Who am I kidding?

First run of the summer.  

Post-vacation run.

Back at it.

Who am I kidding.  What I did today was START OVER.  

It was a slow start, but it was a start.

I tried to convince myself to only run my mile loop, but I knew I needed to run longer than that.  I ran the 2.25 mile loop.  Well, ran/walked the loop.  It took me approximately "a long time" to finish.  I say approximately because my running watch took a fatal dip in the hot tub while we were in Colorado.  So, let's go with "really slow".  

But, I did it.  I stuck with my plan.  July is a month that is particularly free of "must dos", so it is a really good time to get back in the habit of daily exercising.  That is my plan.  In addition to regular running, I have taken on two "Challenges" courtesy of The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans .  

  

I had started the June challenge last month, but had to stop because of a pulled abdominal muscle.  So this month I am redoing the the June Challenge and adding the July Arm Challenge.  I finished day three after my run and cool down walk with Carley.

  

The crunches weren't bad and I was glad to see that my injured stomach seems to be healed.  I did modified push-ups because, at this point, the full push-up is hard and always hurts my knees.  I plan to be doing full push-ups before the end of the month.   Due to my non-existent watch, I had to count out the plank seconds.  I counted one-one thousand, two-one thousand,...,fifteen-one thousand.  If, by chance, I counted a teeny bit quicker in the teens it was unintentional.  The dips were a bit easier, but I felt them toward the end.

What are your plans for July?

Cardio Blast

Two months after the new gym opened on base, I made it in to check out the much-touted new facility.  This is not a review of the new gym.  I am just stating how long I have been away.

The Class

I went to the Wednesday morning Cardio Blast class.  While it was a bit daunting to walk into the fitness room and see all of the stations set up on the floor, it turned out to be not scary at all and a lot of fun.  

We started the class by heading to the indoor track.  Run two laps.  (No problem).  Run a lap as fast as you can.  I tried.  I ran so fast it was actually hard to take the corners.  Oh, you've never heard of this problem?  That's because this track was only 1/12 of a mile long.  On the upside, that is about the length that I can sprint.  On the downside, it is similar to running around a large-ish room.  In the future, however, this could be a good place to do some speed work.  We also jumped and floor-touched our way around the track a few time, then back to the fitness room.  

Once there, we started going through the stations in 1-minute intervals, a minute of cardio-type exercise in between, 30 seconds of rest, and then on to the next station.  

The Problem

At the first in-between station, we were doing burpees.  Once I assumed the postion, it became VERY apparent that I had pulled something in my lower abs.  I don't know if this is a remnant of last Friday's class from hell, a side effect of the Crunch Challenge I had been doing with my friend, or who knows?  

On with the class

I completed the rest of the stations, making adjustments to accommodate the pain in my abdominals.  I couldn't do the ab work on the Bosu, jumping over the hurdles hurt, but was doable.  Jumping rope was great, but tiring.  I need one of those for home.  

Once everyone had made it through the stations, we headed back to the track.  A few more laps, with different exercises on each lap and then back to the room for ab work on the floor.  I sat on my mat and stretched.  

This is the track at the new facility (this angle makes it look big).
  I look forward to checking out what the fitness center has to offer.

The Takeaway

I would go back to this class.  Unfortunately, the instructor, Johanna, is transferring and this was the last time she would be teaching that class here in Newport.  I hope whoever they find to replace her is as capable and enthusiastic.

At Home

Good residual muscle soreness.  Super sore abs.  I have been rolling into and out of bed, couches, etc.    

Question

What classes do you like to take at the gym?  

Remember that one class in Newport?

Apparently, the minimal amount of running I do combined with my lackadaisical approach to dieting has not created a well-oiled workout machine.

In my infinite wisdom, I agreed to attend an exercise class at Bellevue Barre with a very fit friend who didn't want to be pushed in front of the bus on this blog. 

Uh, yeah.  Not my best idea.  

Let me start with the excuses:  the class was hot, I was in the corner, and I haven't done anything besides run in so long that I didn't even have a good way to pull my hair out of my face. (Last time I did, my hair was short.  When I run, I wear a hat.)

Anyway, we started. My groin started cramping.  THEN, the instructor announces, "Let's start cardio!"  What?  We weren't doing cardio?  She laughs, "no, that was the warm-up". Ha ha.  Joke's on me.

The class keeps going.  I try to keep up.  About half-way through, this thought crosses my mind:  I am going to pass out.  Not wanting any of these incredibly fit ladies to have to forgo their workout while waiting for an ambulance, I do the prudent thing and plant my ass on the ground.  I stay there for a bit.  Then feeling like a wuss, I get up and try a few more exercises.  Nope.  Back on the ground.  

I head outside to get some cooler air.  So there I am, barefoot, sweaty, and  sitting on a bench in one of the posher areas of Newport, trying to act like this is perfectly normal.  

When I see them all lying on the floor, I head back in figuring "hey, I can do that!"  I wander back to my corner and lay down.  The instructor asks, "How are you doing, Jen?" in her Italian accent.  "Great!  Thumbs Up!", I reply.  Her response, "then you can try some crunches while we do these body contortions that make your abs and ass hurt just watching us"  "Okay!", I mutter.

I did a lot of crunches.  They tore it up.  My fit friend at least had the decency to look like it was killing her, too.  

Finally the class ended.  We went to Starbucks.  

There are a lot of steps I need to take before I head back there.  I will start after I can move again.