Wasting Away

It has been all of 2 days since I ran my second (and last) half of the Spring. Being that I'm an over-achiever by nature, I went to the gym yesterday morning to get in a "shake-out" workout. Aka 15 minutes on the TreadClimber--if you've never heard of this, it sort of mimics hiking but taps out at 4.0mph--moderate back & bis, and a good amount of ab work. I tried ending the workout with a set of pull-ups and only managed to eek out two. Unbeknownst to me, the only other early bird gym-goer watched me fail miserably and lent me his set of bands to do band-assisted pull-ups. That turned into a long, but welcoming, conversation about fitness competitions, powerlifting competitions, and all the hoo-hah that goes with it. Charlottesville is a small community for fitness athletes (I use this term hesitantly because I have yet to consider myself successful at it), so it's always nice to gain more perspective.

Anyway, back on tangent... That evening, my scheduled flag football game turned into an automatic win with the forfeiture of the other team due to not enough male players--when does that happen?! So I peaced out in hopes of heading to Riverview Park to run the 4 miles of trails there. Two out and two back. Umm, about that. Take notice of the phrase "in hopes of." I drove to the park, about a mile from my house. I parked. I got all geared up and situated. I even wore the new running shoes I gifted myself with. If I've learned anything from Parks & Rec, it's "Treat Yo'self." Alas:

Brooks PureDrift. 4mm heel drop with removable insoles (they have a built in sock liner) for a 0mm heel drop. Oh, you want a closer look?

Yes, I'm aware of how brilliant they are. Color and quality.

So naturally, I intended to take them for that 4 mile test run. I think I got maybe 4 METERS in before I became highly aware of the pain in my knees. I didn't want to look like a loser and turn around that early--seriously, I had run all of 30 seconds max--so I finished a mile loop and hightailed it to my car. No need to injure myself over a recovery run.

I frantically checked in with my trainer to see what to do about today's workout and was welcomed with a response to skip it and instead focus on rehydrating. But the damage was done, I was in poor spirits. Rest days? I don't do rest days. And if I do, I do them reluctantly.

Don't get me wrong, I was super excited to sleep in an additional 55 minutes this morning, but I don't like sitting idle. So I filled my extra time this morning like any sane person would--posing in 5" lucite heels in front of the mirror in old swim shorts and a race tee.

I really just needed encouragement and proof that my hard work is paying off. I was/am most worried about my lower body but I think it's evident that it's not as much of an issue as I thought. Looking at this now, I'd say I really need to lean out in my mid-section, but it doesn't appear that way as much in person. Pictures tell all though, don't they?

Even though I'm trying to get more active in the fitness community, I'm still hesitant to post photos like these on Instagram and even on my blog. But if I'm going to be up on stage in front of who knows how many people, and each and every person will be comparing me to my competition, I have to get used to it. So I went out on a limb and posted this on Instagram and was welcomed with some excellent feedback. It even prompted an old friend to reach out, and it was one of the most gracious compliments I've received lately.

So now I know that I'm on the right track, even if I am anxious about not working out today. I'm not letting anything get in the way this time. Oh yeah, and did I mention that I officially registered for my competition??

Mark your calendars, ladies and gents. It's going down on June 29th! If you're in the Virginia Beach/Tidewater area, I would love the support! And if you feel like making a glittery "Go Red!" poster, I won't mind in the least!