<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sometimes <i>Life</i> feels the need to test you.</b></span><br /><br />The last few months have been one of those times. <b>It's felt a lot like this:</b><br /><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_fg18LkeB-4/U67GaAUcTfI/AAAAAAAAH-I/PibTJqTKO6w/s1600/Tough+Mudder+Mid+Atlantic+Facebook2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_fg18LkeB-4/U67GaAUcTfI/AAAAAAAAH-I/PibTJqTKO6w/s1600/Tough+Mudder+Mid+Atlantic+Facebook2.jpg" height="319.5" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Yes, that is a pool of Ice Water.</b></td></tr></tbody></table></b><br />The last few months have been a little insane, and it all started with my triple-booked race weekend (<a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/05/a-lesson-in-double-booking-pt-1-herring.html">here,</a> <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/05/a-lesson-in-double-booking-pt-2-262.html">here,</a> and <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/05/a-lesson-in-double-booking-pt-3-spring.html">here</a>). Despite the fact that a number of things are off my plate, I've managed to get buried by what IS still there - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/anytimefitnessmashpee">new job</a>, <a href="http://www.theknot.com/wedding/Megan-Darrell">my upcoming wedding</a>, the looming menace that is "September", and more. <b>This can, and DOES, happen to the best of us.</b> So <b>what do you do</b> when life keeps on knocking you down? What do you do when it's tough to keep up with your health and fitness? <b>How do you beat the <i>I don't have time</i> thing?</b><br /><br />...let me tell you a little story...<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Lately it's been tough to un-bury myself. </b></span><br /><br />That ever happen to you? I envisioned a quiet couple of months for the summer. I don't have many races scheduled (see calendar widget to the right), I'm not traveling to Amherst to visit my <a href="http://www.deltachi.org/">Delta Chi </a>chapter (I'm their Alumni Advisor), and most of the wedding planning is done...should be relaxing, right? Lots of time to write race recaps, product reviews, be thoughtful and create original content, create a workout program, and just <b>relax</b>.<br /><br /><b>I was wrong.</b><br /><br />Instead, I got a little complacent, got a little lazy, and things started to pile up. I don't know what happens to YOU all when you start getting behind...but for me it's kind of like my brain wants to do everything at the same time...and nothing actually gets accomplished. <b>Which really only made the problem worse</b>. Then the panicky stress sets in and you're really just not gaining any ground. Here I am about 10+ articles behind (a combination of race recaps and product reviews), I'm 48 days away from the wedding and running out of time to accomplish the last things on the list, and there's a whole <i>laundry list </i>of things I need to accomplish on top of that (including laundry!).<b>&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><b>How do you surface? How do you break out of the crazy and actually make some headway?</b><br /><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrbs03J4ReA/U67fQiergDI/AAAAAAAAH-Y/JSKJgCvE4GU/s1600/Ice-Ice-Baby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrbs03J4ReA/U67fQiergDI/AAAAAAAAH-Y/JSKJgCvE4GU/s1600/Ice-Ice-Baby.jpg" height="214" width="400" /></a></b></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Stop. Breathe. Don't Panic.&nbsp;</span> </b><br /><br /><b>You WILL get through this.</b>&nbsp;<b> </b>You just have to stop, breathe, and break it down into bite-sized pieces. Prioritize just like I walked you through in my <a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2013/09/makingitwork.html">time-management article</a>.You <b>can </b>get through it.<br /><br /><u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Focus.</b></span></u><br /><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MxCMT9t1Hw/U67l6g2VpNI/AAAAAAAAH-o/b9Y7vxci-_8/s1600/adhd-1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8MxCMT9t1Hw/U67l6g2VpNI/AAAAAAAAH-o/b9Y7vxci-_8/s1600/adhd-1.png" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>It can be easy to get distracted<b> </b>and fall off from your super-productive timeline. This is an especially great challenge for me...as I have A.D.H.D. (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Basically...I start at "apple", I end at "Optimus Prime rolling down I-95 Boston during rush hour" and totally forget where I started and what happened in the middle. Picture the dog from "Up" - that's me. This is a large part of how I fell behind - I can spend hours accomplishing nothing...just running in place.<br /><br /><b>Through all of this, my workouts have not suffered.</b><br /><br />I had a workout program, I knew I needed to set aside an hour in the morning before the day got rolling, and I <b>got it done.</b> The problem happened when I completed that program. I didn't have anything else made up and ready to go...so <b>I kind of floundered for the last 2 weeks</b>. I ran a few miles as many days as I could...but I didn't have a program. I <b>certainly</b> didn't lack <i>motivatio<b>n </b></i>(If that's your issue, <a href="http://sothisisfitness.com/2013/07/conquer-the-truth-about-motivation.html">read this now</a>), I just didn't have <b>direction</b>.<br /><br /><b>That's when my fitness fell off right along with everything else I wasn't getting done.</b><br /><br />So that's pretty much when I said enough is enough. <b>YOU CAN NOT </b>let your health &amp; fitness suffer...that's when it begins an ugly downward spiral.  I've had to take time to stop, breathe, re-focus, and prioritize. I've had to start trying to take things bit by bit and accomplish SOMETHING. <b>You can't do it all at once, </b>but if you start with one thing, you can move on to the next. Pretty soon, you'll break through and dig yourself right out of the ugly little pit you fell into.<br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1X2u_jJseiY/U67oU2k6RxI/AAAAAAAAH-0/ppGrHBPZgbA/s1600/TM-Arctic-Enima-Ice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1X2u_jJseiY/U67oU2k6RxI/AAAAAAAAH-0/ppGrHBPZgbA/s1600/TM-Arctic-Enima-Ice.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a></div><b>And try to remember - you're not the only one stuck in that pit. You'll all get out.</b><br /><br />I guess what I'm trying to say is - <b>try not to let it all overwhelm you.</b> Stop, breathe, don't panic, and focus. You can get it done AND find time for yourself. That said, you should start seeing more regular posts from me again. I have a few races coming up in the next two weeks that I'm excited to share with you, and you'll FINALLY find out what the big deal is with September. Have questions? Email me or reach out on my Facebook Page. <br /><br /><b>You <u>Can</u> Do It. </b>