Spring Cleaning

Be honest about what you're getting yourself into

and make your world right for it.

-Paul Huddle, Roch Frey "Ironman Training Start to Finish"

I can't get that quote out of my head, so I finally gave in to it. And thus began the spring cleaning.

I took a look around and started seeing all of the little ways I was making my life more difficult than it needed to be and I've decided to make some changes. Just small ones, but hopefully when it all adds up they will be huge timesavers.

A couple of weeks ago I cleaned and organized the basement. I should've done that months ago. Now when I go down there to get on the trainer or treadmill I don't experience that sense of guilt that what I should be doing is cleaning up that mess.

I turned our spare bedroom into "workout staging". Duffle bags on the floor next to running & biking shoes. Each bag for something different - swim bag, weight-lifting bag, and bike/run travel bag for my business trips. Mat & physio ball on-hand for core workouts. List of core exercises readily available.

Then I started cleaning out the pantry. I'm ashamed to admit there was food in there past its expiration date. Dessert mixes never used, crackers I never liked, canned veggies that no one liked, half eaten bags of chips...

Once empty of uselessness, I reorganized it so my Accelerade, Gatorade Endurance, and Nuun are all on one shelf and easier to reach. I use that stuff way more than I make things like jello pudding & hot chocolate (seriously about once a year for both) so why shouldn't they be moved up in the hierarchy?

I devoted an entire drawer in the kitchen to gels, bars, & gummies. It should now take about 2 seconds to select what I need for a workout and stuff them into my bento box or back of my shirt.

I grabbed all of the water bottles I could find (and there were a lot) and put them together in 1 spot. Grab-n-go.

I cleaned the refrigerator out and reset shelves so fruits are front and center and things like pickles - which I rarely eat - are not.

Now I can make a list of the foods I need to restock. This time around the focus is on fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. I even started to make my oatmeal on the stovetop with rolled oats - Mr. IronMin just fainted - and it isn't that hard. I've been an instant oatmeal junkie for years while he made his separately. Now I know the difference and I'm kicking it old school.

I'm also making strides in putting things away where they belong (how many times have I searched for my keys...or my earrings...or my shoes) so I don't have to go through the house reorganizing everything before I can actually clean it.

I've made some progress but I know I still have a great distance to go. These next 5 months are going to be intense. My family knows what I am doing, my husband is 100% on board and supportive. I have turned down some of my favorite summer activities with my work buddies like softball league, and have already had to tell friends I can't go out because I have workouts to do. Sometimes it's hard to feel like I'm missing out, but this path is the decision I made for this year and I'm loving every minute of it. Well, not every minute...but the results from every minute have been gratifying.

Deciding to make my world right for it is part of the battle. The rest is working the plan.