California Dreamin'

I have always been a vivid dreamer, dreaming throughout the night with an ease of recollection come morning.  Around the age of five, and sick with a high fever, I had a dream I was being ambushed by snapping turtles.  I awoke screaming, "Daddy, Daddy, please get these turtles off of me, get them off of me!"  Hilarious now, but pee-in-your-pants frightening 25 years ago!  My dreams can be lively or dark and sometimes even whimsical.  Not too long ago, I dreamt I was pregnant and gave birth to an orange kitten.  With everyone Ooing and Aahhing over my new "baby" all I could think was how odd it was that no one was mentioning the fact that I HAD JUST GIVEN BIRTH TO A KITTEN!!!  

However, just last week, I had a dream unlike any other: I dreamed I was EXERCISING! Not exercising a demon from a tortured soul, or my right to vote, actual heart pumping, sweat inducing, muscle aching EXERCISE!  In my 29 years on earth that is one theme that has never shown its ugly face in my dreamscape.  I dream of working, eating, flying, and most recently birthing small kittens, but NEVER exercise!  That dream stuck with me for the rest of the day, I just kept thinking to myself.....Why did I dream about that?  What did it mean?  To my surprise, just a few days later, it happened again, I had another exercise dream.

After much thought into these dreams I can offer very little insight other than the obvious. Exercise has become a big part of my life, so much so that it's now entering my dreams.  Now I'd like to know if dreaming that you are exercising burns more calories than, say, dreaming that you're eating an ice cream sandwich?

Since beginning this journey, these dreams are just one of many firsts. Below is a brief list chronicling a handful.

1.    10 miles

2.    Waking up at 5:30 AM to exercise.

3.    First race of any kind, 10K in Agoura Hills, CA, jogged longer than I ever have in my life!

4.    Wore out a pair of new shoes in 8 weeks!

5.    Dreaming of exercise.

6.    Wearing a hole in a brand new pair of socks within a few hours. 

7.    Spending way too much on a new pair of "anti-blister" socks, but no holes this time!

8.    13 miles

9.    Embracing carbs for fuel.

10.  16 miles

11.  Finding confidence in my body, my strength,  and my ability despite my size.

Number 11 is my favorite and most meaningful first.  As a woman, it's a daily struggle to accept and love my body.  I know there is a universal struggle among women. We love, nurture and accept others only to open the floodgates of self-loathing and criticism upon ourselves and our bodies. We battle cellulite, love handles, stretch marks, and wrinkles, not giving our body enough credit for everything it does right and does well.  For years I've been counting inches, calories, and pounds and as I approach my 30th birthday I think I'd rather count miles.