Actually, that's not true. An even better time is probably tomorrow, or next week, or on the weekend. This, in a nutshell, is why I have to start thinking about a September event in April. It's not just training and fitness, its also endurance. The only way I know to start to build up endurance is to start now.
I'm not an out of the closet procrastinator, oh no. I'm firmly in the closet, sitting in here, hunkered right down. I'm thinking about getting out of here and doing something else, though. Soon. Right after I finish this great book I found while I was looking around in here. If I'm half way through a chapter, not finishing the chapter before putting the book down is like half-finishing a... Hey, is that the wool I was looking for? Are my knitting needles in here too? Down the rabbit hole I go. Alice has nothing on me. I even Googled to see who I could attribute the opening quote to... and made it back about 20 minutes later. Without the reference. With hobbies like reading and writing and knitting, and days at work sitting on my butt with a computer, I really need to get up and go outside and play! There are so many things that I'd like to do, and never enough time to do them all.
This is why I signed up for a 4-week core workout class. Plus an added bonus - the instructor has SUP experience and knows all about the value of core strength to paddlers. It was a small group for the first workout last Saturday, but we got our moneys worth. I was a puddle of sweat after the 20-minute warm-up. I thought it was 30 minutes but apparently the clock was fast... it felt like 30. Some great exercises though, most I'd never tried before. To be honest, without someone telling me how its done and then watching to make sure I'm following through properly, I'm not sure I would have tried them. There were no situps and no crunches (I KNOW!), but we did do a whole bunch of these crab-type movements where we're on hands and knees, but knees don't actually touch the floor... for a very long time... yeah. Apparently. Core stuff. We paused for hydration and continued on.
The circuit was next. Three exercise stations for upper body, three for lower. At each station, one minute for working on one side, then switch and one minute for the other side. Then 30 seconds to switch to the next station, through all six stations. Then - did I mention the clock was fast? We had to do it all AGAIN. I was sure our time was up. We did have a hydration break first, but this time, it was almost as though we should actually remember how to do each of them.
Of course, any instructor worth his salt also has a bit of cheerleader in him and Trey is no exception. He encouraged us as if he really cared (actually I'm sure he does), and I didn't even notice him laughing at my poorly balanced - loosely performed - medicine ball lifts- from one side- low lift- to other side- high- cross over body - while standing on one foot- knees knocking- elbows shaking- shoulders trembling. Now that one I do remember from basketball practice in high school, only it was with a basketball not a medicine ball. (I think the medicine ball is mis-named, by the way.) I'm hoping this week I'll be able to do more than three in a minute.
In any case it was a great start and made my long run on Sunday seem easy-peasy in comparison. I'm actually looking forward to the next one, although I wish I had written myself some better instructions so I could practice more. But I am getting out there. I'll soon be at the point where I take my dog for an after-work run and then drop him off at home while I go for another lap.
C'mon outside and play - race you to the canoe! Good thing I'm not paddling yet, my arms are too sore!
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