Weekend Warrior - long

Yes, that's right. I am a warrior.

Well, I prefer warrior princess, but regardless.

I conqured what I anticipated to be a horrible weekend of exercise. I was SO not into it on Friday. Not looking forward to one little iota. But it all changed.

Saturday morning I went to "Iron (Wo)Man" at Tuff Girl. You may remember this was the format I cried at the last time I did it. It's very different than the Tabata style work-your-hardest-for-40-seconds-and-rest-for-20-seconds workout. It's all about the reps. I'll give you an example.

The strength section was Romanian DeadLifts (65lbs), Exploding shoulder presses (25lbs), and Goblet squats (35lbs). In total, we did 44 of each, in a step-ladder format. This needed to be accomplished in 10 minutes. Then you move on to cardio.
Cardio was 25 each of Jam Ball Slams(20lb), ball climbers (mountain climbers with your hands on the medicine ball instead of the floor) and half-burpees. 25 of each - repeated 3 times, for a total of 75. THEN, you move on to TRX. Do it in 10 minutes
TRX was 25 each of Y-Flies (or rows), pushups, and bridges. Repeat twice for a total of 50 each. Do it in 10 minutes.

It. was. ridiculous.

I fell a little short on my reps. In stregnth, I was about 10  goblet squat reps shy of the end. In cardio, I completed 2 of the 3 rounds, and I finished the TRX just after the timer.

I don't care. At least I didn't cry!

I was already hurting later on Saturday. I took an Epsome Salt bath (super hot) that night, and I could tell it helped, because I was able to get up out of bed the next morning without wanting to die. This is a very good thing, because I had a 5K to run.

My friend and I signed up to do this 5K "Run for the Music"to benefit The New Haven Symphony Orchestra. I was not excited about it, because, although I have been working out, I have NOT been running. So, I just got it into my head that there would not be a PR, and I would just do what I could do.

Well, we started off great. However, my friend started having an asthma attack in the first mile! We walked around the course to get her to the paramedics, (who gave her albuterol and she felt better). I asked her if she wanted me to stay with her. I was hoping she would tell me to go, because I was NOT about to have a DFN. She told me to go, so I took off. It had taken us about 15 mins in that first mile, so I had a lot of ground to cover. I felt good about my pace, and careful to watch where the course was going... and then I saw it... the big hill. It was a very long, slow hill. I just kept saying "it has to end soon!"... well, not soon enough. I ended up walking up about half of it. But then I got to run down it! So that was cool!

All through the race I had noticed this woman in front of my. She was a slower runner, like me. She was always within a block ahead. Well, with about .75 to go, I decided I wanted to beat her. So, I dug down picked up my pace. Soon enough I was going past her. I ran a little more and had to walk for a moment. I could see the finish line ahead. As I walked for a moment, Ms. Number 10 came up next to me. She looked at me and smiled - "We are almost there!" I smiled and started running again. We crossed the finish line together.

So, no, I did NOT have a PR. I ended at 40:36. I am not dissapointed. I am just proud I did it, and really proud I finished it.

I am suffering today, even after another Epsome Salt bath last night. I don't care. I am a f*cking rock-star.
Ate a few too many not-on-the-menu things yesterday, so I am back to ultra clean today. Phasing out the artificial sweetener. Never thought I would see the day. I'm trying it for a week. You can do anything for a week, right?

That's all I have for now. Exam tonight - the semester is SO close to being over. I can't wait!