Pure Strength

I went to a Step Class. Everyone told me it was going to be hard, I heard a few ‘Good Luck’, and a few snickers. ‘You don't know what you are getting yourself into’. It wasn't that bad, maybe it was a beginner’s class, maybe I am in better shape then I think. But I wasn't panting and huffing hoping for the end. It was fun; I just wish I knew what she meant by "around the world and grape vine left basic right and over". After the class, more people came in the room. Someone mentioned that there was another class. I went over to get my stuff and a lady from the Step class said to me " Oh you are staying too?" I thought about it for a second, why not? I have nowhere to be but home, I am all warmed up and I don’t feel overly tired from the first class. Lets see what happens. I stayed.

The lady, who asked, helped me set up everything I needed. We got a step, and a mat, and little free weights and an elastic resistance band, and then a big weight bar [10 lbs] and put 2.5 lbs on each side. 15 lbs total. I looked at my pile and wondered if maybe I was being a bit to ambitious and I wasn’t ready for this. But at what point can you back out? I stayed. I didn’t have to do everything I thought, I could sit some of the sets out. How bad can it be??

We started with legs. Doing squats, deep bends that we had to hold for a long time, and lunges over the step and… I don’t even remember. I just remember the pain in my thighs. The tight quivering of the muscles already strained past their comfort level. They screamed at me, all the way to my heart, “You are killing us, stand up!! Stand up!!

“ 20 more seconds “

I started to hear the beat of the music pulsating through my head; I wondered if maybe this was a bad idea. I have to work tomorrow. Although I have a desk job, I still don’t want to be too sore to think. I find myself in another one of the - forever and a day - squats. Obviously while I am thinking, I am not stopping. I follow the directions with the rest of the class. Lifting and pressing and holding and pulsing.

“ OK good job!” she says.

I am proud of myself. I made it through the first bit. We start on another set of exercises including chest presses, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Oh and rowing, so backs.
I continue to be like a little robot, doing it as she counts, wondering how mental I am and if I will even make it to 27 yrs old. I do three full sets and as she is explaining the next run of exercises, I back out and put my stuff away.

Its 8 pm. I have been going hard since 5:45 pm. long enough. I feel a little knot under the back of my leg. I hobble to the hot tub; sure that it’s the first sign of death. Only 2 days until I’m 27, such a shame they would say…

As I sit in the hot tub stretching and relaxing. I think to myself…..

Get a grip, its only aerobics.