On a Roll

First of all, let me just say that all my workouts this coming week are dedicated to this particular container of Pumpkin Pie ice cream. It doesn't say "pie" on the label but it did on the big sign in the ice cream store window and oh-my-goodness is it delicious.  I almost wish I'd never heard of its existence.

In my last post, I'd highlighted what my workouts had been and what I'd planned them to be for the rest of the week.  I left off at Wednesday.  So here's the rest of it!!

Thursday was spin class in the evening only.  No lunch time work out!  I like to have one or two days free to eat lunch in a relaxed way or to go out for lunch with friends.  I was a little nervous about the Thursday class because I obviously hadn't done a class with Bruce yet and I'd heard he was hard.  After having done the class, I can assure you that he's hard but he's not any harder than Tuesdays with Rob.  They just have different styles.  I love taking the same class with people who have different styles because I feel like you end up focussing on different things and end up with a balance.  So we're climbing hills with resistance and then lowering it and sprinting it out.  A little about Bruce -- he showed up with little Grandpa glasses and in full bike racing clothes.  Like he could have been Lance's peloton and when he was cycling, he would tilt his head up and look at us over his glasses.  My guess at his age is 55 but he's probably older and I just don't know it because he takes amazing care of himself.  He's super into using the music for cadence which is awesome and he loves the late 70's and 80's.  Then when a song changed, he would yell your name and say who is this?!  We had some Mamas & Papas, Hall & Oates, Tina Turner, then at the end there was some Rihanna.

The class went to hell when he yelled "if you've done my class before, SADDLES OFF!".  Um whaaat???  Everyone jumped off and took off their seat and we did the next 7 - 10 minutes with NO SEAT.  We had to "sit" back as far as we could and hold the handles underhand and keep increasing the resistance.  OH MAN!  We did get to put our seats back on.  Phew!  Then 1 minute before the class was supposed to be OVER, he says "how about one more song?"  Everyone cheers.  Crazy people.  Then three minutes in, he looks up and says "did I mention the song is 9 minutes?"  I just laughed.  What can you do but keep pedaling???  It was awesome and again, the amount of sweat was astounding.

On Friday, I did the boot camp at lunch.  That was just normal and hard.  I had said that I may do an extra run on Friday after work but I was exhausted so I decided that was happening Saturday morning instead.  Here is proof of my workouts.  In the Sculpt class on Tuesday and the Core & More class on Wednesday, we did some leg lifts with resistance so we just held a weight on the inside of our thigh close to the knee.  So here is proof that I used heavy weights and that my iron still isn't where it should be.  Each end of the weight left a bruise on my leg.  My right leg is worse than my left.

On Saturday morning, my plan was to get in my extra run (and do 2 & 1's since that's what we switch to for clinic on Monday) and then meet my friend Nicole at the gym for 9:15am which was regular time for the Barbell class but being the Thanksgiving weekend, the classes are cancelled.  We were just going to do our own.  To start with, I woke up to ↓↓THIS↓↓ on Saturday morning and it was -3 (26F).  It got cold fast!  Also, my Garmin 305 arrived on Thursday so I was excited to try it out.  It was so much simpler than the 405!  Loved it.  

I go for my run and after it was done, I stopped at the corner store to pick up some half & half for the coffee I was so looking forward to and while I was there, I heard a text come in.  It was Nicole that I was meeting at the Y for 9:15.  She was there earlier.  Then I went home and was just about to start making a coffee when she texted again that Rob, the tuesday spin instructor was there and doing a spin class even though it was cancelled!!!

What followed this text was nothing short of impressive.  I ran down the hall peeling off my wet run clothes and throwing on my bike shorts and a fresh shirt and deodorant.  Grabbed two water bottles and my Y card and out the door I went.  That's where I met my frosty car.  It was sort of a sleet and freezing rain the night before so my door was actually stuck closed.  Took me a few minutes but I scraped enough window to see as I raced down the street.  I ran into the room while taking off my coat and dumped my stuff in the corner.  Then Rob yells "C'MON MICHELLE, YOU CAN CATCH UP!"  It gets scary when the instructor knows your name.  I hopped on the bike and I was still warm and sweaty from the run so I jumped in right where they were, heading up a hill!  I missed the first ten minutes and he did another 20 or so, then I just rode for another 5 minutes to cool down.  After that, Nicole and I headed into the studio to do our weights.  I didn't do legs, by then they were jello.  I just did arms and abs.  

After that, I went home and as I pulled into my parking lot, I noticed that none of the other cars had been moved or cleaned off.  It's somewhat satisfying to think about all I'd already done that morning. I relaxed for the rest of the day, did some laundry, tidied up the disaster that is my condo.  In the evening, I was watching some TV in front of the fireplace and though, "oooh, I should make a nice cup of tea!"  I went to the kitchen and came back with this.  Hehe.

Sunday morning, I did run club.  There were only four people there from my clinic, the two leaders, me, and one other girl.  I hit the snooze button and didn't want to go.  I wanted to stay cozy and get up and make coffee and toast.  But the thought of bailing on the VERY LAST DAY of my goals for the week got me out of bed.  

Not gonna lie, I"m pretty worried about my 10km coming up on October 20th.  I just have to keep reminding myself that it is okay to walk a lot of it.  I'm finding with the iron deficiency that my breathing is where I suffer the most.  Around the 20 minute mark, it starts to become very labored and I really just have to keep pushing so to think that that's happening at 2.5 km and I have to go 10km sucks.  So I'm just going to walk as fast as I can when I need to take breaks to catch my breath.  

But I finished it the week and now for this week, I was 7 FOR 7!!!  I left every morning with my coffee, my smoothie, and my lunch.  And I did every workout I set out to do and I fell in love with spin class.  True, my ass hurt badly after the first class and for the first ten minutes of the second class, but I assure you, it goes away.  Your inner butt toughens up!!

The scale isn't showing my hard work but I've had two unrelated people tell me in the past couple weeks that I've lost weight.  I ran into my neighbor in the parking lot when I was in my workout clothes and she said "OMG you look amazing!!"  I was shocked.  She said that she can tell I've lost weight and she can see it in my face too.  I thanked her but later shrugged it off because I didn't think so.  Then a few days later  a friend from work said the same thing.  Okay, I'll accept it!!  I do FEEL smaller.  My clothes fit better and honestly, I feel like I"m walking a bit taller these last few days.  I'm not going to put much into the scale because I do know that I'm working hard and I'm feeling strong.

So for this week, here are the workout goals:

Monday - Run (moving up to 2 & 1's x7) 

Tuesday - Sculpt at lunch, Spin in the evening.

Wednesday - Core & More at lunch, run club in the evening

Thursday - Spin in the evening

Friday - boot camp at lunch, run in the evening (if not, it's Sat am)

Saturday - Barbell Blast in the morning, there is a spin class right before and one right after but I'm not sure how the timing will work since people arrive early for all three of these classes for a spot)

Sunday - Run Club

Other goals:

Out the door every day with coffee, smoothie and lunch.  Except Thursday - I get to go out for lunch that day!

Bed early!  9:30 or 10 and read some to relax, hopefully that will help me fall asleep.  

I probably have more goals, but I can't think of them just now. :)