Nothing feels as good as a really hot shower after a monster workout and nothing tastes as good as the perfect poached egg (firm white, soft yolk) on granary toast with butter-Fact! These little rewards are what I am starting to think of when I am less than enthusiastic about the actual workout part. Another plus is the grudging respect I'm beginning to have for this less than perfect body,the same one that has carried and borne five beautiful children, and is now working in a way it never has in its 30++ years!! (Not 40 yet!!) Also, the way I feel better about how I look and feel in my clothes, which is not necessarily weight loss related, as I've stopped weighing myself because of how negative it made me feel. There's also the beginning of acceptance that my longterm love affair with Spanx may well be lifelong and that might just be ok. Little changes in perception maybe, but a big impact on day to day life for me.
On to today-I was really looking forward to my 'colouring in day' at the gym , a cushy wee workout to ease me into the weekend, but I think deep down I knew this wasn't to be-armed with the knowledge of my night out tonight followed by a full Irish tomorrow, Damien D was confidently planning on a monster session. So I was straight on to the treadmill, 10 minutes warm up followed by 10 minutes of interval training-basically he varied the speed from about 6mph (walking really fast) to 8mph (running!!) for a few minutes at a time. I know this was to increase my running stamina and confidence and it seemed to work as it didn't intimidate me as much as just running endlessly. (as if!) After this , it was 3 sets of lifting weights on the machine (Madonna eat your heart out!) and then into the Torture Chamber for, frankly, never ending sets of leg lifts, sit ups, squats (using the 'Yes, I'm in labour' ball) lots of arm work (Bingo wings begone), the tree hugger exercise with weights (tightens and lifts the boobs-yipee!) and a funny piece of equipment that strengthened the upper body-I had to lean on it, supported from my feet to my hooha and bend my whole upper body up and down to the floor-it did take me a little while to trust that I wasn't go to tip it over . Finally it was 3 sets of leg weights on the machine and I was done. Tired, sore but buzzing, really buzzing-so much so, and you'll not believe this but VOLUNTARILY I then got on the treadmill and ran at 7.5mph for 10 whole minutes, That was how good I felt-I just went in my head from minute to minute and made it to 10.....running....check me out!!. So it was a bloody tough session but so so good and it has to be said that there is NO WAY I would be pushing myself this hard ,or even feeling I was remotely capable of doing any of it, without Damien D's constant encouragement and bantering-pushing me waaaay out of my comfort zone, thereby making it less frightening and leaving me ready for more-who would have thought it?? Of course, this could just be the endorphins talking, and I certainly won't be craving a sneaky workout over the weekend, but it's progress and that has to be a good thing. So much so, that I've agreed to do a fun run in May-5km I think, with a (much fitter) friend -in all honesty if you had suggested that to me, even a month ago, I'd have laughed like a drain... Happy Friday one and all, Emmaxx
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