Drew is up at the cottage with his dad so I am on my own for breakfast. I start off with some Kashi granola with plain almond milk and a handful of raspberries. Hopefully this will sustain me through the grueling workout that Maria has planned for us today.
I want to say that perhaps I portray Maria as being tough, and she is, but under there is a big heart and she is doing this for OUR good. She knows as she is a mom of 3 and remembers how hard it is to find the time to care about our own selves. She would work out in her kitchen, running on the spot. She is a motivator and a force to be reckoned with and all done with the love she has for fitness and for us. I have no idea what her age is but she is in awesome condition. She is in a word, awesome. Saying all that I am still worried about what awaits me on the treadmill and if I can do it. I HAVE to do it but can I make my body do it.
Words of wisdom from one of my closest friends:
"your mind will give up long before your body ever does. We are built as humans to move, not sit, not stand, but to move, run and walk" your mind will tell you many things-that you can't do it...and guess what you can. You just did! Keep going....just keep going!
So I am doing just that - keep going keep going. Trust my body, listen to it when it says that hurts but keep pushing it. In 19 days I have come remarkably far - at least from where I am sitting it is far.
Maria starts us off doing warmup using the visual track setting on the treadmill. First 880m (2x around a regular field track) as fast as you can go. I have just walked and warmed up to a run/jog already as a warm up so I (yes I do) hike the speed up to 4.3 mph and I RUN around that track 2x. I don't think I did that in high school - ok maybe I did but I don't think it was easy. Then there are 20 pushups then back on the track for 1 loop at 3%. I do it at 4.2 mph all the way. Then 25 pushups and back to the track for one more loop at 5%. That is getting hard but I manage to make it around the track. I look at the completed mileage and I have run 1.75 miles. WHAT???? Thank you Keith for getting me to do this :) We are finished with the treadmill and head over to the stretching area where she has set up a circuit for us.
We have sheets to follow and there are 2 different circuits that we have to complete 2x each. Here are some new things I haven't done yet so I have to ask Maria a few times to quickly show me how to do it properly.
Suffice it to say this is an exercise in endurance. We "ski", row, jump, squat, slam a ball, run on a bose ball, situps, and some shuffle thing with a heavy long tube. Some struggle at some things more than others. This is where you can see strengths in each individual. I do it and it is very hard. I am breathing hard, my heart is pounding and the sweat is pouring off me. Maria reminds me to take a moment and slow down my breathing and my heart rate. I do it but quickly move to the next task.
We finish up with a treadmill cool down. This has been another totally different group of exercises. Since it's my first week with Maria I wonder if this will be the same through each week or if every single time it will be different. She challenges us that is for sure.
I've made the salad greens with beans, chicken and avocado for lunch again as I really like it and it is filling. Since Drew is away I am still thinking what I will do for dinner. Last night was grilled steak with onions, mushroom and red pepper, tonight I may go out and challenge myself.
Here is the picture I had promised.
Tomorrow is Saturday - Maybe check out the spin class.
Debbie
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