It’s 30 balmy degrees today and we are running around without hats and mittens. Feels like April! And we are sweating.
Last week I didn’t sweat much except from the flu.
Well, Monday I was back at the Y and it affirmed why I love that place so much. Many had been reading my FB posts and asked if I was feeling better. This is one reason I call the Y my “second church.” Not just because I meet believers there taking care of their bodies, minds and souls, but also because I leave feeling encouraged.
They don’t care I hack “stuff” into the towels. They don’t care if I run past them to use a tissue 3 times in class. They tell me I did great even if I bailed a lot during class. They even tell each other if we can see our underwear through our spandex pants:) Love the Y. Heart the Y.
Getting a workout in is always worth it to me. Last year when I sprained my ankle, I still hobbled downtown (even on crutches a few times, with Elam in tow) to use the pool. Monday I was feeling less than fantastic, but with a co-sweater’s birthday, a birthday song and birthday hats while we jumped rope, I felt better afterwards.
This year, I added 5lbs to my weight training classes. I don’t like it. It hurts. My arms and hands are tired often before my muscles are. And today, I wanted to go down again, but I didn’t.
Sweating takes commitment and sometimes an ease into that commitment.
I am about to start training for a marathon. I won’t just jump on the track and run 20 miles, I will start with 3, 5 and 7 miles.
Weight training sometimes is harder because weights don’t come in single amounts. We all wish for the 17lb-er or the 22lb-er. They don’t come that way.
So deal, dig deep and try it. Next time, go up.
Our personal trainer has started to call certain weights with the corresponding year. So with my 2015’s in hand, I did low squats today, cried through renegade rows and felt every single push-up (we do 150 during Thursday class) because of those weights. It was stellar today, however, to do a set of push-ups looking right into Brian’s eyes. We push each other, even with sweat trickling into our eyes.
But I also know it will make me stronger. I will have more chance of recovering from wiping out on the ice. I am able to carry up both loads of laundry: at the same time! I can haul a kid on my back up the sledding hill, plus his snow board.
Getting well took time too. I napped a lot. Ate differently. Drank differently. It wasn’t fun. I wanted just to wake up and be well.
Good things take time. Patience. Endurance. Friends. Community. Joy.
All good things for our minds, souls and bodies.