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Mar. 7th, 2007 07:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicThe forecast says it will be cold and wet today, so I scrapped the idea of walking two miles for the cake and stopped at the bakery on my way in this morning, which was about an hour earlier than I've been in for the past several months. I woke up early and had some very strange thoughts racing through my head that kept me from dozing off again, so at 6:15 I gave up trying and got out of bed. It's not that I'm a morning person, it's just that I can't sleep in. And I have a lot to do today at work, which is why, of course, I'm here blogging. :-P
Today it's not my legs that are most sore, but my arms, from the workout on Monday night. Weird. I still maintain that last night's torture session was the hardest workout I've ever done. Here's what she had me do:
Lunge the length of the gym with a 10 pound dumbbell in each hand. When I reached the end, she had me do 20 grande plies (no idea if that's the correct spelling...) with a 25 pound weight held down between my legs (held with my hands, if that's unclear - this works quads and thighs especially hard - not easy after just doing lunges). Then I lunged backwards to my starting point, where she had me do 15 squats with a 10 pound medicine ball in my hands. These were no ordinary squats, either. She put a one foot high box on the ground behind me, and I had to touch my butt to the box (but not sit!) on each squat or it didn't count. I am nearly six feet tall, and five and a half of those feet are my legs - squatting to within one foot of the ground IS NOT MY FRIEND.
We did three sets of this rotation, then she had me do hamstring stuff, which she said would be easier, but I could barely stand by the end of the first rotation, so it was actually very much not easier. After that we did abs, which I could've done for days since I got to use a bench and thus rest my legs for the first time in the evening.
On the one hand, working out with Jen is very humbling, because she always finds ways to really push me and pretty much make me feel like I won't survive the hour, but on the other hand, these workouts are really empowering because despite how miserable and weak I feel sometimes, I always make it through. And I'm in good shape now. There are still a lot of things I can't do, but I do feel fit. And I've come to realize that fitness is a lot like other talents. Maybe like art. I can practice and practice and be the best artist I can be, and still not be as good as someone with natural talent, but that doesn't mean I haven't come a long way. Or I may be really good at knitting but utter shit at painting, whereas a top painter may never knit as well as I. I'll probably never run a marathon, but I may be stronger in some regards than someone who can. Eventually:)
So, I'm curious, friends - what's your natural talent? And what talent have you worked hardest to develop? Are you among the best of the best in that field?
I'd have to say that my most natural talent is my knack for card games. And bridge is also the thing I've worked hardest at lately - I am still far, far from elite in the bridge world - but maybe compared to the population in general, I'm somewhat of a card shark.
Some coworkers are finally rolling in. I guess that's my cue to get to work:)
Peace.
Today it's not my legs that are most sore, but my arms, from the workout on Monday night. Weird. I still maintain that last night's torture session was the hardest workout I've ever done. Here's what she had me do:
Lunge the length of the gym with a 10 pound dumbbell in each hand. When I reached the end, she had me do 20 grande plies (no idea if that's the correct spelling...) with a 25 pound weight held down between my legs (held with my hands, if that's unclear - this works quads and thighs especially hard - not easy after just doing lunges). Then I lunged backwards to my starting point, where she had me do 15 squats with a 10 pound medicine ball in my hands. These were no ordinary squats, either. She put a one foot high box on the ground behind me, and I had to touch my butt to the box (but not sit!) on each squat or it didn't count. I am nearly six feet tall, and five and a half of those feet are my legs - squatting to within one foot of the ground IS NOT MY FRIEND.
We did three sets of this rotation, then she had me do hamstring stuff, which she said would be easier, but I could barely stand by the end of the first rotation, so it was actually very much not easier. After that we did abs, which I could've done for days since I got to use a bench and thus rest my legs for the first time in the evening.
On the one hand, working out with Jen is very humbling, because she always finds ways to really push me and pretty much make me feel like I won't survive the hour, but on the other hand, these workouts are really empowering because despite how miserable and weak I feel sometimes, I always make it through. And I'm in good shape now. There are still a lot of things I can't do, but I do feel fit. And I've come to realize that fitness is a lot like other talents. Maybe like art. I can practice and practice and be the best artist I can be, and still not be as good as someone with natural talent, but that doesn't mean I haven't come a long way. Or I may be really good at knitting but utter shit at painting, whereas a top painter may never knit as well as I. I'll probably never run a marathon, but I may be stronger in some regards than someone who can. Eventually:)
So, I'm curious, friends - what's your natural talent? And what talent have you worked hardest to develop? Are you among the best of the best in that field?
I'd have to say that my most natural talent is my knack for card games. And bridge is also the thing I've worked hardest at lately - I am still far, far from elite in the bridge world - but maybe compared to the population in general, I'm somewhat of a card shark.
Some coworkers are finally rolling in. I guess that's my cue to get to work:)
Peace.
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no subject
Date: 2007-03-07 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-08 03:33 am (UTC)