- This level doesn't only increase the intensity, but it increases the strain on the knees. I do not have knee problems, but those who do should be cautious and, perhaps, follow Anita.
- The shoulders are blasted during this workout or at least that is where I feel it most. Several moves are done in plank position and this always makes me feel more anxious because no muscle can hide.
- I am only using 5 lb and 3 lb weights throughout this workout because that is all that I can handle. I was using up to 8 lbs for some of the moves in level 1, but I don't see that happening over the next 8 days. Who knows?
- I wish the abs section was longer. Either she takes it easy on the abs during this level or my ab muscles are that much stronger having gone through level 1.
Well, I've made it to JM 30-Day shred level 2! Today is day 12 and my second day of doing Level 2. I'll come back with a more detailed description of what this level's workout looks like, but I do have a couple of observations to share with you right now.
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Week 5 was frustrating! There's no other way to say it. Jake, my instructor, decided that we had all of the tools that we needed and that it was time to put it all together. He'd taught us how to float, kick, move our arms, and breathe. The only thing left was to put it all together and actually swim. He dove in, looking like Michael Phelps, to show us what it looked like, but it was difficult to imagine doing it myself. I wasn't afraid to try though. I had several attempts where I did not breathe at all, several where I took in a mouth full of water, and several where my timing was completely off and I had to abandon the attempt altogether. The only thing that Jake could say was that it takes time and practice. There was no magic to it. He seemed convinced that we would get it and was very encouraging, but I was frustrated. Why couldn't I do it? He was supposed to say something that would make me get it, right? I, for the first time in awhile, felt like my students feel. We spent the past week learning how to factor polynomials in my Algebra 1 class. Several of my students were very frustrated and I couldn't give them anything more to help make the process easier. It just gets easier with practice. They could watch me factor 20 polynomials and it would not get easier until they dug in, got dirty, struggled, and had a breakthrough. And then I realized that is what it's going to be like with swimming. I can watch Jake swim 20 laps, but it's not going to get easier for me until I dig in, get dirty, get tired, struggle, and have a breakthrough. Dare I even say that I need to practice outside of swim class...on my own?! My students look at me like I'm crazy when I suggest they practice on their own, in their spare time; do something more beyond just completing their homework. I get it! I do. And I'm not going to let one frustrating lesson deter me. Anything that I've ever learned in life came once I got more comfortable being uncomfortable and this isn't any different. I'm looking forward to my breakthrough. In the meantime, I'm off to see what pools in my area have open swim this weekend. “To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” So I wasn't feeling well when I left work yesterday. I had tons on my mind and work is stressing me out just a bit so I went home to take a nap before my class. When I woke up at 6:30pm, I felt sick to my stomach. Yep, I was nervous. I have no idea why, but I was actually scared. I took some deep breaths, tried to calm myself, and got dressed. While driving, I actually went the wrong way. I have been to this place a million times, but my heart was racing and my brain wasn't computing properly. I arrived on time, though, to find that I was the only one registered. The desk attendant did say that sometimes people show up on the day that class begins. I waited in the locker room for about 5 minutes to try and calm my nerves while the kid swim lessons were concluding then headed out to the pool. I looked around anxiously trying to determine which YMCA instructor was going to have to deal with me and my nerves within the next few minutes. Turns out, another mom walked in equally as nervous and we met our instructor, Jake and jumped into the shallow end of the pool. Jake was very laid back and said that we'd take it easy today; that today's session was just about getting comfortable in the water. Floating (front and back) and kicking were our focus. Immediately I was relieved. I can do that! I'm a floating queen! I showed Jake that I was comfortable in the water while the other mom struggled a bit. She had never floated before. I helped her and gave her some pointers as did Jake. I couldn't help it. The teacher in me just came alive. Before long, she was floating like a pro as well. We then used the kickboards as Jake demonstrated proper form and that's when I hit a major milestone. I used the kickboard to kick the full length of the pool. Jake met me at the other end where the nervousness manifested into adrenaline as I begin to float on my back, kick, and use my arms to propel myself from the deep end all the way back to the shallow end of the pool without the kickboard. YES! It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, but I did it! I was very proud of myself and VERY out of breath. Before the end of the lesson, I had done that two more times and realized what people meant when they say that swimming is a great workout. My thighs were burning and it felt amazing! I'm looking forward to next week where Jake assured me that I'd be a swimmer by the end of the class.
<----Tomorrow, this will be me! Yep, I'll be taking a swim class for the first time since I was nine. Growing up, everyone in my school learned to swim in 4th grade. After the very first lesson, I went home feeling ill only to find that I had the chicken pox. Nice timing, mother nature! I was out of school for about two weeks and missed all of the swimming lessons, thus never learning to swim. Over the years, I've dabbled. I can survive if pushed in a pool. I can do that weird underwater thing and propel myself forward some distance. There's one problem with that, though. I don't have gills. I've gotta come up for air and if there is nothing for my feet to touch, well...sayonara! Since announcing that I was going to be changing my lifestyle, I have had a couple of friends volunteer to workout with me. One of my colleagues and friend, Kristen, wants to get started as well, but can only do very low impact workouts, like swimming, due to pain in her legs and feet. When she first said that she'd workout with me, I was excited. Then she mentioned the swimming thing and it deflated me. UNTIL...I got the bright idea to right the wrong and finally finish what was started some 27 years ago.
Swimming is a confusing sport, because sometimes you do it for fun, and other times you do it to not die. And when I'm swimming, sometimes I'm not sure which one it is. I am fired up! Over the past two to three years, I have suffered losses. Family and friends have left us primarily due to health complications that were preventable had they simply taken better care of themselves. I am not blaming them, but this was a wake-up call for me. It is time for us to make a change and I am starting with the only person that I can control....me. I looked in the mirror on my 36th birthday and was very unhappy with what I saw. I know that fitness is about much more than looks, but I have not felt all that great as of late. I am often tired, dragging, and even breathless after climbing a flight of stairs with a laundry basket. I have two little girls watching me and want to show them that being fit and healthy is a lifestyle and commitment. I know that setting the example will make it much easier for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. Now back to the looks... Taken in February 2013 Jeans: size 6 T-shirt: Medium Nevermind the hair. I wasn't fully dressed yet. You probably are not looking at that anyway. When I looked into the mirror, all I could see was my bulging waistline. I know, I know..."it's not that bad". "Love the body that you have". "Many women would die to have that body". "Society has instilled in me a warped sense of beauty". Yada yada yada... There is validity to those comments. However, while I do love who I am, I am always trying to become a better version of myself. I want to look and feel better. PERIOD! And I'm going to do just that. I no longer want to squeeze into my jeans and appear as if I have borrowed my 11 year old's t-shirt. That shirt did fit at one time, believe me, it did...I swear to it. And as God is my witness, it will fit again. I have learned from past experiences that I am not successful when I try to completely overhaul my life. If this is going to work, it will have to be incrementally with plenty of support from friends and family. I know that my colleague, Karen, is on board. She is a bit tired of hearing me talk about my thighs rubbing for the first time ever. My soccer-loving daughters will support me. They have always been in my corner. And I will become a more active member of my Facebook Group "Fit 4 Life Sisters" started by one of my inspirations, Nakeisha James. So come along with me. Be apart of my support system and I will be a part of yours. Journeys are always easier with friends. See ya along the road! Exercise to stimulate, not to annihilate. The world wasn't formed in a day, and neither were we. Set small goals and build upon them.
-Lee Haney |
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AuthorMy name is Missy! I'm a mom, high school teacher, dog lover, MSU alum and Spartan football and basketball fan (Go Green!), addicted to gadgets, and I started this blog feeling woefully inadequate when it came to health and fitness. After turning 36 and realizing that I'm that much closer to 40, I figured that I'd better get my butt in gear, fitness gear...literally! Archives
December 2014
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