This week I did Bella Boot Camp on Tuesday and Thursday and a bike ride on Wednesday. It's the first time in a long time that I did any workout three days in a row. I'm pleased with that and with how I feel overall.
A challenge this week was fatigue. Tuesday was hot and humid. I was conscious of drinking extra water during the day but I still felt woozy during and after boot camp. Not horribly so but enough to be a nuisance for sure. I'll give some credit to the weather for how I felt but it is a fact that I need to build my aerobic capacity. I was confused that it appeared I had held my own with Julius and Russ that day. It's not a competition but I was pleased that I was not holding up the progression by lagging too far behind. I found out later (on Thursday) that I was counting knee-knee-toe-toe wrong so was only doing half the prescribed exercise. Oops!
On the ride home on Tuesday, I felt the effects of the workout in my left knee and the muscle or tendon (not sure which) that goes up the right side of the back of my left leg. The knee felt bruised but I had not fallen on it. The calf soreness felt like a strain. Both were gone by the time I went to bed Tuesday night and I'm still not sure what was going on with either. On Wednesday, I was feeling the effects of squat thrusts and dips in my shoulders and neck. This continued into Thursday but is much better today.
On Wednesday, I rode the bike 12 miles on the Chester Valley Trail. I was tired after work but knew I'd feel better if I went for it and worse if I didn't. So I changed at work, unpacked my bike behind the Wegmans in Malvern and headed East on the trail. Wednesday was much cooler and it was breezy. Without a jacket and cover for my ears I was uncomfortable for the ride. They can't all be glorious, right? My neck and shoulders loosened up a bit on the ride and my legs were appropriately buzzed. I was still feeling very sluggish though.
Thursday dawned, cloudy and gray. It spit rain most of the day and never got out of the 50s. Bella Boot Camp was still on. I was very close to calling out. I was still feeling so so tired and a little groggy as I left work. Getting outside (away from the fake air in the office) helped and when I got home I immediately changed into workout clothes which helped keep momentum moving in a positive direction. When the time to leave arrived I was looking forward to going and glad I had not bailed. Sara, Russ and I, with Maggi's coaching and encouragement, had a workout in much cooler conditions than Tuesday. I had gloves and ear covering on for the first half of our session.
Boot camp does not suck. I hesitate to say it's fun because I'm not sure the two can be in the same sentence believably. Last night was my 4th class since it began. 45 minutes goes by quicker than you'd think despite the physical stresses. So my new goal is not to worry about making it through the session but to make it through a set without stopping.
Typically we do a warm up and then three sets of 3-4 exercise groups. Coach Maggi says that we should try to get through the group (at our own pace and ability) without stopping. Taking breaks as needed between each repeat. So my new goal is to do that while paying more attention to form, and remembering to breath. This is likely going to make me slower than I am. I'm ok with that.
A word about knee-knee-toe-toe. This involves bringing first one knee up to opposite hand, then the other, then the same with toes. We can do this at a jog or marching. So if you know me you know I have NO, NONE, ZILCH, NADA, sense of rhythm. I can't hold a beat or a flow of movements to save my life. Doing Knee-Knee-Toe-Toe at a jog AND counting is impossible for me. So I do them at a march. My heart rate doesn't elevate as it might if I did it at a jog but at least I don't fall on my face.
If I can do this, anyone can. If you'd like to join us on Tuesdays or Thursdays let me know or visit MPower Training's website for more info or to get on the mailing list.
Keep smiling and keep moving.
-Paula
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