Patience; the new endurance sport.

I am still loving the elliptical and I do my best to push it hard (9 Minute Miles at a level 15 difficulty). However, I am not in love with my personal trainer.  I get 1/2 hour wherein he shows me different machines and exercises using the balls, the weights, and pulleys.  I probably should have just joined the Cross-Fit gym.  It was just too far to be practical. Coming from years of just running out my door-- to having to go somewhere -- is already a huge burden, and a step down.  On Sunday, my cousin Amber reminded me that she'd teach me how to ride (she's does Triathalons and 100+ mile rides).  She has asked me lots of times to get a bike.  I never loved the idea of being one of the canyon riders who is always fighting for trail space or having to remind walkers/runners to keep on their side of the trail.  I don't relish the idea of having to repair a tire in the middle of a work out, wrecking a bike, or taking care of any piece of equipment.  I have always been resistant to the idea of biking.  Even if I do like the idea that you could do it for 4-5 hours at a time and could cover a lot of ground.  I won't get a clearance to even try it for another 3 weeks.  Once the piriformitis calms down, I'll try a spin class.

I had a great work out today--but about passed out twice.  I forgot to bring my water/juice and didn't eat before going to the gym.  It's getting so bad.  But I have to learn to eat before working out.  I just have to.  I'm eating about 1700 calories a day.  Eating has become a boring task that gives me no pleasure. The only time I feel normal is for about 15 minutes after I eat pure sugar. 

I ran 5 straight  miles (10 m/m)  on my own treadmill and nothing hurt. My cardio is much improved because of the elliptical.  But I just love my treadmill.  It's engine has been overhauled once, I've replaced the belt once.  It's been tuned up twice.  It has over 12,000 miles on it.  But the best part of my treadmill is the wooden deck.  It gives and almost bounces so running feels low impact. I ran and treated myself to back-to-back episodes of  Arrested Development (season 2) in anticipation of the upcoming 10 new episodes and movie.  I go to the trainer later today, but he's gone after my glutes and hams so hard that the tendons behind my knees are really, really sore. My butt and hams feel great though.  A lot stronger.  It seems all the personal trainers at the gym have a vendetta against runners and an agenda to shape up our back-sides and lower abs which-- they swear is the root of all running problems. I just can't let the meat head wreck my other set of tendons.  I'm already one down.  Even with 1,700-2,000 miles a year under my belt for the past 6-7 years --  I've never had any real knee issues and I don't intend to get any before ski season.

I don't know what to think about "running" on the elliptical.  It has MPH and mileage, and levels of difficulty.  I can't tell it's a harder work out or not (than running).  It seems so much harder to do it while you are doing it--maybe it's just more boring because you're not outside.  I breath a lot harder on the elliptical, and I feel like I'm pushing my oxygen intake to it's limit.  But it doesn't have the same total body cleansing effect that running does.  My run on the treadmill yesterday left me high the rest of the day.  I was euphoric with the success of it.  I am learning to do a total body work out. I'm surprised by how weak my butt, hips, and back are. It does feel good to 'get strong' in other places.  I ran into Ericka at the gym.  I hope she joins. She agreed to come to the 6:00 a.m. cycling class taught by Steve Orrick (our physical Therapst) and try Zumba with me :)  

While I am at the gym, I remember all the wonderfully sexist and judgmental things I was instructed by my father (while we were at the gym working out together while I was an adolescent).  He considered himself a genius at picking out women who he thought would not become overweight (ever) by gauging the amount of fat they had on their upper arms and inner thigh-- with a cross reference to the girl's mother. He would always point out to me women who had soft upper arms or inner thighs and tell me what they would look like later in life.  Likewise he would point out women who had very thin upper arms, space between their thighs, and instruct me how to gauge the % of body fat by the amount of flesh you might be able to pinch on their forearm/neck.  He categorically preferred very thin, petite, women who were unusually well endowed (on top).  It was as rare a find in the days before fake boobs, as it was stereotypically sexist. But since he himself was physically superior to many other men (tall, muscular, and incredibly good looking), I guess he felt entitled to judge.  Even more than judgmental about a woman’s % of body fat, he was genius at finding low maintenance women, who did not require make up, nice clothes or financial status; Which usually meant they grew up in a very large family (therefore didn't require a lot of attention, were shy, or socially undeveloped), or came from a strict religious background or poverty.  I find myself wondering why I, have to be the bearer and keeper of this useless information on how to find a skinny woman who won’t get fat after having babies.  When people say how terrible fashion magazines, TV, and the general media are for the self- esteem of young women-- I can say with assurance, nothing is worse for a girl’s self-loathing, than the opinion her father holds of women.  I am sure he thought sharing his opinions would shape me into a similarly low maintenance, low-fat woman.  Sadly, it did not.  It created a borderline man-hating, cellulite-ridden, overly judgmental woman who will challenge you to look at the fat of her upper arm as a way to determine whether or not you are worthy of her attention.