Cycling: Part Deux

Well, I went to cycling again last night. Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Good, you say? Well, the instructor was my fave Tread & Shed instructor, Shannon. I definitely like her style and how she teaches, so I knew she would be good for that class. She also plays really good music that pumps you up.

It was hysterical-- She played "Baby Got Back" and was like.. "Come on, I know you all know the words!" So EVERYONE in the class started singing it. And HELLO-- that is my theme song, so of course I know every word. Some of the guys were really getting into it.. "So fellas? Yeah! Fellas? Yeah! Has your girlfriend got the butt?" That might have been the highlight of my night.

Also, I can tell that my balance has gotten better. I could actually let go of the handle bars this time. I could NOT do that during the first class. I was holding on for dear life. It takes a lot of core control (for me anyway) to be able to let go! So I was glad that I could see the difference.

And I know you're all DYING to hear the status of my crotchital region.  It's really not as bad this time..  It's still sore, but definitely not like the first time.  Getting in and out of my car is a little tricky.  But hey, that's okay.

Now for the bad... Are you ready? Ughhhh it just felt so much harder last night! Shannon is a pretty tough instructor. But that's why I like her. She's no nonsense and just makes you push yourself. I prefer that than someone being too nice. I feel like I get a better workout with her. So it's not that I didn't like how Shannon did the class.. I guess I just got discouraged because I couldn't do everything she was telling us to do. There are some moves that are a little too advanced for me because I've only done the class twice. But even though I was doing all I could, I just felt like a LOSER. I know it's not like anyone was looking at me funny in the class. More than anything, I was just disappointed in myself. I want to be able to do better and I was upset that I couldn't do everything.

Also, I think my foot straps might have been too tight. Either that or I just pedal retarded. But my feet went numb and then there was like shooting pain. So that was distracting me a lot. I didn't quit and I know that I did the best I could.. It just bummed me out that my "best" wasn't that good.

I don't know what it is about working out intensely.. but sometimes it makes me emotional! It's like everything that's been on your mind comes bubbling to the surface and you're working so hard that it just comes spilling out. I've been known to get teary eyed after a class before. Not because of the physical pain or because I want to quit, but just because I get emotional sometimes. I don't really know how to explain it. But somehow the physical exertion is connected to something emotional for me. It's weird because when I got home and checked the PostSecret website, this postcard was on there..

I had just been thinking that in class! I thought.. If I cry right now, no one will notice because it's so dark in there.  Well, I at least made it to my car before I started crying.  Of course, I felt silly and angry with myself.  But I just just had this overwhelming feeling of being a failure.  I don't know what came over me but I was definitely having a moment.  I texted Sandra, slightly hysterical.  And she repeated to me something I once said to her when she was struggling with her running..  "You're entitled to 'have a moment', but it's hard because it works."  I thought..  Well, crap, she's right.  So I calmed down and felt better after I took a shower.  And Maggie told me later I was probably just being too hard on myself-- which might be true.

I almost didn't type this whole story... because WHO cries about cycling?!  BUT I promised to be honest on this blog!  So there you go.  My ridiculousness is on public display.

I weighed myself this morning and I lost 2 lbs.  One of which was the extra one I gained.. Eek.  So right now, I'm down 31 lbs.  And more importantly......  I AM GOING ON VACATION TOMORROW!  That's right!  Summer vacation is finally here!  Yours truly will be soaking up the sun in beautiful Bonita Springs, FL.  I just realized that that translates into "beautiful Beautiful Springs"......  Redundancy aside, I am excited!  I so need a vacay from my horrid office.  And I'm also excited that my BFF will be meeting me down there later next week.  :)  I'll try to blog in FL.  Until next time....

Walking the Plank

Even though I was beyond tired yesterday and head a headache, I went to the gym anyway. I seriously needed some endorphins to pep me up after a particularly bad day at work.

Tread & Shed was an especially sweaty endeavor. The treadmill part is bad enough, but Shannon also has us hop off to engage in other torturous activities. My legs turned to Jell-o when I heard her utter those two evil words: Mountain climbers. I don't know what kind of sadistic person invented this move, but I'm pretty sure they also club baby seals for fun. If you're a woman with huge boobs, such as myself, there is no pretty way to do a mountain climber. I felt like my goodies were on display at every angle. My boobs are hanging out in the front, my shirt was flying up around my neck, and my butt is jiggling in the air. I think everyone at the gym is on a first name basis with my lady lumps.



After the mountain climbers, we did planks. But instead of having you rest on your forearms, you were in like a push-up position. We had to hold it for a minute. My arms started to get seriously shaky by the end, but I held on. I was kind of proud of myself for that. It made my hands and wrists hurt though. And I can't think too much about all the things that have been on that gym floor where I was touching.

I added a nifty new link at the bottom of my posts to make it easier for people to share my blog with others. I loooove reading everyone's comments. Sometimes I feel like no one reads at all and I wonder why I bother since I don't get much feedback. So, attention lurkers: If I know you and you're not commenting, you've got some 'splainin to do!! If I sort of know you, please don't be shy. And if I don't know you, hey that's fine too. Thanks for reading. :)

Cycling Puts the CROTCH in Crotchety

Bueno! (Don't know if I can really use that since I'm not answering the phone.. or Pedro's sister.. But I'm saying it anyway!) I have seriously been AWOL the last couple weeks. Which quite rightly, you might assume means I've been a glutton. We've had various company in town, one after the other.. Which means lots of dinners out. My blood type is now Pinot Grigio. I've been trying to be good for breakfast and lunch, but then the dinners out have been killing me.. and my stomach. My body is rebelling. I have been good the last couple days, but I need to really get more strict. Must go to the grocery store tonight to replenish my supplies.

Soooo...... I don't know what possessed me to try cycling, but I did last night. I think Maggie suggested we try it about a week ago. But I thought it sounded fun and I was willing. I like Tread & Shed, but I thought it might be neat to try something different. She actually didn't have to drag me kicking and screaming into this one, like she has with some other classes. :) I tried cycling one time at Gold's Gym in GA. It was part of an interval class so it was only 20 mins. But it was enough for me to know that your crotch should never feel that way. So I've been terrified to try it since then. Even when I committed to trying the class this week, I was warned by no fewer than 3 people that my crotchital region would be über sore. But everyone also said that you get used to it after a few times. Do I want to get used to that sensation? The jury is still out on that one..

Maggie got my bike set up for me. It's quite a hike to get up there for my 5'2" self. Not to mention.. that even though I'm 2 in. taller than Maggie, our legs are the same length.. So my seat was like as low as it would go to accommodate my freakishly short legs. It felt pretty awkward at first. I felt far away from the handlebars. I can't really reach the water bottle holder well with my T-Rex arms. And it takes a lot of balance. I felt like I was circus folk on a unicycle. And of course, there was the searing pain in my crotch. There is no good spot. You try to move your butt all the way back.. and it doesn't help. You move your right cheek over.. then the left. Nope, no reprieve. I felt like I was riding on a broomstick. But at some point, you've gotta suck it up and ignore your crotch. You can quote me on that.

So class starts and the instructor had us do sprints, turn the tension up, stand up.. all kind of things. But ya know.. The class seemed to go by pretty fast. I never really thought about quiting. Standing up and cycling is hard because you have it on a higher tension and there's more resistance.. You feel like you're walking through mud. But it's the one and only break that your bum gets.. So you actually look forward to it. During one particularly intense sprint, the instructor said we had one minute left. And then she said, "You can do anything for a minute." And I thought.. You know what, I can! So I pedaled furiously for the last minute.

The music pumped up with the fast beats really gets you going. It was definitely hard, but I can see myself getting into it. I will try it again. Uhhh, but let me tell you... Today I feel like I've been viciously assaulted by more than one person. My tenders are tender. I feel like I need to be sitting on an inflatable donut. If you have one, please let me know. I cannot even describe to you the specific area that is in so much pain. It's not my butt exactly.. or my crotch, precisely.. but somewhere in between. I do not know how men take that class without seriously limiting their chances at reproduction. 'Nuff said.

I've been avoiding it for like two weeks, but I finally weighed myself this morning. Shockingly, I'm only up 1 lb. Maybe it's because I've been good for the last few days and then cycling shocked my system. But I'll take it!

Until next time... take care of yourselves.. and your crotch. That's another one for the books.