I know I said I was ready for some football, but cheerleading craziness is truly something to behold. In desperation, I'm trying to keep up with some sort of fitness routine, but it has been a real pain in the neck (in every respect since I have not been able to turn my head to the left for two days now!). Take last week, for example. Monday, there was no cheerleading and, while we debated taking Jojo to taekwon do (something we're trying to keep up with since it has self-protective qualities -- always a good thing for a petite flower to know), but decided to let her chill out for a night. This gave me a chance to go back to the Y! I was thrilled by the idea of getting back in with the DWA Old Guard and trying to get back in the swim (couldn't resist!) while not drowning. Ugh! The classes don't start until 9/12 and I have a commitment that I can't miss. Grrrrr.... So, it was to the treadmill (making a large arch away from the eliptical trainer that nearly took my life back in July) and marching out a few miles. Boring, but enough to work up a froth. I felt good enough about myself after this bit of "me time" that I re-committed to sticking with a fitness routine.
The rest of the week was CONSUMED by cheerleading. I'm not kidding! But I wasn't going to let it interfere with my new commitment to myself. On Tuesday night, the girls are now "training" for two hours at a cheerleading/gymnastics gym located about a 1/2 hour away from home. Since it was like a sauna in the waiting area, I could have sweat off a few inches, but I chose to spare those around me and headed out for a mall walk, since it was raining pretty hard and I wanted to do something to raise my puserate. I remember the Old Guard had recommened mall walking, so I decided to check it out. Well, the mall was pretty deserted on a Tueday evening, so the walking was okay but I don't think I was wearing the right shoes (are there mall walking shoes?) since I wound up with pains in my shins pretty early on. I returned to the gym for the final 45 mintes of practice. Needless to say, when Jojo walked out and saw me sitting there sweating like a fiend and then limping over to help her with her cheer bag, she was a little concerned and a lot embarrassed. "Mom, what's going on? Why are you sweaty and limping? Did you go running?"
It's okay, honey, I'm just trying to get healthy.
Wednesday was another 2 hr. practice in the gym at one of the elementary schools. There was no room for parents to hang out, but I spied a track behind the school and decided to make the most of it. Since it has been raining for about 38 days and 38 nights, I walked the track while imagining the animals walking 2-by-2 along with me. Actually, the light rain made the walking seem almost too easy, so I decided to start the "speedwalking" routine that I saw demonstrated on Veria (a cable station geared toward masochistic, perimenopausal women who are desperate enough to turn to supplements and silly fitness trends like speedwalking, also known as "doing the duck.") With my keister, the duck walk was pretty easy, until the shin pains started again (are there speedwalking shoes?). I must have been a real sight! Anyway, after about 45 minutes, I headed out to run some errands, feeling good enough about my efforts on the track that I must not have noticed the strange looks that I'm sure I was receiving. When I went back to pick Jojo up from practice, she, again, looked at me with distress and said "What happened? You look like a racoon with an afro! Were you crying? Why are you limping?"
It's okay, honey, I'm just trying to get healthy.
At this point, I believe I have ruined her for "healthy living" for the rest of her life!
No comments:
Post a Comment