2011 Pushup Challenge

Remember last month I had that crazy idea?

Since I have a LOT of crazy ideas, I’ll be more specific.

I wondered on Twitter if I did 1 pushup on 1/1 and added 1 pushup a day, would I be able to do 365 pushups on 12/31?

Becca from Our Crazy Boys responded with a “You bet” and unknowingly co-opted herself into my crazy idea.

We freaked out at the thought of doing hundreds of pushups every day for months on end put much thought into it, and came up with the plan of taking turns.

I would take the odd days.

Becca would take the even days.

We would then do the number of pushups that corresponded to the day of the year.

Because I wanted to be super awesome I decided to do toe pushups.

Because I wanted to be super awesome I decided to do knee pushups.

Bright and early on January 1 I woke up and did ONE pushup.

On January third I woke up and did three pushups.

This was a major accomplishment, not having done any push ups since I gave away my Jillian Michaels Shred DVD’s a year ago.

Each time my day came around I figured I would have to split them up into multiple reps.

It didn’t happen.

Each day I was strong enough to do my allotted number.

After about a week, I decided maybe I could do toe pushups and decided that I would add them in when I needed to start doing multiple reps, because let’s face it, I was going to start having to do multiple reps one of these days.

January 15 I did 15 knee pushups in one go.

January 16 I ran a half marathon.

January 17 I sat on a plane sprinted through an airport sat on another plane and came home to some drama.  By the time I got around to doing pushups, I was exhausted and ended up doing about 17 reps of 1 pushup each. <<<<slight, very slight exaggeration.

My recovery week consisted of starting toe pushups.  And thanks to having a little bit of arm strength now, I could do it.  One week post race I was able to do half of my pushups on my toes and the other half on my knees.

Disclamer: I, at this point in time, am doing two reps to get through the toe pushups and doing the 2nd half on my knees in one rep.  Example January 29 I did 7 toe pushups, followed by 14 knee pushups followed by 8 toe pushups.

My goal is to be doing all toe pushups by day 50.

And by day 100 I will be doing them all vertically.

It’s going well for me.  When I first came up with the random thought, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to do 365 pushups in one day. Based solely on account of me only being able to do three pushups at the time.

Then I remembered that at this time last year I could barely run to the end of my driveway.

That was two half marathons ago.

I cannot do 365 pushups at this point in time, is a completely different statement than I could never do 365 pushups.

This year I have heard many times, “I could never run a half marathon.”

Which begs the question,

Have you ever tried?

What is it in your life that follows the phrase “I could never….”

Because I bet you could.

You may not be able to do it today, but you can do one thing today to work toward your goal.  Every today you could add to your yesterday and your todays could all add up to something big.

This morning I will do 31 pushups.  It will take me a minute or two.  A month ago I could only do three.

It’s not too late to join us.  You can even pick your team.

I am odd team Annie. We do pushups on odd numbered days.

Team Becca does theirs on even numbered days.

Somewhere along the way, we have picked up others.  Although she has yet to pick a team

You don’t have to start with 31 today, you can start tomorrow with one.  The number you start with is not as important as the process of doing it every day, or every other day.  Building on your successes from the days before.  Realizing that you are stronger than you thought you were.

In the spirit of getting y’all to start.  I will be continuing on with my pushups on the odd numbered calendar days (which will be on even numbered February days), but in addition, I will do toe pushups on my “off” days that correspond to the February date.

For example.  On February 6 I will do 37 pushups however they happen, likely, a combination of knees and toes.  On February 7 I will do 7 toe pushups.

I wouldn’t worry about catching up.  Just start.

And be odd.

About

Annie is all things awesome. Singer of songs, thinker of thoughts, runner of miles. When she isn't getting paid to kick ass as a personal trainer and health coach, she's looking for her keys.