I have been sore from working out before, but I am not so sure ever quite like this. This morning I am sore in very specific points of my ass and legs. So sore that when I started walking down the stairs, I just knew this was the end, I was about to tumble down the stairs and break my neck. This is how I was going to die. Thankfully, I have a tendency of jumping to the worst possible conclusion and in fact did not die. However, I wanted to…. I made it halfway down the stairs and realized I had to turn around and go grab my Exerspy because I left it sitting on the counter. (Side Note// Attn Body Media: I think you are behind the curve. The fact this thing is not waterproof is somewhat ridiculous. I should be able to wear it in the shower. Please get it together.) Needless to say, I made it back down the stairs and cooked myself a “delicious” breakfast consisting of oatmeal and 3 fried eggs (no fat added, thanks PAM). So here I sit, not dead, with my laptop, water bottle, and dog snuggled by the fire (it’s snowing out). It all feels very 1900’s brooding writer; minus the laptop, and the fact I’m blogging and not writing a great American novel.
At this point, I should probably introduce you to my two
dear friends who are on this journey with me. My longtime friend turned roommate,
Joey. And Sabrina, the friend from “day one” who convinced me to join Gold’s
ETC in the first place. (Hi guys, you rock.) Joey is doing the challenge and will
be training three times a week with Mike. For Joey it is all about the gains.
Sabrina just joined the challenge and will be training twice a week with a
trainer yet to be determined. (Personally, I hope she gets Caesare. He is a
beast and we love him.) She is using the challenge to kick start her fitness
goals for 2015.
Last night I decided to go back to the gym to take a 7pm Zumba class with Sabrina and Joey came for the TSAC demo. (TSAC is Tactical Strength
and Conditioning for Military, Fire, Police, etc. In my opinion, it is for
crazy people. I am not kidding you when I tell you they have people puking). Now
Zumba (specifically with Frank) is like going to the club. The music is
amazing, we have super fun disco lights, and Frank is a riot. We have dance
offs in class and he comes down to dance with us individually. I don’t think I
am very good, but when he picks you out of the crowd to dance it out, it feels
like you can do anything. This is a
picture of the studio before class started so you get the idea of the setting. There are usually 40 or 50 people in his class.
About halfway through Zumba I was so tired from training with Q earlier in the
day, I felt my hips and legs screaming at me to give up. There are three reasons I didn’t: 1. Frank’s class is way to much fun 2. Right
as I was thinking about quitting, Q jumps in the class and dances it out for a
song in her full TSAC gear and 3. I look over and see Sabrina shaking what her
momma gave her and knew she wasn’t going to quit, so I couldn’t either.
When class ended we walked over to the turf to go watch the
TSAC demo where I found Joey. He was a sweaty mess. Apparently TSAC is every
bit as intense as I think it is in my head. I am a bit of a voyeur when it
comes to all this hard core training they do and I usually find myself a spot
on a piece of cardio equipment so I can watch. See, here is my view:
I am telling you it
is like “dinner and a show” (minus the dinner). ETC does TSAC, MMA, Boxing, and
Crossfit. I think they are all nuts. If I was really honest with myself, I watch
because I wish that was me, I am just scared of not being able to and embarrassing
myself, but I am working through this. I will get there, I will climb that rope
and carry those pipes, I will fight and one day I will be hard core too.
I will be hard core with the help of you, my readers and
friends. Writing brings me great joy, it allows me to be introspective and
really understand why I am doing this to begin with. However, writing publically
wouldn’t be as much fun if no one was reading, so I have to thank you for all your
sweet comments, phone calls, and emails. It means a lot to me that you are
taking time out of your day to read this. You are part of my much needed support
structure.
Support…. I can’t tell you how important it is to have friends
in this with you and an incredible support system at the gym. Having Joey and
Sabrina in this with me is amazing, I have people who get it and people to
bitch to, both very important. The best
part is it doesn’t end there. The ETC family is unreal. I don’t even know how
they managed to staff an entire gym with kind and loving people. I didn’t even
know people like this still existed, especially in Northern VA. When I walked
in the first time after my “holiday break” Matt, one of the sales guys sees me
and asks me how I was feeling because he heard I had been sick. Shep, my favorite
“bartender” (We have a smoothie bar) gives me a hug. Lena, the front desk manager
sees me and screams “Hi honey, we missed you!” Vikki, one of the fitness directors
takes time for her busy day to come say hi and chat for a bit. Last night Joe, one
of the owners walked by and said “Hi, Nicole”. At ETC you are not just a number, you are a
person who they care about. This is going to be the difference. This is what is
going to help me succeed. I am truly grateful to have found this family.
With that being said. I am off to be productive. I have MOI
(Mind Over Intensity) Cycle at 5:30 with Sabrina and Joey. I will try to stay
alive to see another day. Talk with you tomorrow.
