I Got My Shred On with My Sister (Because she forced me to go)

A few weeks ago I went to visit my family.  Before I even got there, GymSis (that's my sister)  started talking about all the classes she wanted to take me to.  She was throwing around words like shred, flow, and "spin".

We facetimed and she gleefully described the Body Shred class.

What?  We're sisters.  We look alike.



She continued to try and convince me.

I wasn't excited yet.

She tried harder.

It didn't help.

She finished it off with some sisterly advice.

Awesome.

The first day of my vacation I flew into town and had a quick visit at Gymsis'.  She was more than happy to show me just what we would be doing in class.

As she went on about resting with planks I looked to my mother for support.

The last thing GymSis said to me the night before the class was:



Awesome?

The next morning I convinced myself to somehow get in the car and drive to the gym at the appointed time.  I would love to tell you all the fabulous exercises we did but my brain stopped working after about 5 minutes.  I also spent a lot of time putting my head down. But here is what I remember:

1.  Side to side burpees.  I grunted through them.

2.  Dancing crabs.  I needed a lot of one on one attention.

3.  High knees.   I wheezed.

4.  Planks with alternating arm and leg lifts.  I begged for mercy.

5.  Some sort of Superman thing.  I almost passed out.

We may have used weights at some point but don't quote me on that.

The muscle soreness set in after about 20 minutes (never a good sign) and lasted the rest of the week.  That made for a lot of fun when I had to go with my sister to RPM class a few days later.

I'm linking up with the fabulous  Yeah Write this week!

UPCOMING POSTS: RPM CLASS, RUNNING A 5K WITH MY SISTER AND NEPHEWS, DILETTANTE TRIATHLON RECAP

Someone is Getting a Big Thumbs Up!! (Is it you?)

Hi everyone!

It's time for another installment of the Thumbs Up award!!

This month's recipient is Erika from This Spartan Will!!

There are a number of reasons I'm giving Erika a big ol' Thumbs Up:

1.  I met her online, but when she moved out here we became friends immediately.  She is a real person from the moment you meet her.  I love her openness and was pulled into her vortex from the start.

2.  She is the athlete I want to be...I will never be that person, because she has been an athlete since she was a zygote.  She did her first Ironman in Arizona in 2012, and finished it in 12:19:04.   She crushed it!

3.  She's also "wicked-smaht".  She has a very important job at Stryker and does fancy things like teach doctors how to use their equipment.

4.  Erika is always up for a good time (in a grown-up sort of way...not in a Girls Gone Wild kind of way).  She and her husband are so fun to be around, and even though she might argue it, she amazes me with how she juggles work, marriage, a fun and high-spirited 3-year-old, and exercise!
 
Aside from all those things, there is one more reason Erika gets a Thumbs Up:

If you read my last post, you saw that she ran with me and paced me to a half marathon PR.  After that race said that I *might* sign up for a marathon...and then I did.

When Erika found out, she said that if I wanted her to come out and run it with me she would!!  (Did I mention that she just moved back to Michigan?)  So now, I will be running my first marathon with my trusty pacer and unofficial coach by my side!!

Erika, this is for you.  You rock.