In an effort to allow my persistent running injuries to heal but not abandon training altogether, I've taken on a couple of new endeavors. The one most outside of my comfort zone is Tampa CrossBoot. This is a type of training that, to quote the website, "embodies the camaraderie and team effort of fitness bootcamps and the strength and conditioning concepts of CrossFit." But since that doesn't tell you much if you're already unfamiliar with those two types of training, here are some highlights from my first class:
The second new thing I'm doing is strength training at the gym. I was given a membership to the USF rec center by a coworker who decided she wasn't going to use it for herself but didn't want it to go to waste. Around the same time, a running friend, who actually works for the rec center, was getting back into a strength-training routing after some time off. She invited me to join her twice a week in the morning before work. As I'm prone to overdoing things, I decided that the first time I'd meet with her would be the morning after my first night of CrossBoot. I figured that I wouldn't feel the pain of the previous night's workout quite yet, so my body wouldn't know to hold back (I found out soon enough who won that little game). My friend had a program printed out from her previous trainer, so all we had to do was follow that. We did a cardio warmup, bench presses, assisted pull-ups, overhead squats, lunges, pushups, some horizontal under-the-bar pull-up that I hated, and possibly a couple other things I can't remember. I got to know my way around the gym and learn a lot of the equipment--something I was always afraid to do on my own. My performance was pretty weak, as my body felt tired from the night before and I just wasn't very strong. (To give you an example, I needed my body weight plus 50 lbs. of assistance to do a pull-up. So imagine someone 50 lbs. heavier than me lifting me. Really difficult, huh?) The (only) good thing about starting out with little ability is that I can only get better. I went back twice the next week, and I've even gone back by myself while my friend has been out of town during the holiday break. I can't say I stuck to the same program, but I did do some exploring.
It's fun to do new things. I'm still running a few times per week, but I'm not pushing speed too much, and I'm not doing more than eight miles. I'm also trying to keep yoga in my weekly training, ideally twice per week, but I'm not necessarily looking for the power or strength-based yoga classes like I previously did. I like the milder, more centering classes right now.
It's been easy to fit all of this into my schedule the past couple of weeks, as I've hardly had to go into work due to the holidays. The real challenge will be incorporating it into my daily schedule when I go back to real life next week.
- I forgot how to jump rope. I paid for this memory lapse with 20 burpees (the penalty for each mess-up was 5 burpees. You do the math). I've since bought a jumprope so I can practice.
- Mountain-climbers are not meant for Floridians.
- I kind of liked getting dirty. All of our exercises were done outside at a local park. It felt good to not fear the dirt.
- I couldn't do everything (or all reps), and that was okay. People really did work at their own pace, but that was no excuse to slack. I still wanted to do my best, even when I was falling apart.
- I hate burpees. I must have done 100 that night (although, as the night went on, my form faltered, and applying the term "burpee" to what I was doing became questionable). I really hope they'll grow on me.
- The regulars at the class were super intimidating but super nice. They would often encourage my friend and me, who were obvious newbies. That kindness almost made me want to cry. That and the burpees.
- I couldn't walk normally for a week. A whole week.
- I felt stronger for just going.
I've returned to the class once so far (after my thighs finally stopped aching), and I prepaid for 10 more classes. I knew that was the only way to make myself keep going. This is my commitment to myself to have less fear and to not limit myself physically or mentally.
The second new thing I'm doing is strength training at the gym. I was given a membership to the USF rec center by a coworker who decided she wasn't going to use it for herself but didn't want it to go to waste. Around the same time, a running friend, who actually works for the rec center, was getting back into a strength-training routing after some time off. She invited me to join her twice a week in the morning before work. As I'm prone to overdoing things, I decided that the first time I'd meet with her would be the morning after my first night of CrossBoot. I figured that I wouldn't feel the pain of the previous night's workout quite yet, so my body wouldn't know to hold back (I found out soon enough who won that little game). My friend had a program printed out from her previous trainer, so all we had to do was follow that. We did a cardio warmup, bench presses, assisted pull-ups, overhead squats, lunges, pushups, some horizontal under-the-bar pull-up that I hated, and possibly a couple other things I can't remember. I got to know my way around the gym and learn a lot of the equipment--something I was always afraid to do on my own. My performance was pretty weak, as my body felt tired from the night before and I just wasn't very strong. (To give you an example, I needed my body weight plus 50 lbs. of assistance to do a pull-up. So imagine someone 50 lbs. heavier than me lifting me. Really difficult, huh?) The (only) good thing about starting out with little ability is that I can only get better. I went back twice the next week, and I've even gone back by myself while my friend has been out of town during the holiday break. I can't say I stuck to the same program, but I did do some exploring.
It's fun to do new things. I'm still running a few times per week, but I'm not pushing speed too much, and I'm not doing more than eight miles. I'm also trying to keep yoga in my weekly training, ideally twice per week, but I'm not necessarily looking for the power or strength-based yoga classes like I previously did. I like the milder, more centering classes right now.
It's been easy to fit all of this into my schedule the past couple of weeks, as I've hardly had to go into work due to the holidays. The real challenge will be incorporating it into my daily schedule when I go back to real life next week.
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