Day 60: Out of the valley?

I think I'm done with this whole PCP Valley thing. Yes, this is hard. Yes, I still have a lot of work to do. But the rewards are so great -- and not just physical.

Here's what I've been thinking about for the past couple of days: integrity. To me, integrity means that your actions match your thoughts, your intentions, and your beliefs. I believe in self-discipline, curiosity, openness, continuous improvement -- and yet, I wasn't really carrying out those beliefs when it came to my physical health. My intellectual, spiritual, musical, and professional development have always been important to me, and I've always pursued those areas. But I neglected my physical health and somehow decided that it wasn't as important.

I've written before about how I was sick a lot as a child -- serious asthma, a couple of cases of pneumonia that landed me in the hospital for a couple of times, most recently when I was 18 and had to be on IV antibiotics for a few weeks -- and I know that as a result of those experiences, I turned inward and turned to books. I was never very good at physical things (that B in gym class always ruined my chance for straight A's) so I didn't try very hard at them, but I won those spelling bees left and right.

As I've gotten older I've started to realize I can no longer neglect my physical health, because I don't want to spend the second half of my life hobbled by preventable illness or obesity. I see people all around me, especially here in Kentucky, who spend most of their energy just trying to cope with their poor condition. I don't want to be that person.

I also don't want to be the person who is ignoring an entire realm of her being, her body. So I feel that in order to really live with integrity, I need to be doing just what I'm doing: exercising and paying attention to what I eat. Although this body is temporary, it's the only one I have for this life.

And here's how hard the leg exercises were for me today: I was excited to do the ab exercises because I could lie down. Ab work is the toughest for me, but my legs were super-wobbly after all those sets of creep, then standing for all the shoulder work. Woo hoo!

And since many of us are thinking about good music for working out, I'll share a few of my current favorites. Most if not all of these songs are available on iTunes. I'd love to hear what you're listening to -- always need some new tunes!

ART BRUT -- Alcoholics Unanimous, DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake, The Replacements, Twist and Shout, My Little Brother, Modern Art (I think "Modern Art" is my favorite -- I scream right along with the screams in the chorus)

BEASTIE BOYS -- Sure Shot, Bodhisattva Vow, Body Movin

BECK -- E-Pro, Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat

BEN HARPER -- Shimmer and Shine, Boots Like These

BJORK -- Army of Me (dear sweet little Bjork gets medieval on your ass)

THE BLUE VAN -- Silly Boy

CAKE -- The Distance, I Will Survive (best disco cover EVER)

THE CLASH -- London Calling, Know Your Rights, White Riot

DESSA -- Children's Work, The Bullpen (a new discovery for me -- amazing rapper from Minnesota)

GOMEZ -- Hamoa Beach, Airstream Driver

JANELLE MONAE -- Tightrope, Come Alive (Tightrope is THE song of the summer)

JILL SCOTT -- Hate on Me

K'NAAN -- Dreamer, Waving Flag, ABC's (if you don't know K'Naan yet, you're missing out)

NICOLAI DUNGER -- Way Up High, Hunger, Soul Rush (one of my very very favorite musicians -- Swedish singer-songwriter, shades of Van Morrison with a dash of drunken crazy genius)

RADIOHEAD -- Bodysnatchers

TROMBONE SHORTY -- Backatown, Suburbia, Where Y'at (New Orleans funk-groove)