Of Beasting the Wall

Well ... let's just say I'm a bit behind on posting. As in - about a month behind. So let me just condense it all for you:

school-travel-eat-eat-eat-stress-school-work-school-forms-ughIreallyhatefillingoutforms-exams

But now that's done. So the highlights of the last month:

So, get this, I was sitting in the music school after a lesson (and a very hard day in general, I might add), looking like a yeti in my giant winter coat and my makeup all screwed up and my hair that was probably washed in the last century. And this lady comes up and starts asking me how tall I am (5'11'' on a good day, I say) and how my face is pretty (where are your eyes, lady?) and gives me her card so that I can come in to her modeling agency. Never thought this would happen to me, LOL. Now, of course it would be for plus-size modeling she says, and in my head, I'm all - lady, I am very firmly a size 8, no size 12+ for me. But I gotta say, that definitely gave me a nice confidence boost for the rest of the day. I may have sauntered a bit walking down the street.
 
And well since my fancy schmancy gym membership was running out at the end of March, I decided to saunter on over to take advantage of the nice hot steamy showers and delicious smelling bodywash one last time. (What, you thought I go there to work out? Nuhuh. When you have as terrible water pressure as I do at home, you will know what I'm talking about). So I was sitting there the last day on my favorite spin-bike with my good buddy Lars:

I love me a blond man in a spandex suit. But I digress ... I was sitting there and staring at the climbing wall. The one that I had never tried (because first there were no trainers on the floor to hook me up, and then it was busy, and then I was busy, and then one day when I finally manned up and decided to do it, it was the day they decided to clean the wall and replace all the little rock-stick-outy bits that you climb on ... man, I have the BEST luck ever). But in any case, I wasn't going to let the wall beat me this time.

I managed to rope some poor unsuspecting trainer on her way home and got her to harness me in (and boy, wasn't it just the funnest to be squeezing yourself into one in front of all the hunky weight-lifting guys), and got at it.

Let's just say, the results weren't what I expected.

Now, that's not to say I expected to beast up this wall, because let's face it, I have ZERO upper body strength and a tall girl like me has a lot of body to haul up that wall. But it was kind of ridiculous that I could only manage to get up 1/3 of the way up and then I just got stuck. As in, there was nowhere for me to put my giant-ass size 10 feet on those teensy foothold rocks.

Also, I had a very attractive guy 'spotting' me or something ... but that just meant that my weakass attempts had an audience. I of course took the time to chat with him extra-long between rounds, because ... well in large part because after 1 time up the wall, I realized I really didn't think I could make it up another time. So the long interludes were necessary for my shoulder and forearms to regain some semblance of normality.

And after 3 times up (1/3 of the wall ... so technically, it's almost like I did the whole wall once, right?), I called it a day. And then I couldn't lift my arms to put on my shirt, or talk on the phone, or get food for the rest of the week.

Back to Exercise

Running and me? Not so much in love right about now. Last week, I felt like I had sprained my toe and so I only last 2km on the treadmill before I called it a day. I guess my motivation’s just been lacking. And then it was too cold, or too windy, or I was too busy. (Yes, I am perfectly aware that I'm the Queen of Excuses).

So to spice it up, I finally cashed in my Teambuy coupon at my new fancy gym. I looooooooove my new fancy gym. It's in a refurbished theater, so there's tiers and the ceilings are HUGE (which is important for me. Don't want to be hitting the ceiling with my 5'11'' head, do I?).

Super blurry because while I can sneak in iPod camera photos, bringing my actual camera seems just a TAD too douchey ... I'll get there eventually though.

So first day, I hit up the spin bike and my favorite buddy, Lars.

No, I don't think his name is actually Lars, but he's tall and blond and looks like a Lars. Plus I like calling exercise people by name. And I talk to the screen. Thank god this gym is usually empty during the day, so people don't think I'm TOO weird ...

And then last Monday, to spice things up, I hit up a group exercise class. It's something I used to do all the time back in Vancouver, but have abandoned here in Montreal. But I've been low on motivation, and it's a lot easier to push yourself when you have a crazy instructor who turns up the music to 160BPM (which by the way makes ALL the music sound like it's being sung by chipmunks ... Madonna? Diva chipmunk. Ke$ha? Trashy chipmunk). Oh and then has you prance around like a crazy person for an hour.

The class was aptly calledSweatshop.
(Now I didn’t quite reach my capacity for sweating, BUT …)



I would say that all in all we did about 35 minutes of aerobics.
Except.
On steroids.
Imagine your regular step class …
Except the guy cranks up the music (and it's fricking fast!) …
And instead of a step, you get a BOSU.



Lots of running around and looking like an angry gorilla with the side squats (or was it just me?). Oh, and the best of the best:
Burpees.
On a BOSU.
On one leg.
Fuuuuuunsies.



Can I just say - even though my quads are fine from the squats and the lunges, my BUTT and my HAMMIES … OMG. Want to die. It feels like somebody is painfully squeezing them every time I move (umm, yea, that would be the poor underused muscles).

Anyways, crazy crazy times, and I’ve realized I luuuuurve group fitness and I’m going back next week. And to combat the soreness, I also hit up a morning hot yoga class on Wednesday, which I hated at the time (I was starving and didn't even sweat ... who doesn't sweat in hot yoga?!!) but I think helped the massive DOMS in my hamstrings. I think I'll stick to Friday evening hot yoga for now though because:

•  you get a legit instructor (who may be quite attractive ... :) instead of a 'new' teacher (I'm cheap, and the new instructor classes are only 5$)
• gives me something to do on a Friday night

Re: no. 2 - yes, I am lame and like hot yoga-ing and then going to bed at 10pm on Friday nights. Sue me (by sending court documents to 'Old Grandma, Montreal, Canada').