Second Workout

Well, I seem to have survived the "off" day to go sliding into another day of punishment... I even got out of my wheelchair for a bit and I was typing with three fingers by Tuesday evening! *grin*. Although, my food was pureed... *shrug*... (ever have pureed pizza??? Me neither.)

Yesterday, I realized that not only did my thighs not like me, but my very gluteus maximus hurt. Now, mind you, my backside is rather... ummm... OK, I'll say it.... LARGE! I had no idea that it had muscles in it, too! (Look, I let the frog go in my high school biology class... Like I know where all of them thar muscles are) It wasn't my whole butt that hurt, either (this is weird), it was only my right a$$ cheek. How bee-zaar!!!

So... Today I crawled from my desk, hopped on the elevator (hey, I'm not doing stairs, remember?) and stumbled into the fitness center. I actually got into my workout clothes and sauntered (ok, it was more like a death march) into the room.

The instructor turns on the music... Nice beat... ready to do some in place marching. "OK, our warm up today is to go up to the sixth floor and back down"! Oh, cool... we're taking an elevator ride! Ummm... this isn't the way to the elevators....

AW, CRAP! STAIRS!!!!!

I distinctly remember stating Monday that I wasn't going to do the stairs for the entire 7 wk session. HA! Granted, I was the last person to get up the stairs, back down and back to the room (Ok.. just for a bit of clarification... the Fitness Center is on the 2nd floor. So, really we only did 4 floors... but many many many many stairs... I think I lost count of each one after 1000), and I stopped for a drink of water before I managed to wobble into class.

Now, mind you, my thighs at this point still ache from Monday. But by the time I finished the stairs, my legs are a bit wobbly... I mean "infant-learning-to-walk" wobbly. And no one was willing to assist me... grrr...

Ok... back in my spot... 20 minutes to go.... *sigh*... Damn, I think there's something wrong with that clock... Our instructor tells us to pick up our free weights to do some arm work... I can handle that. (Yeah... Right) Arms flailing in every direction. I did pretty well with the 5-lbs weights I had... Meaning, I didn't lose grip of them or injure any of my classmates. I did have problems with one exercise that looks to me like a chicken. You know, arms bent in 90 degrees and you lift your arm at the elbow. I managed to do this on the right side... but my left arm was very reluctant to do anything I wanted... I apparently have a dysfunctional wing...

"Let's pick up the pole"! Dear gods, not the pole... AND WITH 15-MIN LEFT OF CLASS!!! I think I'm going to die... Right leg lifts to the front a million times, to the side half a million (they were slower), and to the back... Rest for all of a quarter second.... Right leg lifts to the back (half million...), side (half...), front (million). My left thigh is just about to collapse from the stairs and balancing. The consolation??? I got to hold onto the pole. Yeah, a pole not bolted to anything and just staying vertical with the death grip of my hands. "Ok... rest..." For 30 minutes?? An hour??? No... a quarter second... "OK... let's do the LEFT LEG..." Oh, please kill me now...

We put the pole horizontal and used it to do rowing motion... Butt out... (sorry to those behind me... I know it's not a pretty sight), back flat, I think I can handle the rowing motion... WOO HOOO!!! A movement I can do without pain!! At least I don't think I'm in pain... my brain isn't taking any more messages from my body to allude to any pain... Well... accept the thighs... They're on a long distance connection and they aren't hanging up... no party lines...

The end of this session is mat work.. well.. not all of it. Push ups... (I remember those. I used to be able to do those well.... When I was 18... and in the Army... I even tried to convince my Drill Instructor that I'd melt in the rain if I had to do push-ups in it.... Yeah, nice try... Now the body asks what these are and why am I doing them?) then "Superman" exercises (trust me, you know what this is... and no it isn't anything that can't be seen on the street *raises eyebrow*), then crunches.... then UP... WHAT?? I just got down here, my thighs are in protest, and you think I can stand up now??? (I swear our instructor is so happy about exercise... I get really happy about stuff too... Most of it does not involve contortionistic movements, though... More like... reading a book... HEY, the eyes are getting a work out!!!)

So... UP we get and do more rowing... Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! no more leg lifts!!! Apparently at this point, we have a whopping 6 minutes to go. The last time I had 6 minutes to go, I just left... I see that no one else is running (running???) to the door... Forget that!!!.. Ok.. fine... I'll stay for 6 more minutes.

Back down for another round of push ups, Supermen, and crunches... and more crunches, and..... more.... crunch to the left, crunch to the right, roll over and crawl, Fight, Fight, FIGHT!! (Hey, I never said I could stand up... weebol-ly wobbly legs... remember??)

I apparently made it through another session of hell. The pain really is subsiding.. I think. My thighs are feeling a bit better, and I still think our instructor is only here to see how many people keep coming back for self induced torture. Got to love her, though. She has to teach a bunch of people that want to exercise but have no motivation. *raises hand*... my motivation to GO to class is InterFuse next year. My motivation to STAY in the class once I get there.... still wavering...