5am ???

It's no secret that I enjoy exercise, especially running. I blog and tweet about it. Have you noticed the decrease in my comments about it though?

Time, energy and motivation for exercise have been hard to come by lately. I managed to run a few times a week leading up to my half marathon earlier this month. But that was because I didn't want to die during the race.

Mentally I've been at a bit of a better place lately, so running hasn't been as crucial. When I'm struggling, I need the adrenaline and runner's high to snap me out of a funk.

There honestly seems to be so little time for exercise these days. I am a firm believer that you will make time for what's important. And while exercise is important to me, I guess other things are just edging it out right now.

Our evenings go by so quickly and are quite full. On the days I work, when I get home it's time to connect with the kids, nurse the baby and get dinner going (Bean does this often). Since the baby is eating solids now, that's another thing to add to the list. And she must be fed before everyone else--since we've only one highchair and no extra chairs at the table right now. Then it's dinner, showers and baths, reading with Miss Rose and by then--bed.

Our kids go to bed at 7:30. Which is a blessing and a pain. It's a blessing because it means more time in the evening for Bean and I to get things done, to have quality time and relax with the TV. But it also means evenings go quickly. My children are sleepers though. Which is a good thing. They fall asleep fairly quickly and then need to be woken up at 6:30. {of course on non-school days, they wake up on their own at 6:30. Go figure.}

With daylight waning and upcoming daylight savings ending, there are no more post-dinner runs. Sure I could do a video after the kids go to bed, but I rarely feel energetic enough for that. My days off seem so busy and full of other things that exercise is low on the list.

I've come to the conclusion that if I want to get regular exercise in, I need to wake at 5am. At least a few times a week. Which is only 45minutes earlier than I try to rise anyways. But oh that seems SO early. Maybe once it's light earlier, it will be easier. To be quite honest, I haven't even tried. I still can't believe that I managed to Shred for all but a few days of April, with at least 50% of it happening in the early morning.  I'm impressed with myself.  But I can't seem to repeat it.

I'm in a wedding in about a month.  Wearing a little black dress.  {perfectly modest of course} It's forgiving of my trouble area (post-baby belly) but of course the better shape I'm in, the more confident I'll feel.  The dress has spaghetti straps, and I'd love to work on toning my arms.  They pretty much lack all tone and definition.  And of course ab work.  You'd think even if I didn't have energy or time for cardio, at least I could work on those areas.

Yeah, it hasn't happened yet.

I was inspired this morning reading the Facebook status of a friend of mine who commented on waking at 4am to spend time with God, her husband and Jillian Michaels.  That's before she homeschools her 2 school age children while also entertaining her 2 small children.  No, she doesn't live on a farm in the middle of no where.  She lives in my same city in busy So Cal.

I'm working on it.  Thinking about it.  For me, exercise begats exercise.  The more I exercise, the more I make time for exercise and prioritize it.  So I know I just need to get started again. 

But those first few mornings are always SO hard.  Maybe Thursday.  Then if I need to I can nap that afternoon.  I'll keep you posted.