Tremendous Blondette

An all caps declaration of non-pain made in email this morning-I’M NOT SORE TODAY! Great, right? It is! Last week on April 14th (day of my brother’s birth!) a switch flipped inside of me. It was the “DDDDAMMMMN GIRL! you fat!” switch. [Okay okay okay, I've written several times over the course of the years I've had this blog about losing weight and feeling like a fatass (and alternately, the high I get from working out.) So why is this time different? It just is. It has to be. I've been here before and felt this feeling. I can make this stick.]

At the beginning of January, I joined the Y. I had previously been an avid (and then lax) member of the North Kansas City Community Center. I went to the Y once or twice, but it was crowded and the floors always wet. (did I mention crowded?) I also never wanted to participate in any classes for fear of looking unfit, fat, and loser-ish. Well, guess what? I’m not that fit, I am fat, and well, okay, I’m not loser-ish.

So, back to Monday the 14th. One of the girls at work has lost a good deal of weight though eating healthy and working out (at the Y.) She’s touted a particular class since about forever. (Please recall my earlier statement about never wanting to participate in a class.) I mentioned to her on this fateful Monday that I was going to the gym that night. She asked me if I wanted to go to class with her, and I said…YES. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? trust me, I couldn’t. It was a sure sign that I was ready.

I’ve now been to BOSU class 2 times (and one failed attempt based on time.) BOSU makes you feel ridiculous, strong, uncoordinated, and sometimes sore. I was sore for 4 days. And this isn’t just sorta mild la la la sore. This was OMGIT HURTS TO WALK DOWN THE STAIRS, BEND MY ARMS AND IT HURTS WHEN I SIT DOWN TO GO PEE sore. Despite my soreness, I managed to hit the treadmill pretty nicely the next two nights, but I took the weekend off. So, last night I got back on the BOSU horse. I simultaneously love and hate squats. And trust me, they are worse when performed on half a rubber ball. I must say, I do enjoy the ab work. So tonight, after deciding I wasn’t going to go to the gym, but then going anyway, I did an hour and fifteen minutes on the treadmill (an hour of it watching American Idol.)

Tomorrow night it’s back to BOSU, where I may run in circles around paper towel wads, hop and stick, and do other things that make me feel slightly retarded. At times, BOSU reminds me of step aerobics–only harder because instead of a nice stationary, solid step you’re being forced to balance on a giant ball.
From the inventer:

BOSU stands for “Both Sides Up” or “Both Sides Utilized” depending upon whether you are talking about the BOSU Balance Trainer (the product) or BOSU (the philosophical approach to exercise).

The essence of BOSU, (the philosophical approach to exercise), is seeking better balance, in all aspects of life. Training BOSU begins with your body.

The human body and brain are intimately linked such that enhancing balance in one enhances balance in the other. Better balance (physically and mentally) leads to better performance in all activities, whether those activities are primarily physical or mental in nature.

When I said “okay, sure” to going to BOSU class for the first time, it had absolutely nothing to do with being philosophical or giving a damn about anything other than taking a first step back into being healthy and accepting that I was probably going to look like an ass for a while, but at least a t the end it would be a firm ass worth looking at.