Strength Training with the TRIgirls

I was out of it for just over 48 hours. By Sunday, I couldn't believe it, but I was desperate to work out again. So I ran a quick (and very difficult, but slow) 2 miles around the loop at Robious and then swam. I had to remind myself that no less than 24 hours earlier I was sick like a dog....I was overdoing it a bit....and I got so hot I had to just take off my swim cap to cool down. I skipped my favorite part of the swim (stretching) to get the first shower and race home so I could see my kids (thanks to daylight savings time) before they fell asleep. They were in bed, but awake and so happy to see me since I'd worked all day. There is nothing like spending a whole day away from the rugrats to make you miss'em like mad.

Monday, I started strength training with the rest of the Eagleman-IMFL TRIgirls.
I knew what we'd be doing. I'd been to the strength training clinics before and seen just enough to know I DID NOT want to do that, I guess that is why it took me so long to sign up.
I also was able to keep from myself the fact that I was the only one in the IMFL-Eagleman Group that was not doing any strength training or weight lifting whatsoever. And I am paying dearly for the delay.
Back to step one....failure. I don't mean failure as a whole or even in its worst negative sense but just as in failure to complete said exercise. Exercises that require you to have balance (which I don't) and strength at the same time. Hmmm, yes, maybe my lack of balance is the reason that I have refused to ever do Yoga except while pregnant (when everyone's balance is off). There were three tasks that I had particular trouble with. Coach B took the time to explain each exercise to me and watched to make sure I was doing it right.
1. Push ups on the ball. Even though they let me cheat and have someone hold the ball for me.
2. "Butt-Ups" as I call them, which basically is like a push up position only your feet are balanced on a ball and then you have to stick your butt straight up in the air and then down again without falling.
3. Sitting squats, (or whatever you call them) where you have a ball behind your back and roll it down until you are in a sitting position with no chair and then go back up again. When you get to no. 10 at the bottom then you lift your dumbell weights up 10 times. I've found that you have to sit in the position longer, the longer you take to do the 10 reps...so Coach Black says I'm flapping like a bird to get them done...before I fall. For some reason I have exceptional knee pain with this one. I try to adjust the weight to my heels more and that helps a bit.
We were supposed to do 3 cycles of these exercises (10-15 reps each) and about 7 others that weren't as difficult, and complete the 3 circuits in an hour. And when I could only do 3 out of the 10 push ups on the ball, a very sweet Coach M said, "Well, it is what it is." That is all he had to say. That is my starting point. And he allowed me to modify the Butt-Ups so that I could at least accomplish a building block, a starting point to build from.

The good news is I know that I can improve with practice. I guess that is the point. And now that I have mastered "Standing in the Saddle" for as much time as any of our coaches require (knock on wood) I needed something new to work on anyway.

And yes, I knew I would be sore, but I have never ever been sore like this in my life -- ever.
I actually tried to slide down the stairs on my butt yesterday morning because I was so sore...but Redfish wouldn't let me. He made me carry him down the stairs -- yet again....but I was groaning the entire time. I even had trouble sleeping last night because I was still sore. And I am thanking the fates for scheduling a mandatory staff meeting for me today...so that I'll have a super-duper excuse to miss most --if not all -- of my strength workout tonight.

And biking after that workout? Don't get me started. I was just praying for it to end. I had planned on going out and taking a break after class, you know some me time...maybe some errands.....but I just couldn't -- I had to come straight home and lie down in bed and go to sleep.