Saturday, May 10, 2014

Day 11 - Dun dun dun dun...arms

Morning routine is getting a bit better at home.  Drew is still onside and makes up some smoothies for breakfast.  I've packed a lunch and snack and my gym bag.  They are in the trunk and I've moved the big f'n truck out of the way so I can just run out the door and hit the highway.  I find if I do all this before sitting down for coffee and breakfast then he can't complain I'm ruining his routine.  Lunch today is the tuna with 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 cup celery and 1 slice whole grain bread.  It looks like an awful lot of food.  For snack there will be yogurt and granola (2 tbsp granola with hemp).  I fill up my water bottle with ice water and head out.

Today I am a bit worried.  First up is weight loss group and I'm thinking that I'm not going to be able to keep up on the treadmill as my calves hurt quite a bit the other day.  Also Keith said we will concentrate on arms today and that is what Killer Kris - er Kris the trainer said we were going to do as well.   Also I will have about 1 hour between and I am not sure what I will do.

I arrive about 5 mins late again.  What is with me and not being on time???  I know I am not the only one but still it has always been something I have strived to do. It seems that there are a few more people in the group today and there is only 1 treadmill open in the immediate area so I hop on and start it up to zone 2 (2mph).  Keith is a jovial guy and is joking around about how he is going to torture us today and then tell Maria about it so when she comes back she will be surprised.  Since I have never taken class with her I am thinking she must be a lot easier to deal with.  Not that Keith is difficult he just seems to really like the treadmill.  We are given some long rubber band thingies with handles and just 1 towel today.  After 3 or 4 mins he ramps us up to 3 for 4 mins then says we will do 4 for 3 mins.  Ok I can/will do this.  3 seems really easy now and I am just starting to get into a good rhythm when he yells out zone 4 and up we go.  Ok this is really uncomfortable and the bottom of my calves are burning already.  How am I going to manage this for 3 mins.  So I think, maybe I should "try" a jog.  So...I did.  And amazingly it doesn't hurt!  And I can sorta do it - after all it is only 3 mins.  After 2 mins though I poop er chicken out and put it back to 3.8 and walk fast. My heart is pumping pretty good.  Keith takes us down to 2 and then we are gulping down some water as he tells us to grab the rubber bands and count out to 40 while pulling on the bands AND walking on the treadmill.  Then 20 of another type of arm/band exercise and then another 20 all while walking and I am trying so hard to count, breath, walk and stretch.  I have a hard time chewing gum and walking...geesh.  Now I can feel the cardio really amping up.  I have yet to figure out what my ideal (is there such a thing) heart rate for burning fat etc. so I am thinking has anybody had a heart attack on one of these here treadmills and how embarrassing would it be to have it push you out the end. Oh wait he's saying back up to zone 3 for 2 minutes and then zone 4 for 4 mins.  Crap I don't think I can do this.  But across from me is someone who looks just like me and she is doing it.  She is pumping her arms and doing the fast walk.  If she can do it I guess I can try.  After 2 mins up we go to Zone 4 and I start to "jog".  I say "jog" cause I am guessing thats what you would call it since on the media centre it clearly states 2 is walk 4 is jog 5 is run.  So I am jogging, it doesn't hurt, not my hips nor my knees nor the lower back of my calves.  My heart is a pumping away but I end up doing the full 4 minutes before I think to cut back.  I am amazed at myself and have to say something to Keith.  He congratulates me and high fives me as I tell him "hey I just jogged that and I have not jogged since - well since ever".  Again at 2 we do some arm exercises and then he ramps us back up to 4 for 5 1/2 mins.  Well I just did 4 surely I can do 1 and 1/2 more minutes???  I did!!  I really did do it.  I am so friggin proud of myself but when I check my heart rate it is 139.  I'm thinking that maybe high and say so to Keith and he says well maybe. To finish the class off we do some exercises with some kind of exercise 1/2 ball on the floor and little hand weights.  That is challenging as the 1/2 ball wants to push you off but I do find the situps  or wait the new fangled name is ab crunches... they are a lot easier to do on that thing.  We do some stretching out afterwards and class is finished.  I am wiped.  My arms are aching and my heart is just coming down.  I think I am going to rest til 11.  There is a small lounge with leather chairs and a large screen tv in the change room so I sit there and unwind.

At 11 I meet up with Kris - this time we BOTH have the right time - and I tell him I've done my cardio today and also apparently arms.  He laughs and says you may be overdoing it.  Is there really such a thing?  I've got a lot of years of catching up to do.  We head to the weight area and guess what? I'm doing squats again. Fart, my legs just seemed to be feeling normal.  However, there is definitely a change in me cause 10 days ago I could NOT - although I did do them - barely manage 100 squats.  I can't say I breezed through them but I do do them and my legs are not caving in on me.  From there we go to a 4 sided piece of equipment that has a bench and some handle thing on it.  He shows me where to put my feet and how to grab the handle and puts it at 45 lbs. ummmmwhat?? 45?  I can't lift a 15 lb baby for more than 5 mins.  But he says I can do it so I try.  So pull back 45 lbs with your back straight, elbows in, legs straight, and pull it to your bellybutton while keeping elbows in and pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades.  Think of all that? While in actuality I am thinking pull just pull...he keeps encouraging me and every now and then pulls my shoulders back for me.  After the first set of 20 he explains what he is trying to do with me here.  He has observed my posture and knows what I do for a living.  My muscles are tight in the front as they are used to me hunched over a machine for up to 18 hours a day.  They have to relearn to pull back so I can stand straighter and keep my balance centered.  The muscles are fatigued and aching from trying to do that all day and it makes sense somehow but I know it will be a long process to relearn so many years of doing things the wrong way. He even says I may get rid of my sore back permanently!  Maybe I will finally get that posture that mom was always trying to get me to do - stand up straight!.  I do 4 sets of 20 and the last few really hurt my lower arms but I do it and hold it like he asks.

He suggests we do some hip rolling and shows me how to do that to help break down some of the muscle outer tissue to keep it from cramping.  Its only a few but it feels good to do it.  Afterwards we make another appointment for next week.  I have one left that is paid for by Life Time Bucks and want to make the best of it.  I mention to him about my results on the scale and that my Body fat percentage had gone down 5%.  He said that's great but be aware that is almost for sure just water.  Well I know that but it still is progress in the right direction - yes??  I hope so.  He tells me to get something in my stomach as I have now been at the gym since 9 it is 12 and I've done 2 hours of pretty hardcore exercise.  He also asks me what I plan to do the rest of the week.  I don't want to seem like I am overdoing it (since he already said that) so I say I think tomorrow I am just going to swim and that seems to be the right thing.  As I leave the gym I grab a green machine smoothie in the cafe (they sell it it must be good right?) the girl talks me into spinach (in a smoothie really?  ok I will try it) and its not bad.

When I get to work I find I am not able to talk about
the way I feel.  First off I tell Nick what I did today (the jogging) and the things that Kris had me do and what he is teaching me.  He's supportive and gives me a good job mom.  However, when Drew comes in I feel funny telling him much.  He wants to know what I've done but something makes me feel like he will either criticize or belittle my accomplishment or do the oh you should do that or even worse I can do that.  So I don't say much and shut him down.  I realize that is all in my head.  He can do that sometimes but I know I should be able to tell him what I've done but maybe I want to volunteer it rather than have him question me.  Its a weird feeling - maybe I am actually embarrassed.  Or I don't want to seem like I am bragging or exaggerating.  I'm all confused by my thoughts and just let it go.

Tonight we are going to have quinoa salad and some of the grilled chicken.  I like the quinoa but I think there is only so much I am going to be able to eat of it.  Spinach salad on the side with balsamic vinegar.  Its pretty good and we both feel full after.  We spend some time over dinner talking about what I did today and how I felt.  I told him I was worried about the heart rate and he agreed I need to find out where I should be.  We have a few laughs and the rest of the evening we do our own thing.  I have some cards I am working on in my crap/craft room.  Here's a good thing to think about - I think I have reached this point in my life.


Tomorrow is Dietician Day again....and I think I will post an update:)

Debbie






No comments:

Post a Comment