Change of plan

Monday:

After complaining last night about having to get up so early for my new plan of going to the gym before everyone else got up, Tim came up with a novel suggestion. If I got up an hour early (instead of nearly two hours early for the gym) I could do some work then, and then go to the gym at my usual time of 9.30 after getting the kids squared away. The primary benefit would of course be that I don't have to get up so early, with a knock-on effect of not having to go to bed so early, but with a secondary benefit of having a break in my working day -- important for my RSI. The only down side is that there is more intense cardio at 6.15 than at 9.30.

After a very disrupted night (my shoulder was very sore after all the driving and sleeping on a narrow futon on the weekend, and also Aiden woke 2 or 3 times), I was lying awake anyway so it wasn't too hard to get out of bed early. I only ended up getting half an hour work done but I will get up a little earlier tomorrow; and it worked out well.

BodyPump was kind of weird today, not from any change on the gym's side. I was zoned out for most of it, I guess from tiredness. When lying down doing the bench presses I felt practically asleep, despite the fact I was still lifting the bar up and down as per shouted instructions. My brain was tired, but it seems my body wasn't -- it had been a week since my last Pump class and squats had been getting really hard but today they were almost easy. I have noticed before that I do better after a short break. But the biggest astonishment was when I realised that I had got through the entire lunge track without a break! This is the first time ever. Even if it was an easier track today or something, usually I have lots of breaks -- maybe up to eight rest stops in that one track. Today I was bobbing up and down like a robot, in some pain but no more than when exercising other muscles, and then the track was over! Maybe shutting the brain off actually helps. I think my technique is getting better too.

I planned today's food last night and stuck to it and I feel good about that. It helps that we bought a tray each of mangos and nectarines from a roadside stall on the way home yesterday, so I had snacks that were tasty and nutritious. I am feeling more hopeful and better about myself today. I need to learn not to pin all my self-worth on how my diet/exercise is going, but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

photo by Tatters:)