Workout #3
This was the hardest workout I've done so far, and it might be the hardest workout I've done in my life. I guess that's not true. I'm sure I worked out harder during marathon basketball practices running a ridiculous number of bleachers and ladders, but I was in much better shape then. So that makes today my hardest ever non-sports workout.
The workouts are structured as half cardio and half strength. The concept for the cardio today was something about popcorn. We rotated through all four cardio machines, spending about 4-6 minutes on each one and going at around 70% most of the time. The popcorn part meant that one of us was going at 100% almost every second. Sam, the trainer, would say, "Okay, Stormy, you're at 100% for the next 20 seconds. Give it all you've got!" Then she would cheer me on as I tried to, well, give it everything I've got. Every person in my group got their turn over and over again on each piece of equipment. On the rower-thingy (its official name), I thought I was going 100%, and the number on the screen (I don't know what it's counting) read around 715. Sam came over and said, "Go for 800!" I thought she was insane, but I found myself going harder. Wouldn't you know it? I kept it over 800 on that round of my turn to popcorn. It surprised me a little bit.
Today I also ran. I have commented as an adult that I can't run. I used to run a lot when I was a teenager. But now I feel like my knees have been banged up too much and my ankles have rolled one too many times, and running is just impossible for me. Today, when I was on the treadmill and I was told to go 100%, I decided I should run. You know what? I did it, and it felt good. In fact, it was the easiest thing I did today. My knees and ankles didn't hurt at all, but that could be because my brain lapsed into a state of semi-consciousness from all the work I had already done. Either way, that surprised me a little bit, too.
The strength part today was mostly upper-body, I think. I pretty much hate weights, so I'm glad they make me do them. Maybe by the end of this thing weights and I will be able to find some type of dysfunctional relationship - continuing to dislike each other but recognizing that we need to visit every now and then.
I was doing some tricep thing, and I experienced something that has never happened to me before. I pulled the handles on the machine down, but my arms didn't move. It's like I was stuck. My brain was telling my arms to pull harder, but my arms were not listening, like a kid standing in front of me with his fingers in his ears. My friend and workout partner recognized my awkward situation, and she came over and gave me a little push. That was my very last one (#10) of that rotation, and I couldn't have finished without the help. It felt good to finish instead of just quitting.
Finishing with help is better than quitting by yourself. That's your little bit of philosophy for the day. You're welcome.
I saw today what I've heard from others who work out at BCS Fitness: I'll never push myself as much as someone else will push me. I think I push myself pretty hard in just about everything I do, and still I could never do what I did today without someone next to me telling me I could do more.
And now food.
Right this minute, as I'm typing, I'm eating broccoli.
Yes, broccoli.
I hate broccoli.
Or, I did hate broccoli.
I remember trying broccoli as a kid, and since then I've just always known I didn't like it. But it's really good for you, and part of me feels like a seven year old when something comes along that has broccoli in it and I say "no thank you" but what I really mean is "ewww...broccoli...gross." So, in my quest to have a healthier diet, I decided that I need to try broccoli again.
I bought those little single serving frozen broccoli trays because Trey loves them, so if I don't like it he'll eat the rest of them and they won't go to waste. Also, they're actually broccoli and cheese, and since cheese makes everything better I thought it would be good starter broccoli. I decided before I started that I would eat the whole thing.
It was fine, okay, alright, whatever. I could eat some broccoli, but I don't think I'll be craving it for every meal anytime soon. Maybe I won't turn up my nose at things that broccoli in them. Aren't I big girl for trying it?
The other thing I did tonight is precook some stuff for later in the week when we have baseball games. I made some individual meatloaves (maybe I'll take one for lunch) and some turkey burgers. They would probably be a little better if we cooked and ate them the same day, but if I don't make it ahead of time, we just won't eat it. That's the problem with meat courses around here - they take time and we don't have time on game nights, which right now happens to be four nights a week.
I have more to share, like my experience with yogurt (I don't eat that either because my brain knows it technically rotten milk), but instead I'll leave you with my favorite relatively healthy week night quick dinner.
BBQ Chicken Pizza: Take a whole wheat pita, add about a tablespoon of low-sugar barbecue sauce, top with roasted chicken, slices of red onion, about a 1/4 cup of mozzarella, and sprinkle the top with rosemary. You can cook in in the oven on a pizza stone, or, if you're really in a hurry, cook it in the toaster oven. When the cheese is melted, it's done. My fancy app tells me it's about 363 calories. I love this because the boys also make their own pizzas (with tomato sauce and pepperoni or whatever else they want), and they always eat it because they made it themselves.
I hope I can move my arms tomorrow.
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