The Pros and Pros of Accountability

That's right, I said it, there are no cons to accountability.  Usually because if you choose an accountability partner you're not going to choose someone that is going to be a downright ass to you if you slip up some days.  Here are two great examples from today...

I texted Speedy Gonzales, my co-blogger on here (yep, Lacey) and told her I was hopping on the treadmill for a short tempo run.  We both loathe the treadmill, so she knows I need encouragement to actually do it and vice versa.  We're pretty good at this and I won't even begin to tell you all of the things we do to encourage one another, ok, yes I will, but in a minute!  So, she says, "You should try to do a whole mile at 9 min pace after warming up.  You can do it!".  This girl is nuts, seriously, you should see what her speed work was yesterday, I made my lungs hurt reading it!!!  So, obviously, I take that challenge and run with it--hahaha!!!!  I did my warm up, my 10 mins at an easy pace, then I cranked that rickety old bastard of a treadmill of mine up and hit it...  Nine horrific minutes later and I'm not going to lie to you people, I felt like my lungs were going to explode, but I also felt like a rockstar--possibly even the Michael Jackson of mommy running!  (My sister and Lacey's Bug are obsessed with MJ btw!).  I was supposed to walk two minutes, then do another 10 fast, but I had a hard time recovering.  In steps the accountability partner who says "That's ok you did it, you pushed your muscles and they will thank you for it :)".  See, no getting down on me, all hey girl why you gonna slow down now?  Get moving you're fat and lazy!!  Nope, just great encouragement, which lead me to hop back on that blasted contraption and do way more than I would have done solo.

The second example I have is of my sister and my college roomie, who are my other two accountability people.  Roomie and I have been doing Fab Abs for the month of February (thank you Pinterest), we text daily, including my confession Tuesday that I completely forgot to do it Monday.  Anyhow, today Sister says that she just has to admit that she is not doing her run, she is not planning to make it up, she's just out for today.  Roomie responds that she hasn't run all week and having out of town company was probably going to keep her from doing it the rest of the week.  Confessions often elicit follow-up confessions.  I confessed to some serious eating and lack of guilt for it!  It's carnival season after all!!!  The point is, we know when someone needs a swift kick in the pants and when they need a gentle pat on the back for just having a rough time, or maybe even a sparkly purple headband to make them feel the need for speed--thanks Roomie!

So, while accountability may seem daunting and like someone will just be getting on your case all of the time, that is definitely not truth.  Accountability is different from your trainer who you pay to give you a hard time.  Accountability will usually encourage you to do more than you would without it, and the cheering that you receive from a good AP will make all of it worth it.  Speedy even told me she would make me some yummy risotto soon--Will Run For Food!

Now, I do have to tell you that Lacey and I are lunatics and we are both really goofy and like to have fun and make each other laugh!  We discuss lots of stuff that we won't even put on this blog, but it's hilarious.  So, the other day when I told her that I was running circles around my house, I videoed it and sent it to her.  The next day she videoed herself running on the levee by her house and sent it to me, then she sent me another video when she saw "her sign".  It's truly fun and we are in complete agreement that looking pretty in a run picture is just plain stupid, that looking rough is proof that you worked hard and pushed yourself and are hardcore!!  Maybe one day we'll be brave and share a video with our audience, but for now, we're just sharing them with each other--eat your heart out for missing them--haha!!!