You may have noticed the fitbit stats that post in the side bar.  This little thing has completely altered how I manage my day-to-day physical existence.  I have become one of those irritating people that wears a pedometer and records everything that I eat - I try not to look like too much of a dork doing this (probably an impossible battle there anyway) and don't make a big show of it, but I seriously record everything I eat and check my step count all day...

In any case, I always have a hard time staying on track with exercising and healthy food choices during the winter months.  I think I like staying warm and the extra calories when it's really cold outside and, living in Minnesota, the 'really cold outside' period is 5+months so the winter really does tend to put a damper on my plans for healthy living.

I ended up getting a fitbit in June last year and I've been basically religious about wearing it and recording my food intake.  So far so good - it's been really helpful in making sure that my calorie output is sufficiently below my calorie intake.  It's basically responsible for me losing a good bit of weight.  The problem is that I haven't kept up as well with my actual exercising - I run a fun 'races' a year and that tends to scare me into training for them as they get closer, but I'm not running any of the local 'polar' races (not my thing) and so I slack off in the winter.

Now I've also managed to screw-up my shoulder.  It was worrying enough that I actually went to the doctor (not something I generally do unless I'm really sick) and they don't think it's a big deal, but I get to see the physical therapist and I'm not supposed to do anything that irritates it until (and maybe after) that appointment.  I had wanted to restart the Insanity thing (did that last year with my wife), but that's a lot of pushups, etc. so that's out for awhile.

I can certainly run on the treadmill (which is really what I need to just start doing, but sometimes it's such a drag when the basement's cold and I'm running in-place constantly), but it's not as interesting as Insanity and I'm having a tough time getting motivated.  Also, the first 'race' that I know that I'm running this year isn't until July this year (Tough Mudder) and, while I'm certainly going to be running something sooner, there isn't anything on the calendar at the moment and that makes it tough to focus on getting in shape.

So there it is - what I need to do is get something on the calendar for April and put some pressure on myself to get ready for something.  A couple of years ago I ran a sprint triathlon and came in dead last - having swallowed a bunch of lake water, cramped up both of my thighs, and thrown up (during the bike section).  I finished, but it was really painful and personally humbling as there were a bunch of people that I had, prior to the race, pegged as those that I'd easily beat to the finish.  Most of them were already driving home by the time I got through my bike stage.  I don't like coming in last, but I really don't like feeling like I totally misjudged something (and myself).  It's a good memory to use to make sure that I'm ready for a race.