~ honest. sincere. embarrassing. funny. with a healthy dose of sarcasm. ~
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Friday, May 27

So, should I take it as a hint?

Or an obstacle to overcome?

I've been vigilantly working out for the past week - getting back on my regular routine. I've heard it takes 21 days to build a habit - only 3 to break it. So I've got about 17 more to go...again ;)

Today was the weirdest and most frustrating day I've ever had for my workout. I got my hair cut today before my workout. (I have to squeeze as much into an afternoon as I can when Tim's at school and Garnet's on a 10-10 shift!) When I left the salon - I was saying to myself 'She just put a whole bunch of crap in your hair, spent a lot of time drying it and it looks better than you're ever going to get it to look -- and now you're going for a run to get it all nice and sweaty and gross...?' (yes, I talk to myself quite often...so??)

But I fought my personal battle and drove to the gym - I'm not about to break the habit already!

At the gym I jumped on the last one of my favorite Treadmills. I'm not one of those freaks that needs a certain treadmill but I do prefer one row of them for running - the others make funny noises and hurt my ankles. Ok, so I'm one of those freaks.

Just as I start pressing the buttons I see the Volunteer approach me to let me know that he is just in the middle of washing it. So I chose the 'other' row. Right away I hear the inner voice again 'maybe you should just walk today...' but I shut it up and started my run.

Just at that hump in the running - (you know the one...about halfway in when your body is yelling at you to stop but you know that if you keep going the adrenaline will kick in and carry you to the end?) one of my fellow employees yells at me from across the room and nearly knocks me off the treadmill; "Hey Jess, kick it up a little will you? You look like your slacking!" I know it's all in jest but I'm not the best at dealing with embarrassment and I felt all the blood rush to my face (and thus away from my leg muscles.) I nearly gave out right then and there...except that now I had 50 pairs of eyes on me. So I picked my pride up, kept going and motioned to the treadmill beside me asking him if he'd like to show me how it's done. Then I smiled as I felt my adrenaline (mixed with pride and stubbornness) kick in to carry me through.
Two minutes later he decided to come over with his Tim Horton's Coffee and innocently let the aroma waft over to my hyperventilating nostrils while he tried to talk to me. Fifteen minutes into a run I'm not much of a conversationalist -- but I was really wanting a coffee. I think he got the hint from my mere nodding and shaking of the head (and maybe my slight glaring at his coffee) that I wasn't up for talking right then.

He finally left and I was in my personal mental space again until I looked straight ahead at the floor mat area to an old man doing his ab routine. Without too many details, his shorts were waaay too short and if he was wearing underwear - they weren't doing their job very well. I know, gross!!...all of a sudden the Daytime Soaps on the tv in front of me got A LOT more interesting.

I finally made it through my run and went downstairs to grab my stuff. I headed out the doors and made a cheesy mental note about the nice sunny day outside. Two steps out the door and I was hit by some immensely enormous raindrops. 'What the...' The sky was still sunny but there was this huge black cloud to the right of the sky that decided to pelt down painfully hard rain and hail...yes HAIL...while I ran to the car. I felt like I was in some cartoon where the black cloud just sort of follows you around. Steps away from my car when an old man stopped me to tell me the importance of always dressing for the worst in Sarnia, even in the summer, because you never know how the day is going to end. He was very proud to tell me that he always carries a coat...just in case... 'Thank you but I'm going to have some massive bruising from this hail...can we talk about this another time?'...I just smiled and unlocked my car.

It's amazing what I have to deal with just going for a little run, I mean, c'mon is it really worth it?!...unless I'm just looking too hard for excuses....hmmm Interesting.

I am known for looking deeper than I need to - and nothing looks pretty under a microscope - right? Maybe now that I think back, it was a pretty good work out after all.

So, despite my crazy day; no worries - I'm still on the treadmill...and the Pilates is starting to bring back the Ab muscles that have been hiding. :)
xo J

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kelly ens said...

i always try to find "reasons" not to do my work out too! but just like you, i come back to the "it-takes-21-days-to-build-a-habit" thing. DARN my inner voice - it has SUCH good excuses!