Back in March, I started the 30 Day Shred, did my 30-days-straight, and then continued using it as a daily routine, doing a few days of each level here and there. I took a break here and there, because I felt as though I deserved it, and I did. (You can read about the whole adventure here…including pictures of my results!)
I knew that I’d be leaving on vacation and I wondered what would happen. I wanted to continue doing something, but I wasn’t sure how that would work. My husband told me not to spend too much time worrying about it, because 1) we were going on vacation, and the point is to relax, and 2) we’d be hiking almost every day, in one form or another.
When I was packing for my trip, I debated leaving my workout clothes, shoes and weights at home. What were the odds of using them? My sister had said she was interested in checking out the DVD, so I was bringing that. I debated with myself about what to do. Bring them and lug them around, not using them? Don’t bring them and kick myself if I found myself at the perfect opportunity to use them?
In the end, I put them in my bag. That way, I’d have them, but I promised not to beat myself up if I didn’t get a chance to use them.
None of the hotels we stayed in had DVD players, so I couldn’t follow the DVD. Some mornings, I’d do a few of the moves from memory, but I didn’t have a chance to do the 20-minutes every day. The non-schedule and full-on relaxation mode of vacation was intoxicating, and I never got out the weights. Or my exercise clothes. Or my exercise shoes. They stayed neatly packed.
The DVD got some use…but not by me. My sister, the one who we were going to visit in California, and the one who does pilates and works out every day at the gym was able to borrow the DVD, and she was promptly hooked. She bought it and is now working through it. Because she’s fit and thin and wasn’t a slug like I was when I started it, she’s not in nearly as much pain as I was at the beginning, but that’s okay.
I was able to enjoy my vacation and the fruits of my hard work in doing the Shred in the first place. I had more stamina for hiking, and my energy levels were kept up the whole vacation. But, I knew that when I got back home, I needed to get back on track or I’d lose what I’d worked so hard to gain (or vice versa, as the case may be). 
So, I’m re-starting the 30 Day Shred, from the beginning, 10-days each level. I won’t be blogging about it every day, but I will be referring to it on Twitter. (If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you can see some of my latest updates down on the left-hand column of the blog.) Today was the completion of Day 2. Again. It’s 100 times better the second time around, but it’s still a real workout.
People ask me what my favorite part of our vacation was, and I give the appropriate answers: the beach, the Grand Canyon, LegoLand, The San Diego Zoo, spending quality time with my husband and little girl, seeing friends and relatives, being able to unwind and decompress. I had a fabulous time, and it’s hard to choose what to say first, so over the coming days, I’ll be sharing our adventures.
But, the real answer? The answer that immediately jumps to the forefront of my mind and makes me smile? Remembering the look on my sister’s face when she screeched, “You’re so skinny!” THAT was my favorite part of my vacation, and I’m going to do what I can to maintain it.
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