ahead and on the track now! 

(I love that song!)