It started off promisingly enough, cloudless blue sky overhead, well-cushioned bike seat softening the bumps in the road, cool breeze in my hair. The beginnings of a beautiful day, except that I was running a few minutes late and pedaling frantically to make up the time. About a block from the house a bug hit me right in the eye and dang-near sent me into a parked car. More time was lost trying to rub its' suicidal remnants from my eye. I one-eyed it the rest of the way. On I go!
I pulled up to the rack in front of the gym and (figuratively) ran into the exernazi from the aerobics class I don't attend- and she actually complimented me on how good I was starting to look. Very surprising, thought I, but I thanked her for the compliment and all but strutted into the gym and had a pretty good workout using a few new routines with the dumbbells.
As I was finishing up, the instructor for the pose-and-gossip (aka strength training) class and a couple of her students walked into the weight room. They milled about chatting about something girly or whatever and one of them made a comment to the instructor about how much weight I was working at the machines. The instructor then turned to me and said that her students (a whopping 4 total) were discouraged because the machines were set so high, yada, yada, yada, the weights are so heavy, yada, you're so strong, yada, yada.
OK, so I'm standing there fairly flush from working out and not knowing how to respond so I mumbled something like, "It's 'cause I'm a big fat guy and you're a bunch of little girls."
Human interaction is somewhat foreign to me.
I took advantage of the awkward silence that followed to make a hasty retreat back to my bike and then pedaled over to the stadium to work out my embarrassment running up and down the stadium stairs.
The rest of the day was fraught with challenges and foibles. About half of the projects I was working on hit a wall, half dragged on beyond their deadlines, and half were golden.
OK, so I'm a little unfamiliar with fractions.
The cool thing is that I put in some pretty good effort today- both exercise-wise and nutrition-wise, and somehow that makes for a pretty good day.
In summation:
30 minutes weight training
20 minutes stairs and laps
1 more day of eating right
1 lifetime of social flubbery
Good times.
This morning's smoothie:
1/3 small banana
3/4C frozen Blackberries
1T Organic Peanut Butter
1S EAS Protein (Chocolate)
1S Ground Flax
Hey Steve, it's very encouraging to read your blog. I recently started a weight loss and exercise program after I had surgery, and I love the new me. In addition, I am in training for a 13 mile half marathon to raise money for Crohn's Disease & Colitis. I'd like to trade links, I noticed you're a member of healthy lifestyle bloggers as I am...my blog is: http://savehugeonmedications.blogspot.com
Hope to hear from you...
You are really inspiring! I want my husband to read your blog. He hesitates to go to the gym with me but wants to start taking the weight off. You are really working it! Although I am small and go to the gym to mainly tone up-I find it intimidating myself. I feel so vulnerable there trying to workout and half the time I have no idea what I am doing. You inspire me too!
@teasastips - hey, thanks for the compliment but more importantly AWESOME JOB doing what you're doing. I applaud your efforts- both personally and charitably.
@health nut wannabe mom - Oh boy, you flatter me, which is really great because it gets the old blood to rise above my neck and near the old brain. Let me just say right now that I get a lot of great info added it to my subscription list. The gym is an intimidating place by design in my opinion. All those heavy weights and machines and people who seem to glide through them so effortlessly. I initially would go at times when the fewest number of people would be there. I also discovered a little-used weight room at the local community center. The thing is, I went and still go despite the intimidation which, as it turns out, became a lot less intimidating as time went on and weight came off. My hat's off to you continuing to maintain good health and staying in shape. My wife (a daily runner and in really good shape herself) is probably the main reason I started and continue to workout. Having your spouse in shape is a little contagious (or shaming) and motivating.