Recommitting To: Tracy Anderson

It has been almost two years since I dedicated myself fully to the Tracy Anderson Method and I’m a bit nervous to go all in again, if I’m being transparent. But, true to form I’m getting ahead of myself, so let's start at the beginning. 

While in graduate school (circa October 2010) I stumbled upon Tracy Anderson’s 30 Day Bootcamp and within days started the method and this blog to hold me accountable (back then this blog was aptly named, “Marcia’s Fitness Challenge” or something similar) setting off on a journey at 28 years old which was a literal turning point in me, both mentally and physically {read more, HERE} {results, HERE}.

By the end of Bootcamp I was obsessed and continued on with:

Perfect Design Series: 1-3 + Beginner Dance Cardio (November 2010), Metamorphosis (Feb 2011), Meta Continuity -Abcentric: 200 days (November 2011).

In 2012 I signed up for my first half marathon and fell in love with running, shifting Tracy from my main method of fitness to focus on racing. I ran my first full marathon in 2014, then finally(!) set a half marathon PR (personal record) in 2015, fortuitously timed right before I became pregnant with my first son, Owen. 

During my first pregnancy (2015) I worked out 4-5 days week utilizing Class Pass (Shred415, Hiit training, Yoga, etc.) alongside Tracy’s Pregnancy Project. {Read my prenatal fitness journal, HERE}

Eight months postpartum in November of 2016, I started my second round of 30 Day Bootcamp (read more, HERE). After that, I bounced from running, hot yoga, and Tracy Anderson Method Express, Post Pregnancy (1 and 2), to name a few. I even tried to start Abcentric Metamorphosis again, but my body remembered it too easily, so I stopped. {Read my postpartum fitness journal, HERE}

During my second pregnancy in 2017 I shifted my focus again (I now had a toddler in tow) and intensity a bit, this time incorporating lots of walking, prenatal/mama and me yoga, (lunges, kettlebells, etc.) and Tracy's Pregnancy Project. {Read my prenatal fitness journal, HERE}

Flash forward to October of 2018 when the harsh reality finally hit me - I was five months postpartum with my second child and felt like actual shit. Part of this was due to physical therapy for diastasis recti (I also had it with my first pregnancy) as I was limited to only PT exercises for the duration of treatment which was, BRUTAL. Once I got the green light, I signed up to one of my favorite gyms, Shred415 and began going daily. My endurance postpartum was laughable and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry countless times mid-sprint in class - building up endurance postpartum is a marathon, not a sprint and is deeply humbling. Mercifully, with a lot of diligence by the end of the first month or so my confidence was gaining momentum, I felt strong for the first time in quite a while slowly started  feeling like myself again.  I continued at Shred415 4-5 times a week in the wee hours while my family slept until June when I got the itch to switch things up, and gave PLNK (Megaformer Pilates) a try. I was HOOKED by the end of the first class.

All of this leads me today, where I feel ready to recommit to Tracy and really dial into my fitness goals. Over the past few weeks I've been making preparations: ending my Pilates membership, preparing my workout space/equipment (aka "tam cave"), setting intention/goals and taking measurements to track my progress, #humbling. This also included having a short, but candid conversation with my husband about my desire to workout from home (instead of leaving the house every morning at God's hour), setting the expectation that while I am technically "home", I still require the time and space to workout without (glaring) interruption (i.e. he has parental duties while I workout, and vice versa). In those moments the boys decide to join me, I set up a small gymnastic mat and some light weights for them - I have fond memories of "exercising" alongside my mom when I was little look forward to those moments now, with my own children. 

Intentions: 

Mat 5x/week

Cardio (goal: 30 minutes) 3x/week

Body-centric Add-on: 2x/week

Follow along on Instagram @tamtwentynine and check back here for weekly updates!