I wrote the following about a month and a half ago.
A common basketball drill is "suicides" which is sprinting from baseline to free throw and back, to half court and bad, to the far free throw and back, and finally to the far baseline and back. During high school, I had a volleyball coach that put a little twist on this drill. Added to the mix would be a short span of 2x4, wrapped in a towel. Laid flat, grasped with two hands, we would have to push up and down the court using the basketball baseline and the 10' lines on the volleyball court. Luckily there weren't enough space or 2x4s to go around, so while 4 of your teammates were on the court, you would be doing wall squats. Oh, and you'd do this for a couple of rounds. When done, your legs would be shaky-shaky like the Scarecrow trying to walk for the first time. This is how I feel having gone to Body Pump at the Downtown YMCA tonight.
Since moving here a year and half ago, K has been trying to get me to join the YMCA Downtown. I agreed that I would, once they moved the office which I work into our downtown location. This was supposed to be in the near future, but it seems that the future is always near, but never here. The latest party line is either the end of 2008 or the end of 2010. It seems when left to my own devices, more often than not I find an excuse to not go to the gym at my current office ("ugh, I just want to go home"), or just sink my bum in the couch indentation ("aaahhhh, cushy").
Pretty sure making it down the stairs come morning will be my first challenge of tomorrow.
Obviously I didn't post the above until now. You see, by the time morning came, my muscles had staged a revolt. I literally had to roll out of bed which was no easy task. And you try shampooing with arms that hurt even when hanging at your side. My long stride was transformed into hobbling and I will spare you the diatribe of profanities that ran through my thoughts as I climbed and descended the stairs at work. While I did some stretching the following days and tried to walk a bit after work to loosen up, it took a good week for me to recover and even longer to return to the class, but tonight I did just that after officially joining the Y on Saturday. Having learned my lesson I took it a little bit slower and lighter tonight, but I hope with time I'll build up my strength and endurance and with it, lose the weight I've been carrying way too long.
Ooooh, good for you (on all kinds of levels!). I just started going to this personal training studio. Just last night we did 3 sets of suicides with 30 jumping jacks in-between. It was killer. They also have the 2x4 thing, only they call it the Q-Tip because it has towels wrapped around either end. I'm dreading the day I have to use it!
