(wo)Man down!

Posted: January 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm | Tags: backsliding, fitness, running

As I’m typing this, I think my heart rate has still not completely gone back to normal. Today, I started back on my running tip. Now, yeah, I’m a runner and have been doing it more on than off for the last 10 years or so. But every once in awhile I take a break from it, and I ALWAYS regret that break. I haven’t run since it got colder…I prefer running outside as opposed to on a treadmill (once you run outside, you immediately see how the treadmill is almost like fooling yourself). Add to that the fact that I didn’t do any type of cardio Jan 1st-21st because of the fast, and you get one sucky runner! So I’m about 5-6 weeks out of running.

Today, my happy butt gets up and decides not only is today the day that I get back on my stuff, but instead of a nice leisurely jog, I’m gonna run this nasty 45-degree hill behind my apartment 5 times with active rest (something calisthenic). Sounds relatively easy right? Ok, well for me, it sounded doable. I DID do it, but uhhhh……

My apartment’s at the top of the hill, so I walked to the bottom, did 15 push-ups then did a quick jog to the top. Ok, ok, not so bad! I was a little winded, but perfectly fine. Walked back down, did 15 tricep dips. Then some cars came by. “Aw, shoot, lemme show ‘em something.” Got my Jackie Joyner on and sprinted full speed to the top. Ok, that one kinda hurt a little. Walked down, 15 more push-ups, sprinted halfway and my legs started turning noodle-esque. The sprint was downgraded to a jog. I started talking to myself. “Ok, man, you’re over half done. This aint nothing! You’re a runner. A warrior even!!!” (lol…yes I’m the type to talk myself through pain.)

The walk down the hill was slower than before. I got to the bottom and it looked like the hill grew in length about 100 meters. The thought that maybe I was pushing myself too hard on the 1st day in 5-6 weeks occured, but Masochistic Mylah screamed, “Don’t be no punk!!! You better do this!” (there were some cuss words thrown in for good measure, of course) I got to the top of the 4th go-round, panting and with my chest burning. I was almost done so if I threw up now, it’d be okay . Walked down, did my dips, took a 60 second breather, and went ALL OUT on the last sprint.

Maaaaaine, when I got to the top of that hill, a chick was seeing stars, the pavement was rippling under my feet like ocean waves, and my chest felt like I’d just eaten 20 jalapenos. I basically fell in my door and promptly to the floor trying to catch my breath. (It took me about 15 minutes to do so.) I still aint even got my butt in the shower (lol) because I would have hated for my maintenance people to have to find me butt-naked in the shower, passed out from a mini-heart attack or exhaustion.

Moral of the story- if you’re athletic, don’t let too much time pass betwen your workouts! Starting at 1 is a terrible, terrible thing, because if you’re anything like me, your ego (perhaps my masochism) will kick in and you’re gonna kill yourself to get back to where you were. If you don’t work out, get your lazy a** in gear!!! There’s nothing sexy about getting winded easily. Plus, don’t we all wanna be healthy? Haha…that was my way of softening up that previous statement. Until I’m pregnant, I’m making a vow today to never again get off this running/cardio habit.