Day 17

This morning, again, I woke up before the alarm clock but layed there until it went off. I sat up, stretched and both feet hit the floor. I noticed on the way out of the bedroom that I had some new pain this morning. The bottom of my heel and the inside of my opposite knee were painful when I walked and I wondered if this would hinder me this morning.

I went ahead and got dressed, did my usual morning routine, with the replacement of shredded wheat, for oatmeal. Honestly, this week, I could care less if I ever saw oatmeal again.

I felt pretty good this morning when I arrived a few minutes early. I got out of the van, was slapped in the face by the hot steam of the morning air and remembered when I didn't see people getting their mats out that we were running today.

Big sigh, deep breath, "You can do this, Wendy..."

I did my best to try to stretch the pain away. Rob told us to go out for our usual warm-up but to make it a nice, easy jog. Now there's a contradiction of words. Easy-Jog...

Anyway, I ran slower than usual, even walked a bit. I found that the heel-pain was slowly slipping away, but my knee continued to throb with every stride. I got back and tried to catch my breath. It was much hotter today. I sized-up the flowing sprinklers imagining how that nice, refreshingly cool, water would feel on my already sweat-drenched skin. If there were no one else standing there with me, I definitely would have found out. In fact, tomorrow, if it's this hot, I just may.

After out warm-up, we stretched, then went to the starting line of our mile. We ran harder and faster today than ever before in sessions. We stopped along the way for wall-sits, bridge jump-ups, push ups and dips, touch-downs, and calf raises (they really burned today!). Then we made our way back to home base at our own, but considerably faster pace.

We finished this morning with lots of ab work. Everything, including my mat, was soaked by the end of class.

It's much harder for me to work-out when it's hot and sticky, like this. I find myself feeling nauseated when I really try to push myself. But I'm learning to push through it. In fact, by the end of our mile, my knee and heel pain were gone.

I'm excited for tomorrow. It's bring-a-friend day and I've invited everyone I can think of. I haven't had any definite yes-es yet but I'm hopeful that at least a few of my friends will decide to GET UP and come join me. I've even offered wake-up calls for those who need it. I wish I could describe how much better I feel when I do GET UP in words, but I just keep telling people that they have to feel the exhiliration for themselves.

I'm really not a "morning person". I'd love to stay in bed, under the covers, especially now that the air-conditioning is on. But I know that if I do, I will not feel my best the rest of the day. I know that every body is different and I know that getting up at 5 AM doesn't work for every one. Boot camp "curriculum" doesn't work for everyone. I understand that. I'm hopeful that my example will, in the least, motivate someone to get off that couch or out of that bed and start getting active.

Even if it means starting out with a five minute down-the-street or driveway stroll, doing a few jumping jacks, joining a gym and walking on the treadmill or the elliptical, swimming, dancing, yoga, ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! YOU'LL FEEL BETTER!!!!!!!!!!! I PROMISE!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I'm talking to you!!! Get Up!!!! RIGHT NOW! Today is the day!!! You have to make the whole-hearted decision to start somewhere if you want to change your life-style, mind-set and body.

I AM CONQUERING THIS and YOU CAN DO IT too...

So, in the words of Matthew Deprez,

ARE YOU WITH ME?