1 down/51 to go

I finally did it! I started a karate program this week and am so excited to be moving and exercising again. I'm making a rather ambitious goal to earn my red belt within the next 52 weeks. My two primary goals in starting this program are to:

(1) Improve fitness - lose 5-10 pounds & increase muscle tone, and
(2) Improve & build my self-confidence

In full disclosure, I do have a slight head start as I already earned my white belt last summer. In addition, I took kickboxing classes for about 7 years and have some of the basic punches and kicks already down.

Actually, there's now a 3rd goal (thanks to Chrissy for the inspiration). To blog about my experience and force myself to write regularly and in a public forum.

Here's a short history of how I came to take on this project. A new karate place opened up last summer, very close to home, and I signed up for a 1-month trial run. I loved the structure and intensity of the classes and really clicked with the couple who run the place: John, the 5th degree black belt instructor & his wife Lisa who manages the place. In the course of that month, I earned my white belt and started training for a gold. Shortly after my trial wrapped up, I became pregnant and decided to wait before starting a full-scale program. Now that my 2nd daughter has arrived & is 4 months old, it seemed time to try again.

There was a fair amount of hesitation on my part, especially since I typically have a very hard time making decisions. It's a big financial commitment that requires a fair amount of time and personal determination. Would I be up for it and could I stick it out? Was this the best investment of my money? Now that I've made the decision and taken action, I'm feeling pretty good about my choice. This karate studio is a wonderful community and I feel great during and after class--both physically and mentally. I'm also inspired and believe that making this decision will lead to many other positive changes in my life for this year.

I will be writing weekly about my experiences and will post the status of my progress, not only through the various belts, but also on the status of my personal goals. Here's to a successful and rewarding year!!