Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.
-Woody Allen
Ain’t that the truth? Most days the hardest part is just hauling my carcass off the couch and putting on my sneakers.
I’ve started running, using the Couch to 5k program. I’ve just ended Week 2. The first couple of days I enjoyed it in a way that shocked me, it was liberating to open up and run freely. When I’m stressed I really kind of look forward to running away from the day, putting some distance between me and whatever is bugging me.
But some days… I just don’t wanna. I don’t wanna run, I’m slow and ungainly and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. I don’t wanna make myself look presentable and put my shoes on and get to the gym. I don’t wanna put Jillian Michaels in the DVD player. My DVD player is hard to get to and I can’t find the remote.
You know what helps? Seriously?
Having the right clothes for the job.
Vain? Maybe. But putting on the clothes in the morning is a promise to just do it. Not to mention, if Jeff and the kids come home and find me in running shorts and laced up sneaks, they want to know when I’m leaving… hard to cheese out at that point.
My current favorite workout top arrived in a lovely little pouch last week from Words to Sweat By.
Words to Sweat By supplies “functional fitness accessories that provide sassy or serious motivation to get you up off the couch or to help you push through those last minutes of your workout.” They have shirts, towels, snack bags and keychains that are seriously kick-butt cute.
The tank top is a nice weight and a fairly tight rib, not too low cut and long enough that I’m not constantly having to adjust it (I’m long in the torso, this is an ongoing issue with slimcut shirts for me). It’s the standard fit and it is tight enough in the chest that I’m not flashing anybody, but with plenty of give to accommodate my man shoulders and waist. It really has an ideal level of stretch to it and that is not praise that I give lightly. Finding tank tops that fit me correctly is an ordeal.
I’m also totally one of those people who love to wear shirts with sassy sayings or graphics— I love this one. I’m always pleased to find it clean in my closet and put it on.
Once it’s on, I’m committed.
I wanna be healthy.
STRONG.
Happy.
I wanna not look like an idiot in photos. Do not ask me what ails me, I do not know.
(And please to ignore the hair. I shower AFTER running and I need a haircut.)
I also received a Words to Sweat By towel. I had a devil of a time choosing which one I wanted— “no excuses” and “put your heart into it” were among the top contenders, but “take it all in stride” felt closest to my current mantra. You take the good, you take the bad. You keep going.
Ironically, I chose this BEFORE I started running… the world is funny.
The towel is a good size and lightweight, so it dries quickly before you have to throw it back in your gym bag. I love taking it to the gym and using it to wipe down machines, to dry my sweaty hands during yoga or treadmill intervals (turns out that having cooler hands helps you to stick with a workout longer. Fun facts!).
The amount of paper towel waste at the gym has long been one of my pet peeves and I would never, ever remember to bring my own towel. But now I have one dedicated to the task, and it makes me feel good on a lot of levels 🙂
Giveaway!
Words to Sweat By is offering one of my readers their own t-shirt and towel, to help motivate their butt to lace up their sneaks and get moving.
You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below (subscribers, gotta click through, sorry). I’ll pull a winner on Saturday, March 24th.
Good luck!
Tell me: what’s YOUR mantra?
Disclaimer: I received a tank top and towel from Words to Sweat By for review purposes through Mom Spark Media. All opinions are my own.
Danielle says
I forgive me. (Long story.)
Danielle says
Exert shirt and strength towel.
Amanda says
I would pick “Exert, Hydrate, Repeat.” It sounds tough enough to get me going. 🙂
Elizabeth Ray says
I like the “No Excuses” Towel.
angie says
I like the Take It All In Stride Towel.
nickie says
I also like the no excuses towel
Tari Lawson says
I like the Exert, Hydrate, Repeat shirt and towel.
Mercedes says
Congrats for starting a healthy lifestyle Robin! I had the same problem when my friends started to persuade me to go to their gym class. All it takes is enough energy to get on your feet and move. After 10 years of working in an office, running or any kind of exercise is exhausting! But right now, I’m glad I was able to conquer laziness in the first few days of my exercise.
Dawn says
I like the Exert, Hydrate, Repeat shirt and towel.
Barbara T says
I love the Healthy Word Cloud shirt, and the towel has to be No Excuses!
Holly C. says
love the Dancing towel and healty, strong happy tank
Holly says
I would pick the Exert Illustrated Tank – Fashion Fit!
Marti Parks says
I like the Strength towel and the Healthy word cloud shirt.
Molly says
No excuses sounds good to me!
Jennifer Winchester says
the heart towel
Leah Baird says
Healthy Word Cloud Shirt and Cupcake Towel.
Vicki S says
I’d love the Gym Towel: Strength. Compassion. Peace.
and the Exert Mantra T-shirt “Exert. Hydrate. Repeat.”
Kristen M says
I like the breath towel and the exert shirt!
Amy says
“Just one more minute.”
(When I’m jogging I convince myself to keep going for just a minute at a time)
I love the cupcake towel!
nik says
Strength Towel and Healthy Mantra Shirt…thanks!
Patty White says
I like the Healthy Word Cloud classic Fit Tank and the Heart Towel.
Jamie says
I adore the Jiggle t-shirt and towel! So fun.
jara Christensen says
My mantra is just because I fall off, I can ALWAYS get back up. One mistake isn’t worth ruining everything.
jaragabrielle1018@gmail.com
jara Christensen says
I love the “No jiggle in my wiggle” towel 🙂
and I love the shirt healthy and strong.
jaragabrielle1018@gmail.com
sarah rainwater says
The cupcake towel and the no jiggle in my wiggle tee.
tamar says
Tam S –
Healthy Word Cloud shirt
HEart Towel 🙂
Paula Tavernie says
There Will Be No Jiggle in My Wiggle Towell and Tee!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
Kristi Hayes says
There Will Be no Jiggle In My wiggle
Valerie Taylor Mabrey says
Exert, Hydrate, Repeat
vmkids3 at msn dot com
Bex says
Carpe Dumbbells!! xo
Corey Olomon says
No Excuses!
erma H says
I love the “No Excuses” Towel.
chadro says
I’d like the Healthy towel & the Exert Mantra T-shirt
retirenavalflyer(at)gmail.com
Lana Bradstream says
I would take the “Lighten Up” towel.
MCM Mama says
“Do it anyways” (as in life is going to throw up roadblocks to working out, do it anyways)
MCM Mama says
I like “healthy.strong.happy” for both.
Jen says
I love the No Excuses towel and the exert t!
Kristie says
I like the Healthy Mantra Shirt and the Excuses towel.
Heidi says
I like the towel “There will be no jiggle in my wiggle” and I love the shirt “Healthy Strong Happy”
Rebecca Peters says
I like the no excuses towel and the no jiggle in my wiggle tee!
dramaqueensmum says
It’s never too late to get in shape is my mantra. dramaqueensmum@gmail.com
dramaqueensmum says
I love the No excuses towel & the Healthy strong happy shirt. dramaqueensmum@gmail.com
Natasha Hudnall says
Towl : Squat is a four letter word
Shirt: Exert illustrated T
Billiejean says
I like all of them! But I would choose Healthy. Strong. Happy.
Billiejean says
And I LOVE Nike’s trademark “Just do it” ‘Cause, really, that’s all you have to do!
Candie L says
I love the Jiggle one. Thank you
Jenna Wood says
I’d pick the cupcake towel and Jiggle Mantra!
Kristen says
I don’t think it qualifies as a mantra, but when I “run”, I repeat the quote, “It’s like two pigs, fighting under a blanket,” from the movie Steel Magnolias. I say it so often during a run that I guess you could call it a mantra!
Renee says
Jiggle Towel & Healthy Word cloud junior tshirt
Georgina says
I like the Healthy Mantra Tshirt in small and jiggle towel
Ray says
Healthy Cloud shirt & jiggle towel
Renata says
Strength pink towel & healthy cloud T
Laurie Emerson says
I would choose the Healthy Word Cloud t-shirt and the Cupcake Towel as I want to be healthy but I have to admit I love cupcakes.
lauraemerson17 at yahoo dot com
Sand says
I would choose the Cupcake Towel & Exert Illustrated T-shirt.