Temporary insanity...

#crackofarse looks like this

So in a new 12WBT FB group which has several legendary 12WBTers as members, and who have recently signed up for the February Round after not having done a 12WBT for a while - think Cathy Sheargold and Bella Fountain, fun challenges have been thrown out left, right, and centre.

For example: every time you go to the loo, you have to do 20 squats. Every time. 20. Squats.  I didn't do that one...

But the one I am doing is called #crackofarse.  It means that you have to be out of bed and already training before 6am.  Let me repeat that... up and at it before 6am.  Not necessarily finished, and the type of training is irrelevant, just as long as you're up and at it.  Plus if you take a picture of the sunrise while you're training, you get extra imaginary points.  I think it's not called 'crack of dawn' because it's such a shitty time to be up, out, and training, so 'crack of arse' it is.

One woman asked why it can't be at 7.30am instead.  I told her because 7.30 is #sparrowfart not #crackofarse.

So me, being temporarily insane, threw my nightcap in the ring and said the famous last words "What the hell, I'm in!"

It could have had something to do with Cathy & Bella being the awesome sauce they are organising a prize pack for some lucky duck who will be chosen as a winner of the challenge, I don't know how they'll choose the winner, but there are rules to follow - which is great coz I love rules - hastags to be used, pictures to be posted, time to be up by etc. and who doesn't love prizes?

Now, I'm a woman who loves her bed.  I cannot impress upon you the strength of my love for my bed.  I also cannot explain in words my firmly held conviction that ANY hour between around 1am and 9am actually doesn't exist.  I have told myself that over and over since my youngest child began to sleep through the night.  Over 20 years ago...

Now imagine that same woman agreeing to take part in a challenge that will have her exiting her beloved bed at a mythical 5am every day for an entire week!

And not your pissy little Monday to Friday week either!  That's for pussies!  It's a full on seven day Monday to Sunday type of week!

Day 1 - There was nature.  Nature everywhere!

Monday began with me trying to walk, text, take pictures, and trying to post them to social media all at the same time... in the freaking dark, because I was out of bed while the moon was still up.  That didn't work out so well, because I began to get freaked out by random things, like sticks.  That I thought were snakes.  And shadows of leaves.  That I was convinced were some sort of giant mutant spider coming to attack me!

Day 1 was The Day That Never Ended

What fresh hell is this???

Today I was stalked by my own shadow - all 3 of them at one point, it was the way the street lights were shining, but I was casting 3 shadows, and at times they would just be in my field of vision which made me think someone was coming up behind me.  Scared me silly every time.  I also managed another full body/cardio workout when I walked through a spiderweb that I hadn't seen, because I was outside, in the dark.  Just as I paused to take the required sunrise shot, my playlist chose that exact moment for The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', then just as i began to tire and my pace slowed a little, on came Dexys Midnight Runners with 'Come On Eileen' which always helps me to pick up the pace as I like to keep pace with it, plus it makes me think of my cousin, Eileen.

Day 2 was easier, it helps that I have taken to sleeping in my workout gear...

So far so good.  It's been two whole days in a row, and I've managed to be up at #crackofarse both days.  There was nothing in the rules about Nana Naps, so I've followed #crackofarse with a Ninja Level Nana Nap both days.

Mind you, after yesterdays epic effort the Ninja Nana Nap was well deserved!  I covered over 3km at #crackofarse, then over 2km in a pre-training walk, then another 1.5km at training totalling 7.17km, plus an hour long full body workout in the middle of the day!

These first few days are probably going to be the easiest for me to do because BM is working night shift at the moment, so I'm up, out, done, back, and have breaky ready as he walks in the door from work.  To be honest, it's been really nice being up when he gets home in the morning, and I feel like I'm channeling my inner Grace Sullivan sans twinset and pearls.  But tonight is his last night shift, so when he comes home tomorrow morning, he'll be on days off for the next 2 days, and I'm really gonna struggle to get out of bed.  By Friday I should be right, he'll be on day shift then, and will also be getting up at a make-believe time.