Monday Morning, Earned

Monday morning arrives like it has beef with me.

It's 4 a.m., wakey, wakey, and before my eyes even open, my body does a full status report. Calves are tight, shoulders are sore, booty is aching, and something in my lower back is screaming for attention. Rolling out of bed feels less like “rise and shine” and more like a group chat with all my joints typing at once.

Gym Life

The aftereffects of hard weekend workouts.

Saturday and Sunday were all confidence, rump shaking, and endorphins. Music blasting, Glorilla and Meg encourage me to start dropping it low, and Lil' is shouting 3, 6, 9 as I go deep into my deadlift. The sweat is dripping. I'm convincing myself, again, that I am absolutely still that girl. In the moment, everything works. I feel powerful. Capable. Slightly invincible.

Monday is when my body says, "That's cool." Let’s review

Every step down the stairs is a reminder. Every reach for the coffee mug requires intention. This is the part where it would be easy to chalk it all up to aging and keep it moving slowly, gingerly, with commentary.

But this isn’t a defeat. This is proof of participation.

This soreness didn’t come from sitting still. It came from showing up. From choosing effort over ease. From asking my body to do something uncomfortable on purpose and discovering that it still can.

There’s pride tucked into the ache. A quiet, deeply satisfying awareness that I earned this. I didn’t wake up sore because time is passing. I woke up sore because I’m still moving with intention.

An aging body doesn’t mean a fragile one; it means a more opinionated one. It wants a longer warm-up. A better cool-down. Maybe a foam roller and a little respect. But it also adapts. It strengthens. It responds to consistency like it always has.

Perseverance isn’t flashy. Sometimes it looks like hobbling to the bathroom like a baby giraffe. Sometimes it’s stretching when you’d rather lie dramatically on the floor. Sometimes it’s choosing movement again, even when yesterday’s workout hasn’t fully released you from its grip.

And confidence? Confidence is built right here. Not in mirrors or milestones, not in before-and-after photos. It’s built on the quiet trust that if you keep showing up, imperfectly, repeatedly, you will get stronger. Not just in your body, but in your belief.

So yes, Monday morning hurts a little. But it also feels earned. Honest. Grounded.

If you’re sore today, don’t apologize for it. Don’t rush to explain it away. Let it remind you that you are still in the game.

If you’re sore, smile. You earned that pain fair and square. No apologies. No explanations.

Now keep showing up. Even when it’s slow. Even when it’s awkward. Even when your body sends you a strongly worded email.

Because confidence isn’t about feeling good all the time, it’s about trusting yourself enough to keep going.

See you next weekend. Same sweat. Same music. Same stubborn joy.

Your future self is already nodding in approval.