Being Tested

Wednesday is trying to test me. Maybe I'm being documented to see how I deal with irritation? Granted, I probably caused it (a running theme in my life) - and compared to what is going on with other people these things are nothing - but I'm still going to vent about it a little bit.

I woke up to find myself feeling about 86.4%. I wasn't coughing as much. There was less phlegm than I've grown used to. I had actually gotten to sleep without hacking for 2 hours. The biggest problem continues to be that I cannot take a deep breath without launching myself into a coughing spree. Needless to say, it is getting old.

So after putzing around for a little over an hour (Facebook and Twitter are like my morning coffee - - I can't get my day started without them) I was off to the gym. I get out of the car with my 2 iPods, headphones, gym card, keys and sweatshirt (it's in the damn 50's here today!!!) and head to the door. Once I am in I realize I dropped my card somewhere. Fantastic. So I head back out into the whipperwills, and retrace my way back to my car. Nothing. Look in my car. Nothing. Grrrrrrr. So I am heading back to the door when Maggie (seriously the nicest girl EVER who works at the front desk) was on her way out to tell me someone else found it. Good. Problem number one taken care of.

he is one good lookin' man!

I was looking forward to attempting a nice long cardio session today, and was looking forward to watching "The American" on my iPod. I haven't seen any of it, and thought it would be a good distraction to get me through my workout...oh, and George Clooney's in it. Yum. So I plug everything in, get my machine started up and hit play. The left side of my headphones won't work. SHIT! Now, I realize this isn't a huge deal, but it kind of drives me crazy. Plus, the gym is loud, (and I swear I'm sometimes partially deaf) so I have to have the volume up to hear what I'm watching - and didn't feel like deafening myself in my right ear. Damn it. Oh well. That can wait for tomorrow. Then I look up and realize the TV that usually has SportsCenter on it is still on TNT. I have no idea what was on it, but it looked sort of "Buffy and the Vampire Slayer"-esque. No thank you. I got innovative and made it through my 60 minutes on the elliptical.

I wanted to stop about half way through when it felt like someone punched me in the gut, but that passed soon enough. And the good news is, I ended feeling at about a 91.7% - so things are lookin' up!

I just wanted to share one other troubling thing that I read. I don't know for sure if it is true. I will do some additional investigating - maybe I could start a series: Slimming Down to Sexy Investigates.....? I wonder if anyone would watch it? Anyway - I read that when it comes to water consumption you should take your weight, divide it by two - and drink that many ounces. HOLY CRAP!! I might as well just grab a straw and head to the largest body of water I can find....

back to it.....

I realized this week, that regardless of how slowly I may be moving - I have made some positive changes. There have been many times in my adult life where I have gone months between workouts, and it didn't phase me in the least. Sure...I would feel small pangs of guilt over the fact that I was just paying my fat tax (see: gym membership) and never using it - but that was about it.

I finally felt like the Remus got his gigantic ass off my chest enough to go the gym on Wednesday. I don't know if I have ever been so happy to be active in my life. There was still a fair amount of hacking to be done while I was there - but I tried to be as courteous as I could, and just cough into my arm. I didn't "fake cough" and then do the gagging face like the guy I had seen at the WAC do. Hopefully it wasn't frequent enough, or annoying enough, for anyone to want to come over and kick me (literally) off my machine.

I did the same on Thursday, with basically the same result. Some hacking, and a lot of bliss. I was just happy to be out of the house, and doing something that is good for me! Granted, I've been following that up with eating like crap - but I'll turn that around here soon, too. I can tell I'm not completely back. I still get winded easier than I did before - but I am able to move at a pretty good pace (for me), so I'm content. I think the thing that has me the most excited about being back at the gym is that I am now able to watch the last few episodes of "Sons of Anarchy" on my iPod. I put the last 4 episodes of season 3 on there with the understanding that I couldn't watch them unless I was doing cardio. It is a trick I have to play on myself, and it seems to be working here. I am down to the last episode, and will watch that Friday while I do the elliptical.

So I'm finally feeling better - but know I am not 100% back to normal. When I am finally over this crap I will never again undervalue the ability to breathe easy. I will appreciate it.

Do any of you have to give yourself workout incentives? I'd love to hear about it.....

please don't take my eye candy away....

If you had told me a few months ago that I would miss the gym, I would have asked you what you were smoking. I guess maybe it is what is causing you to miss that gym that makes the difference? If you are unable to miss the gym because....let's say....you're on a tropical vacation, sitting by a pool sipping on yummy drinks with umbrellas - you might not be so sad. But if you are, as I was last Thursday thru Sunday, confined to your home because you have a cold and can't breathe - you'd give just about anything to get back.

Monday, all of my dreams came true! I got to go back to the gym, and as an added bonus I got to meet with YC. It was my first "new" weight workout. I now have a total of 4, instead of 5. There looks to be one that will still make me want to cry a little bit (the leg one always kills me! I think it is because so many of the exercises involve me hauling my own ass up and down - and that is quite a job!), and they all have about 8ish exercises with 4 sets of 10 each. I'm going to be doin' some fairly serious work in that weight room. Not to worry, though. I realized today that I grunt considerably less than most of the men in that area. I was entertained to see a man grunting up a storm, and lifting the same amount of weight as me. I typically try not to judge - I think doing anything is positive, and you deserve respect for that - but when you need to strut around like a peacock, and make so much noise - you are begging to be mocked. (that may have been the longest/worst run-on sentence, ever!)

one example of eye candy

 Monday was not without sad moments. I found out that half of my EC duo has left. He apparently got picked up by the Broncos. When YC told me the news, I am not going to lie - some sadness crept into my heart. Great for him - and hopefully I'll be able to see him in football pants one day soon (they are God's gift to me) - but sad that I will probably  never see  him again. But there was a silver lining. One of them is still left - and it is entirely possible that he may need a shoulder to cry on. I just so happen to have two shoulders! And they are stronger than they used to be! I can be there for him. I can ease his pain. I could be his new lifting partner?!?!!? Just picturing that makes me giggle. I am guessing I lift about 1/10 of the weight he does. And let's be honest - I wouldn't get a damn thing done. I would be too distracted by his candy-ness.

in case you needed another example of eye candy

So now I know I can do it. I can breathe enough to go to the gym, and get my workouts in, which makes me so happy. I also have more incentive to get my rear there. My EC needs me.