Defying The Rain To Accomplish A Goal

The rainy season is here in Abidjan.  This is forcing us to defy the rain to get things done. After several months of contending with the harmattan (dry and dusty season as a result of wind blowing from the Sahara Desert over many parts of West Africa) for several months, we finally saw relief when the skies opened up and relieved us not only of the dust but also brought cooler temperatures.

Like most people, one of my resolutions this year is to lose some weight. A task that is daunting if you ask me. When I was in my early thirties I purposed and lost all the weight I had gained after giving birth to our two children. Within a period of 1 – 2 years I weighed 13kgs less. Gone are those days!!!!!! I am finding that even when I put in a lot of effort I am yet to see the results of my work on the scale. None the less, I continue to push on and below I share two motivators I am using to keep me on track.

#1. Ensuring that I have Accountability Partners

My partners consist of a group of ladies who like me have the same objective. Get in shape and stay that way. Our group is known as the Operation Lose That Pot Belly (OLTPB) Abidjan Chapter. We are a branch of the original OLTPB group which was founded and exists in Nairobi, Kenya. OLTPB ladies have got so much determination! They are defying all challenges and aiming for gold. Many times when I am feeling lazy all it takes is for me to read testimonies on their facebook page and I am off to put in a workout.

As the OLTPB Abidjan Group, one of the activities we engage in is a Saturday morning run/jog of about 10 – 14 kms. Last Saturday was no exception. Even though we woke up to a gloomy day we made our way to the meeting point. A few minutes into our walk we felt a slight drizzle but chose to ignore it and walked on. Shortly after the halfway mark, the heavens opened up and we all got totally drenched.

The encouragement from other joggers kept us going. It is a custom here when you meet other people walking or running, you clap for them and they, in turn, return your gesture. Children of age are not left at home but are encouraged to participate in the exercises as well. We are catching them young so that \”when they grow old they will not depart from this practice\”.

I am grateful to these ladies and the conversations that go on as we walk many \”aha moments\” have been experienced and I will share more about them in future posts.

#2. Using An APP to track my Runs/Walks

I use the Nike App and have set for myself a goal of doing between 80 – 100kms every month. So far I have managed to meet my targets because of my deliberate efforts. For example, I discovered that when I do my warm-up exercises by skipping a rope for about 20 – 30 minutes, I easily log in 2kms. As a result, I ensure that my phone is set even when I am skipping. I also make sure I do not forget to track my runs. On one occasion, I run 3kms on the treadmill at home and after finishing I realized I did not track the run. I have no idea where the stamina came from but I found myself back on the treadmill this time with my phone if only to register my run for that day.

It takes a lot of work to keep fit as you say goodbye to the 30\’s none the less, \”I will forget what lies behind me and press on\”, knowing that I can accomplish what I set my mind too even if it means defying the rain.