Train Hard - Stay Humble

Gym time (welcome home)

August 7

Thursday, gym day, into August already..... I'll be back in two weeks or so....

I didn't really do much over my vacation, so I was looking forward to having my butt kicked. Rickroll and I were at the mercy of Cliff and Kerris this time. Ten burpies to start, then Kerris led us in something new.
"Jog in place. High knees right now let's go. Good. No, higher. Alright, now on my count, when I say, 'ONE' you guys are gonna drop to the ground and do one push up then swing your legs through and do one sit up. Then back up to high knees. Then when I yell 'TWO' you're gonna drop down and do two push ups, two sit ups and back up, and so on and so forth on my count. You got that?" I hoped 'so on and so forth' was code for 10.

Honestly I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but on number 8 I thought to myself, 'Wow I think I'm actually gonna make it.' I'd been giving myself the 'females have less upper body so this isn't a work out designed for me I'll probably clock out early that's normal' speech inside my head, when I realized that was bullshit and I was keeping up with Rick pretty damn well; I was even faster than him a few times. I realized the push ups I could handle as long as I did them quickly (though I admit during the last 10 I was no longer going down quite all the way), then I'd swing my legs around into the sit up and relax. Well not relax, but I wouldn't worry. Sit ups are like a comfort exercise to me; my abs have always been ahead of the rest of my body in fitness.

I was awfully pleased to have completed Kerris's little work out, but it left me wiped for a few minutes. My body had just accomplished more than I thought it could, gone 110% in my eyes, yet I needed to drink water and psych myself out for whatever was next.

Cliff's turn: variety of burpies. I recognized all of them from a few weeks ago. We did 5 on each side of the ones where you swing your leg up to the side and press your feet against the wall, also 10 of the ones where you kick your legs up behind you (bronco), and then 10 alternating push ups on a slight elevation of one side. 'Jeez all the push ups tonight,' I thought, marveling at the fact my arms were still taking it. I could already feel they were weary. Kerris's exercise had been a shock to them.

We then went on to do squat jump pull ups (squat, jump, pull up) and hanging on the bar to use the legs to work the abs. I got frustrated in those sets because my arms weren't there any more, they kept giving out, though the rest of my body had energy to burn. Cliff instead did leg throws with me, which worked well.

I can't remember all the exercises we did, but I was exhausted. Cliff grabbed the ball to play fetch and I couldn't go more than 8 times. I was annoyed at myself because I was sure I was especially worn because I'd gotten very little sleep the night before. My body hadn't been cared for right. At least not for this. And that made for TWO gym nights in a row I didn't have the energy to play ball.

I think fetch is one of the very few games where one actually does parkour in it. You're overcoming obstacles as quickly as you can to catch something. It's a chase. And it's always different. The rubber ball never bounces the same way twice, and I have to be thinking on my feet, often needing to change direction midair. Cliff was gonna have us alternate five throws each (which I liked cause it allowed for rest time. And I'd get to see how Rick would go about catching the ball), but Rick didn't want to do it. I was disappointed because I think the game has some definite benefits in coordination and judgement and includes a lot of the ability many people shun in their training: running. You actually get to do dynamic speed-driven parkour, but I guess it'll take some convincing. Anyway I look forward to eventually playing it outside with concrete, metal, and grass.

After the session we hung outside and talked pk history, philosophy, and politics, a conversation I always find interesting. Seems like it's simple things people screw up most.