It's A Crazy New Year

   Well, here we are in 2013, and I hadn't made any definite plans.  I mean, according to the Mayans, the Hopi, and the Republicans, the world was supposed to end before Christmas. So, intending to free up my calendar and just enjoy living in the moment, I got a little sidetracked and fell to the wayside a bit.  I was miserably ill before Christmas, felt like I was dying, and it took a couple of weeks before I came out of that rough period.  So since the world continued on as I secretly suspected it would, I am slowly coming back to my reality.
   My amazing cousin, more like a sister, is training for a marathon in April.  I am so inspired by this chick--she is crazy determined! Boot camp three times a week at the gym, 6 miles running on a couple of days, and that long run on the other day. What do I do? I try to help Gary, my husband, keep up with the wood cutting to fuel our wood stove in our utility building, and run as much as possible, and of course, the old dialysis chair. I feel like a straight wimp at times. So this Wednesday when sweet Chelle invited me to the gym to either join her class for the night or hit the treadmills, I was excited to join her. Now I did dialysis that day and drove up to Wichita, but I didn't have the nurses pull off too much fluid, so I felt pretty confident I would be fine. And no, I did NOT participate in the boot camp class. It focused on lifting weights, and my fistula arm is not supposed to be involved in too much weight lifting. So I introduced myself to a very sexy treadmill, and we hit it off immediately while Chelle went off to fine tune those guns she's developing.
   Sounds splendid, right? Well, it didn't stay that way.  Usually I run at speed 5, and go clean up to 6 or 7, depending on my "spunkiness" level, and this time I dragged it down to 4 1/2 to start off. I couldn't push myself too much, and ended up doing a little over 2 miles in 30 minutes. What a bummer! Usually I pull 3 miles out of 30 minutes! So I pushed the next 30 minutes into walking up high inclines and power walking on the lower levels. I'm used to my treadmill going for as long as I want at home, and this hot little number I was working with decided at 60 minutes it was quitting time. (Which is what I planned, but still--I like to be the one to call the shots!)
   That was not what let me know what pathetic shape I let myself get into recently. What got me into the realm of reality was my super sweet and kick ass cousin inviting me to the last of her session, the boot camp abs workout.  (I sit here at this moment trying not to use my abs at any point to move or pull myself off of this couch.)  Good Golly Miss Molly! We did 4 ab exercises--lying leg raise, heel high toe touch, bicycles, and the 15 second left, middle, and right planks.  Oh, and we repeated those 3 times! I did okay the first round, and by the second round my middle felt as though it had burned out to paralyzed numbness. My mind was willing to command my abs to function, but my stomach was bewildered, and my legs flopped crazily in chaotic patterns as I urged the command onward.  And my sweet, adorable cousin sprouted horns and a devilish grin as she cooed, "You're doing awesome! You can do it, just a few more, just a few more seconds!" Oh, how I love that girl, but how much more I loved the mat and the floor as I flopped after the sets. And now my abs are pissed. I could barely move off the bed this morning and rolled over my husband in an awkward effort to get up. My sides are sore to the touch and I can say only one thing....
   I LOVE IT!!!!  How awesome is it when you look in the mirror and you start to see everything that's wrong with you--lumpy thighs, pudgy tummy, and then after pushing yourself to achieve some goal in a workout your view suddenly shifts!!! I began to see thighs that could go for an hour on the treadmill, even after dialysis, and my stomach beginning to develop muscular tone.  I don't feel like such a slug anymore, I feel empowered! And that's what I love about the pain of beginning a new year of fitness--I feel that I have the power to do so many positive things, beginning with me and my health. I can only hope that others may find such a joy and peace within themselves.
   Oh, and sis, I will be working on those ab workouts at home, and the Jillian Michaels DVDs I got earlier this week. And when I come back, I will be better,  and WE WILL ROCK! Keep the flame of inspiration coming, you are amazing!