Pushing Through

Yesterday's Zumba class was rescheduled. We knew last week there may be a possibility this would happen and it was confirmed on Monday. So what was that going to mean for me. A night in front of the TV with no exercise and nothing accomplished. I knew that's not what I really wanted. In the past, I would have just accepted that fate. When I got home from work, I mentioned to Gary that I wanted to go to the gym since it was too hot to walk outside, did he want to join me? I was trying to use my words probably as I have a tendency to come across in an "all about me" fashion or so I'm told. He said "now" and I replied, well I was checking to see if he wanted to go before or after dinner. From his body language and continued questioning, I knew he didn't want to go period. So, there ya go, I got another "out" from exercising.

Whoa, I'm not finished. What happened next was I told him that he didn't need to go, that I could go by myself and he could have dinner ready when I got home ... oops, did I revert back to telling him what I wanted instead of including him and ASKING him his opinion. I guess I'm a "work in progress" on all fronts. I think he was relieved. He already planned on cooking dinner, so my comment didn't bother him. He was supporting me in doing what I needed to do.

I grabbed my IPOD and was off. The gym was busy. I guess a lot of people stop after work. I positioned myself on a bike and switched on the music to get me through 20 minutes. I pushed the IPOD's button again and nothing. I knew I should have checked to see if it needed charged before I left. Could I do this without the distraction of music or should I just leave now. I said to myself ... okay, I'll try for 5 or 10 minutes. I then started to push myself. I could do this no matter what ... I just kept telling myself to push harder, push harder. A few times during the twenty .... YES TWENTY minutes I went as fast as I could for one minute getting the RPM's up to almost 100 instead of 70 range I normally hit. I told myself surely I could get through 60 seconds at this speed. I'd look away from the timer and guess at what would be 30 seconds and then look and tell myself what's 15 more and then when it got to 50 would count down the last 10 seconds like they do on "Biggest Loser". I got my 20 minutes in and headed to the treadmill. I grabbed a magazine and hoped that it would make the time go faster but for some reason couldn't get interested in anything so it was just walk, look at the timer, walk, adjust some settings, walk, convince myself it was worth it, walk and finally the time was up and at least I had the reward of dinner waiting for me when I got home. I had also burned up a few extra calories. When you've finished exercising, I've heard and read other people say aren't you glad now that it's over, that you did it. Well I was just glad that it WAS OVER. Next time I will have an IPOD that is charged and playing but I know that I'll also continue to push myself.