Week three begins: What is 13.5 hours like, anyway?

The third week of every month during base building is the longest: I have 13.5 hours scheduled to do this week. My husband asked me yesterday why 1 hour per day isn't enough, and someone commented on this blog yesterday that they can't imagine working out this much and balancing the kids, the job, and the exercise. So here's how I do it, and here's why.

How:
I wake up at 4:25 a.m. My clothes were laid out the night before (today was my bathing suit under bike shorts and a sweatshirt) and my gym back was fully packed last night with the clothing I'm now wearing at work. I get dressed, brush teeth and hair and am in my car by 4:35 a.m.

I get my first cup of coffee (an americano) from the Starbucks drive-thru on the way to the Pro Club. I get to the club right at 5 when they open.

Today I swam for half an hour, took a quick rinse-off shower, then changed into my cycling clothes for indoor cycling. When I finished, I took a quick shower - brushed my hair but didn't blow-dry it - got dressed, and went to work. Got to work at 7:45 a.m. (No makeup, nothing fancy - I'm just not that kind of girl. I brush my hair constantly though when it's wet so that it dries straighter.) I could have been here earlier, but I chit-chatted in the locker room.

I will work until 4:45 - I'll get lunch, but work right through it catching up on mail, etc. I'm in meetings all day, but I usually have my laptop open so I can get a bit done if parts of the meeting aren't relevant to me.

At 4:45 I'll leave to get my kids - I'll pick them up by 5:15. I'll make dinner, and tonight we'll pick up the house, because the cleaning person comes tomorrow. The kids will be in bed by 8:30 - we'll have played together and usually I'll have helped my son with his homework.

From 8:30 until 10 I'll watch TV with my husband, get back online if I need to for work, and fold and put away laundry (almost every day I have laundry to do...with all my workout clothes plus three other people in the house, it's a lot). I will also make my son's lunch so when my husband gets up in the morning, it's easier on him (he just has to dress and feed the kids). And again, I'll lay out my workout clothes and pack my work clothes so my morning is easy and I don't disturb my husband by rummaging around the bedroom for something to wear.

I'll fall right asleep as soon as the light is out, then I'll wake up and do it all over again (with a slightly different workout, of course).

Why:
-- The time I exercise is time for me: time to think, time to work out personal and professional problems, time to pray;
-- It's also time not to think - meaning, time just to count laps or minutes or cadence - to clear my brain of all the noisy thoughts;
-- I love the high feeling I get when I leave the gym. After a good workout - and when they're focused like they are now, they're nearly always good - the endorphins are amazing;
-- I'm amazed at what I can do. I want to push myself further and see just what the limits are. I don't want to guess - I want to know;
-- I have more energy when I work out for two hours than when I don't. I really do. (That said, some workouts - especially out in the cold - don't give me more energy, like on Saturday when I was so sleepy in the evening after the big bike ride.);
-- It's just for joy. I love it. I'm not doing anything that isn't pleasant. Even when I swim, which I say I don't like as much, when I get into the rhythm, I do feel like I could go forever. When I lift weights, I like thinking about how much stronger I'm getting, how good my arms look, and all the things I can do with a strong body. And running and biking - well, any runner or cyclist knows these sports remind you of being a kid again, and the pure fun in just GOING.

So, all that said, I need to get back to work. Here's today's data:

Food:
Pre-workout: Banana and coffee, 110 cals
Breakfast: Coffee, 1/2 bagel, ham, cheese: 285 cals
Snack: Granola, 300 cals
Lunch: Chicken breast and broccoli, 275 cals
Snack: 2Mini-Luna bars (those little samples): 120 cals
Total so far: 1090 cals
Dinner: Two chicken tacos, beans, a little bit of rice: 500 calories
Total so far: 1590 cals
Must confess: Felt hungry late, ate 1/2 serving lasagna and peanuts, and, um, a Reese's peanut butter heart thing. This is another 500 calories...for a total of:
2090 calories consumed. Ugh.

Exercise:
Swim 30 min
Indoor cycling 1 hour
Calories burned: 700

Weight this morning: 140.8 (thank goodness, despite yesterday's binge)