"Mommy, I don't want to wear these socks. I want the ones with polka dots." Mayson, my youngest whines as she looks at me with imploring eyes.
Dauntingly, I look at the 14 steps ahead of me. "I can do this," I think. "Slowly...ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch." My calves throb in muscle fibers I didn't even know existed. My back on my left side feels bruised, and my shoulder spazzes out each time I grip the banister for some sort of support. "WTF, ouch. I thought I was in decent shape." I make my way to the top, go into my three year old's room, get the polka dot socks from her dresser drawer and limp my way back down the staircase. "ow, ow, ow, ow." I reach the bottom and begin to put the socks on Mayson's feet.
"NOOOO!! Not THESE polka dot socks, the PINK polka dot ones!" She whines. I look down at the mini-me I have created and sigh. I honestly am not sure if I can make it up those stairs again, but for my minis...I will do anything.
Rewind forty-eight hours....
Saturday morning, a beautiful day in November, one of those days where you want to take advantage of each and every outside breath, because you are convinced it could be your last for months. I lace up my Asics and glance at my Garmin. Two hours until I am supposed to be at the Club for my first ever squash match. A friend has convinced me to try it and has offered to teach me how...I just want to squeeze in a quick run before so I am sure I get a sufficient workout for the day...
14 miles and one shower later, I am pulling up the shell driveway to the Club. I grab the racquet I have borrowed from my friend and head downstairs to the court. My partner is already there hitting a small ball around effortlessly. "This will be cake." I think. I put my water bottle down and head onto the court.
"No whites?" he greets me with...
"Ummm....yeah, no whites." I shrug as I look down at my lululemon shorts and tank. Okay, I had whites, but they are my old tennis whites and I was NOT about to rock a Nantucket Yacht Club polo and tennis skirt on the squash court. Forget it. Ditto with the eyewear. NOT happening. Fashion is a big part of the reason I had yet to bust into the world of squash. Well, fashion and the fact that in my mind...it's just not a workout. It's a game. How high can your heart rate get while standing around swinging a racquet. It's like tennis and do NOT get me started on tennis. While I am thinking this to myself, my partner is rattling off the objective of the game, the rules, the scoring, the serving and the strategy. "Hmmmm....sounds a bit confusing, I'll just roll with it." I think.
"So, got it?" he asks with a smile.
"Totally, let's go." I reply confidently.
He nonchalantly tosses the small ball into the air and "whack" slams it against the front wall. It bounces off and hits the floor twenty feet in front of me. "Shit." I sprint like a maniac to get to it before the second bounce, barely make it reach the racquet out and "whack," volley up to the front wall again. "Oh thank God, that was close." My partner easily returns my shot and once again the ball lands twenty feet away...thump, thump, thump my feet sound like horse hooves as they not-so-gracefully make their way across the floor of the court to the ball and "smack," I once again hit the ball but also manage to run full force into the wall of the court. Ouch, I forgot to stop running. "Nice get," my friend and coach says encouragingly. I can feel the bruises popping up on my leg and shoulder.
"Thanks," I mumble, this is WAY harder than I thought.
"Ready to play?" he asks....
WAIT, we haven't even started yet?!? WTH. This is crazy! I run marathons, teach spinning classes, lift weights and workout religiously...most would even say...ahem, obsessively and I can't even handle warm-up for a squash game. My nerves set in...
And so the game begins and continues...I launch myself across the court, into walls, onto the floor and into the glass dozens of times for about an hour. I manage to hit a few okay shots, and even score a few measly points, but I have a whole new respect for the racquet sport. It is humbling to say the least, but a totally and completely new way of working out, challenging my mind, my body and my competitive streak and it's a lot of fun. It takes all the edge out of my everyday routine and reminds me of what sports are supposed to be about...having fun. I feel like a kid all over again, and spend much of the hour smiling and even laughing at times.
Three water breaks, four games to ZERO, and about a gallon of sweat later my partner looks at me and says, "nice job, I am impressed." I barely hear what he says above my breathing. He's barely broken a sweat, and completely one hundred percent schooled me. I try to remain composed and return his smile.
"Thanks," I say, "that was fun."
"Again tomorrow?" He asks.
"Ummm....totally." I respond wondering if when tomorrow comes I will even be able to move, but already...I can't wait to try it again.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thank you
"Ugh," I say aloud as the obnoxious beep, beep, beep of my alarm clock awakens and annoys me simultaneously. I roll over and look at the glaring red light...5:25. I have to get up. This is the only time I am able to run today. I HAVE to run today. I groan again and lift the warm duvet and roll out of bed. I wish I didn't have to run today. The wind howls outside, shaking the glass windows as it has been literally all night and for the past six days. This truly sucks. I have been running inside all week. SO unfair. I pull on like six layers of lulu and reach for my shuffle. "No need for my Garmin," I think with a sarcastic laugh. "the f-ing treadmill will be flashing my stats in my face the whole time I look at the wall in front of my face." I grab my water bottle, and car keys and head out into the 40 plus mph gusts. It is pitch black and freezing...and only NOVEMBER. "Why oh why do I live here?" I run for my mini cooper, as the one street light on my street shuts off and the darkness envelops me. I jump inside cursing the fact the seats do not warm up fast enough and that the heater is blowing cold air. I wish I didn't have to run today, but I do. I have to.
The seats begin to warm just as I pull in the white-shelled driveway of my Club. Dodging pothole after pothole I wonder when the hell they are going to grade this thing. I park in front, and grab the keys. One perk of being a trainer and instructor is the use of this beautiful gym, whenever I want. I unlock the door and walk into the dark. It always creeps me out a bit...being the only one in this gorgeous facility, the darkness around me as I innocently run in place on the treadmill, loud music blaring into both of my eardrums blocking out the sound around me. I am greeted by the comforting neon screens of treadmills, ellipticals, stair masters and bikes, and quickly turn on the lights to the room, and the dual squash courts. "Hmmmm.....fans, or no fans?" I wonder, considering it always warms up in here in about 30 seconds, I flip the setting to high. I shed layer after layer and change into my running-only shoes which I keep so I am able to appropriately log them for miles used and know when it is time to switch them out. A touch of annoyance crosses my mind here as I remember that due to the rain for the past week, I have been forced to wear these shoes while training on the floor, which has completely thrown off my mileage tracking. Annoying. I grab a freshly laundered towel from the stack and fill my water bottle with ice-cool water. "This is going to suck, but I have to run today." I meander my way over to my favorite of the six treadmills and set the time, pace and distance. Earbuds in my ears, I look at the wall of fresh paint ahead of me. Yuck. I wish I didn't have to run today.
I plug along for a few miles before the boredom of being inside gets to me, I reach down and switch on the tv option on the screen. "Ugh, I wish they had better channel options," I think as I channel through and settle upon NBC...that Meredith Viera, she bugs me. I catch a glimpse of a picture of a soldier and the date.
I suddenly remember it is Veteran's Day. I wonder what those soldiers are doing over there. Selfishly I wonder what their workouts are...do they have a gym? They must do TRX...after all it WAS developed by a Navy Seal. Then it hits me. I look around the now somewhat busy gym and see the familiar faces of the early morning exercisers and think. All of these people are able to get up, get out of their beds and go to this gym. This multi-million dollar facility sitting thirty miles out to sea on a beautiful island because of what those soldiers are doing overseas. Sure it is cold, dark and windy here...but the beauty of this island speaks for itself...thousands of people travel here to experience it for weeks on end. What about where any one of our soldiers are? They probably don't have treadmills, definitely not their choice of one of six and even if they do, those treadmills most likely lack one channel not to mention the twenty I have to choose from. Our soldiers most likely do not have fresh towels, cold water, new-ish running shoes or lululemon to wear while they run or workout. They don't have the choice of stair master, elliptical, squash or even the recumbent bicycles, maybe they do, but I seriously doubt it. Here I am complaining about my mini cooper, the potholes and the cold leather seats when they are God knows where, driving tanks, riding squished in vans or helicopters. I complain about the cold dark weather AFTER I get out of my warm bed, with its down duvet. Who knows what the sleeping conditions are for these brave men and women serving our country. They make these sacrifices, and WAY bigger ones, missing their families birthdays, holidays, weddings, not seeing their families at all for months so WE can do things. So we can have the luxury of things like I am partaking in right now. Whoa. I am humbled, and a selfish little Connecticut girl at the moment. I have done nothing but think negatively and complain about the fact that I have to run today. I don't have to do anything. I GET to, because of people like this.
I don't know anyone serving in the military directly, but I take the remaining seven miles of my run, turn off the tv, shut off my ipod and look at one spot on the wall and think. I think of veterans lost, what those serving may be doing at this moment, what they may be missing now and will miss in the future. I am grateful.
So yes, it sucked running inside all week and it sucked getting out of a warm bed this morning, but I got through it, and even enjoyed the last seven miles or so.
The seats begin to warm just as I pull in the white-shelled driveway of my Club. Dodging pothole after pothole I wonder when the hell they are going to grade this thing. I park in front, and grab the keys. One perk of being a trainer and instructor is the use of this beautiful gym, whenever I want. I unlock the door and walk into the dark. It always creeps me out a bit...being the only one in this gorgeous facility, the darkness around me as I innocently run in place on the treadmill, loud music blaring into both of my eardrums blocking out the sound around me. I am greeted by the comforting neon screens of treadmills, ellipticals, stair masters and bikes, and quickly turn on the lights to the room, and the dual squash courts. "Hmmmm.....fans, or no fans?" I wonder, considering it always warms up in here in about 30 seconds, I flip the setting to high. I shed layer after layer and change into my running-only shoes which I keep so I am able to appropriately log them for miles used and know when it is time to switch them out. A touch of annoyance crosses my mind here as I remember that due to the rain for the past week, I have been forced to wear these shoes while training on the floor, which has completely thrown off my mileage tracking. Annoying. I grab a freshly laundered towel from the stack and fill my water bottle with ice-cool water. "This is going to suck, but I have to run today." I meander my way over to my favorite of the six treadmills and set the time, pace and distance. Earbuds in my ears, I look at the wall of fresh paint ahead of me. Yuck. I wish I didn't have to run today.
I plug along for a few miles before the boredom of being inside gets to me, I reach down and switch on the tv option on the screen. "Ugh, I wish they had better channel options," I think as I channel through and settle upon NBC...that Meredith Viera, she bugs me. I catch a glimpse of a picture of a soldier and the date.
I suddenly remember it is Veteran's Day. I wonder what those soldiers are doing over there. Selfishly I wonder what their workouts are...do they have a gym? They must do TRX...after all it WAS developed by a Navy Seal. Then it hits me. I look around the now somewhat busy gym and see the familiar faces of the early morning exercisers and think. All of these people are able to get up, get out of their beds and go to this gym. This multi-million dollar facility sitting thirty miles out to sea on a beautiful island because of what those soldiers are doing overseas. Sure it is cold, dark and windy here...but the beauty of this island speaks for itself...thousands of people travel here to experience it for weeks on end. What about where any one of our soldiers are? They probably don't have treadmills, definitely not their choice of one of six and even if they do, those treadmills most likely lack one channel not to mention the twenty I have to choose from. Our soldiers most likely do not have fresh towels, cold water, new-ish running shoes or lululemon to wear while they run or workout. They don't have the choice of stair master, elliptical, squash or even the recumbent bicycles, maybe they do, but I seriously doubt it. Here I am complaining about my mini cooper, the potholes and the cold leather seats when they are God knows where, driving tanks, riding squished in vans or helicopters. I complain about the cold dark weather AFTER I get out of my warm bed, with its down duvet. Who knows what the sleeping conditions are for these brave men and women serving our country. They make these sacrifices, and WAY bigger ones, missing their families birthdays, holidays, weddings, not seeing their families at all for months so WE can do things. So we can have the luxury of things like I am partaking in right now. Whoa. I am humbled, and a selfish little Connecticut girl at the moment. I have done nothing but think negatively and complain about the fact that I have to run today. I don't have to do anything. I GET to, because of people like this.
I don't know anyone serving in the military directly, but I take the remaining seven miles of my run, turn off the tv, shut off my ipod and look at one spot on the wall and think. I think of veterans lost, what those serving may be doing at this moment, what they may be missing now and will miss in the future. I am grateful.
So yes, it sucked running inside all week and it sucked getting out of a warm bed this morning, but I got through it, and even enjoyed the last seven miles or so.
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