8:30am … my FIRST day of retirement and I’m back at the gym! Weird, I think in the nearly four years I’ve been at Massey I’m lucky if I made it to work on time for more than five days, yet here I am sitting in the CAR plucking up courage to walk in the gym.
My first success story is I’ve LEARNT to wait for the door to click after I’ve swiped my card instead of getting STRESSED because I’m trying to open the door and it just doesn’t open. So feeling like I’ve accomplished great things I head through the door. It seems there’s been something of a MIRACLE since my last visit, I appear to have frightened off all the 17 year old rugby players and there’s like me, my personal trainer (hehehe sorry can’t believe I’m cool enough to have one of these) and about two other people. One chaps turns out to be REALLY nice cause he gave me the thumbs up when he noticed I was obviously dying during part of it (personal trainer didn’t notice this … had to keep going on those step up things).
FIRST up was the boxing gloves again, gutted my KIDS can’t see how cool I am. The best news today about the boxing gloves was that it matched my top EXACTLY – finally feel like I’m getting the top dramas sorted, just need to find one in the same colour but perhaps a bit more TENT shaped. After this is was onto some other stuff which no doubt have PROPER names, but that’s all a bit beyond me. Only trouble is that Roger (the personal trainer) and I have a difference of opinion on what is easy and what is hard – he’s having some difficulty in believing me when I say something is hard work … maybe I should say it in TEARS instead of smiling and that might help.
Am mighty pleased none of those 17 year old rugby players are there watching while I try and coordinate lifting these dumbbells (if that’s what they’re called) that are in each hand with SOME sort of pattern.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned the MIRRORS … isn’t it just fantastic that there’s windows along one side of the gym and mirrors along all the other walls … seriously WHO designed it like that, just a guess but I’m thinking it was a MALE. Anyway Roger (who I’m thinking isn’t quite as sweet as I thought at the start of this session) says look in the mirror and make sure you back is straight … there are TWO issues here – FIRSTLY normally I go to great lengths to avoid mirrors, SECONDLY my glasses are so fogged up from sweating too much I can’t actually see anything in the mirrors. The men didn’t think about THAT in the design process did they.
Anyway, after these lovely activities, and I mean that – for the MOST part they were okay, we head for the step up exercise thing. I’ve only been to the gym three times and I have developed a SERIOUS dislike (understatement). I suspect this exercise was designed by a man as well … a very TALL man. I have little legs, the step is about 6 metres high (well it feels like that) … and really it’s just not much FUN.
I kinda like the treadmill (am nervous about saying LIKE, because didn’t think I would actually LIKE anything at the gym), it’s not quite as much fun when Roger decides it’s time to walk up hill, or walk a little faster (seriously not funny).
SO that’s my gym session over for the day, funnily enough I can still BREATHE and I even managed to drink my water in-between gasping for breath. I’ve been pondering on what is the hardest part of this process for me and other than actually WALKING in the door, it’s me worrying about what other people are thinking as they watch me make a complete fool of myself, I even think the trainer is thinking OMG (that’s goodness remember all you who are worried about my spirituality) who does she think she is. Now, fact is, I’m learning to not worry about what others think – now come on, we have probably all said we don’t care what others think BUT, I suspect sometimes we actually go. HOWEVER, the main point here is that I’m doing this because I want (and NEED) to make a change and I believe that by doing this and taking these steps I’m going to feel better & I’ll be able to be of more use in my new career, to the community and to those around me. So … despite the fact this is (for me) a completely mental thing to do … I’m not giving up and I will achieve my goals.
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