Week 5

Here we are at week 5! Some parts of me feel like I have been working out forever and other parts feel like I just started! I have such a long way to go but have seen such a dramatic difference in the past 5 weeks, which keeps me hopeful that in 10 months I'll reach that 13.1 mile mark (yikes...I'm still having the self-doubt issues!). I mean, this sounds crazy, right?!

I'll have to backtrack again and let you know how these last five weeks played out. After not getting picked for the radio/fitness contest I referred to in my last post, I realized quickly that if I wanted to even remotely get in shape before I started a running program, I would HAVE to get a personal trainer. I've never been a "personal trainer kind of person" before but for 10 years I've been trying to lose weight on my own and that obviously hasn't worked.

The thought of a trainer terrified me. They are in great physical shape, take really good care of their bodies, and the thought of them watching me workout while things shook and produced sweat did not really appeal to me. Plus, they weigh you! Yeah, I know. What's worse?...the weighing part or the part where they take my measurements and have to wrap that skinny little tape around the rolls and cellulite?! Yeesh.

Well, it was now or never I decided. I picked up the phone and called Marethouse Fitness (www.marethouse.com) and set up a consultation. I chose Marethouse because they were the ones that were holding the contest that had been advertised on the radio. Why on earth would you choose to train with the people that did not choose you for the contest, you may be asking. And I don't really know the answer. Yes, I was upset that I didn't win but the fact that they were giving away life transformations to people just to be nice and give back to the community was a good reason to support them, even if I wasn't one of the "chosen few."

After a consultation with Bear Moore (scary name, nice guy!) I felt a little more comfortable but the gym was still a threatening place to me...lots of fit people in spandex all over the place. Before I knew it, I was signed up for 4 weeks of training and I was to start the very next week with Wade Berger.

You'll read in my previous post that I couldn't move my body for the first three weeks of training and I would now say it was well worth it. It felt as if Wade (aka The Bergernator) was torturing me but the fact was I was just SO out of shape that any exercise I would have done would have resulted in the indescribable soreness I felt for three weeks straight. It felt as though it would never go away, and simple tasks like getting off the commode turned into moments of fear and dread. Everything hurt all the time. Until the three week mark. I woke up the next morning after one of our workout sessions, got out of bed, waited for the pain to reveal itself...and it never came! This was my first milestone and needless to say, I felt like I had made a huge accomplishment!

And now here we are the 5 week mark and I feel great! I've lost 6 pounds, a couple of inches here and there and I'm just stronger! Yesterday was the first workout with Wade of our new 4-week session and he has definitely up'd the difficulty levels! The neatest part is knowing I could never have done these things 4 weeks ago and now here I am such a short time later and I'm doing them. Woo hoo! More to come!