Down With The Elliptical!

Today I faced off with my old nemesis - the elliptical. I had rushed down to the gym after a day filled with meetings, and I had that torn feeling of the work waiting in my "in" box, versus the knowledge that I have to exercise every day. Top this with the fact that over the weekend I strained my hamstring, and you have a veritable recipe for slacking off. Spin the wheel of fortune of daily life and pick an excuse! But...I've found that if you shut off your inner voice, pick up your bag, and let your feet take you to the gym, everything falls into place. Marisa, in that casual we'll-just-hang-out-way she has, had me on the elliptical before I even knew what I was doing. Her absolute faith in me and some great girl chat equaled my new milestone: four times longer on the elliptical than I ever have gone before! Bad hamstring and all!

The Adventures Of A Stomach

The stomach is a funny thing, at least mine is. It's constantly keeping me on my toes. One thing I quickly discovered on this journey is that on the rare occasion that I allow myself a "treat", there are dire consequences. Sesame chicken - my favorite thing ever - made me feel hung over before I even put my fork down. A Chik Fil A sandwich brought on nausea, swollen fingers, and the feeling that I was being drug down into a coma. Chips at the Mexican restaurant? I was sick before our entrees were served. Guess all the clean eating keeps me honest - an added bonus!

Today on a girls day with my Mom and sister, we stopped our shopping adventures for lunch at a Hibachi bistro. I thought chicken and veggie stir fry would be safe. Wrong again! There must have been some extra grease in there somewhere because we had barely paid the bill when my tummy decided to make its protest known. I sucked it up and powered through. I am a shopping soldier and no store shall be left behind! And Hibachi chicken has now been put on the ever growing do-not-eat list.

Transition

That first day I worked out, the first day this journey began, it was obvious how badly out of shape I was. I could barely do anything. I was so ashamed. I kept telling Jeff I was sorry, over and over. I remember having to sit and take breaks frequently, again apologizing for my weakness. During one of those breaks, as I tried desperately to catch my shallow breathe, I told him, "This isn't me. This isn't who I am." At the time I felt like an intruder at the gym, like I didn't belong there among people who were physically fit. I was so embarrassed and just knew everyone was looking at me. The gym and everything in it was foreign and scary. It's crazy to think about that time in comparison to now. Now the gym is my happy place, my safe zone, somewhere I think of as mine. That day I could barely walk a lap around the gym, but today I was sprinting laps while holding a 15 pound medicine ball. Back then Jeff had to hold my hand as I tried to go up one step, petrified with fear. Now I am doing arabesques on the step in step class. It is staggering and humbling.

She-Wolf

When I was a little kid I was into wolves the way some little girls like unicorns or dolphins. I would request bedtime stories about them from my Momma, and my Dad's favorite way to distract me on road trips was to claim he saw a wolf coming out of the woods as we passed by. I went on to attend NC State - home of the Wolfpack - and am totally Team Jacob when it comes to Twilight preferences. Today I was struggling through the beginning of step class - will this head cold ever release me - when the song changed to Shakira's "She Wolf". The way a good song always does, it pumped me up and energized me. Now I totally feel back to my self and am convinced that hard core cardio cures what ails you! I'll leave you with some Shakira lyrics, "There's a she-wolf in your closet, let it out so it can breathe." Awooooooo!

Dagger Eyes

"I'm sorry I gave you the dagger eyes" said Laks to Jeff after today's training session. I laughed because it's so true how you can think your trainer is the best thing since sliced bread, but when they start going to work on you, you think, "why oh why are you doing this to me?" Or "Has she lost her dang mind?" Or maybe even, "Please God deliver me from Jeff!" Today's workout was extra tough on me since I've been sick. It's frustrating feeling like you've regressed in just a week's time, but you move through it...you know that your trainers are rooting for you...you draw energy and encouragement from your amazing friends who are sweating by your side...and suddenly you're back in the game.

Another Test

A bad sinus thing/head cold/crud/allergy annihilation had me down and out of the gym for six days - the longest stretch since I started my wellness journey. And today I had to dig deep for motivation to get back at it. It felt like someone had taken a drill to my sinuses, my throat burned, I had a blister on the side of my little toe (the side that rubs against the shoe) and a heel spur was making my right heel feel like I was walking on nails. Walking into the locker room I felt discouraged and frustrated. And then I thought about the trials and tribulations of my first month of working out and the hurdles fate/the enemy/my own defeatism threw at me and how I endured them all to come out successful in the end. Why did I think that I would only be tested once? Finding the fastest, most bass thumping song from my Ipod, I sucked it up and got back to business. And I'm proud to say that I rowed as far on the rowing machine as I did when I was in college in the best shape of my life! Back in the game!

She grew up, I grew down

I was looking at some family pictures today from around this time last year.  The first pic is of me and one of my favorite girls in the world, Miss Maggie, and one of my other favorite girls, my cousin Holly, at a pig pickin'.  The second is of Maggie and I at the Benton Reunion last weekend. Looking at the pictures today I have to say that Maggie has grown up so much, and I have grown down!  Looking forward to another fun family chicken pickin' tonight.  I still can't smell or taste anything, but that will keep me "honest" around all that good Southern food!

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