THE HILL -- BodyBack Workout: Week 3 Review

Well, I gained a pound.

I know.

I KNOW!

WHAT THE HECK????

StOOpid pound.

I KNOW I ate the best EVer over the past week.  I know...well... because I JUST KNOW!  And not only that, I've forced myself to run more.  Leg cramps?  Foot pain...fuggetaboutit.  I've FORCED myself to hit the pavement and push myself to run through the feeling I get when I want to stop and go home.  And you know what ELSE????  I have a hill beside my neighborhood, and I've been FORCING myself to run up it.  ME!?!?!?!  I HAVE MADE MYSELF RUN UP THAT STOOPID HILL....and gained a pound for it!  It would be SO MUCH easier to run in the other direction...but I haven't.  I've known that hill would be waiting for me at the end of my loop.......and I've dragged myself up it every. single. godforsaken. time.

Sigh.

Earlier in the week, this undeniable, persistent foot pain finally forced me across town to Road Runner Sports to see about investing in a new pair of shoes.  They offer a unique shoe fitting process...basically they evaluate your feet, then video tape your gait barefoot on a treadmill.  From there, they slow down the video, so you can REALLY see exactly what each foot is doing when you run.  After determining the type of shoe that will best fit your needs, they bring out some options, and you can try them on the treadmill to compare.  My right foot has been the problem and, not surprisingly, it showed me why on the video.  I left feeling confident with the shoe purchase I made, especially after seeing how well it corrected the problem on videotape.

But, anyway...I digress....

So yeah.  I gained a pound.  (Maybe it was the new shoes?  Grasping at straws here, people.)

We were having a travelling class.

We were divided into teams of 3 Mamas, and each team was given a 10 pound weight.  We had to carry the weight the entire time, passing it off to each other, while encouraging and supporting one another.

I was worried about letting my team down, knowing that I'm the weakest runner who can always be found at the back of the pack.  They quickly alleviated my fears by vowing not to leave me behind.

And they didn't.

They stayed right there with me, cheering me on and pushing me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That extra pound felt like 50 pounds as I trudged forward.

I was doing okay, until we turned the corner and I saw this...

"I can't do it.  I'll never make it up that hill."

I started to cry.

Right there...with my resistance band tied around my waist, water bottle sloshing, and my extra pound making feel like a waste of time...I cried.

One of my teammates grabbed my hand...

"It's okay, Wendy.  I'll hold your hand the entire way up.  We'll do this together.  We won't leave you behind."

Oh, but that hill wasn't all.

Not only did we have to run up that MOUNTAIN OF A HILL....(which I realize may not look like much to an experienced runner, but to me it was nothing short of Everest)....but we had to do it THREE times, each taking a turn holding that 10 pound weight over our head.

And you know what?

I did it.

I have no idea how I did it, but I did.

By the time it was time to run back down the third time, I was pretty sure I was about to die.

I'm not kidding.

I started to panic, because I couldn't catch my breath...I felt like I was going to throw up all over the sidewalk...I was crying...I just wanted to lay face down in the gravel and have someone call my husband (or 911) to come get me.

I was done.

Or so I thought.

I went on to run at least another mile or so (for a total of 3 plus miles altogether).

I wanted to stop.  I wanted to throw in the towel and go home.

But they pushed me.  One Mama -- who by the way just ran a half marathon this past weekend -- ran up beside me, and started helping me make small goals to meet along the way...

"Keep running to the end of this curb, and then take a short break to catch your breath."
"Keep going until you get to that sign."

It helped.

Hearing them encourage me.

"Your girls are so proud of you right now."  
"You're doing it, Mama."

It helped.

I wanted to cheer back.
I wanted to tell them what an amazing inspiration each of them have been on this journey.

But, seriously, it was all I could do to keep breathing...and moving...and breathing...and moving...and breathing...

Suddenly it seems I've blinked...and Week 4 has begun.

Body Back^® is the newest program release from Stroller Strides’ founder Lisa Druxman. Body Back is a results based workout program for moms of any age. Inspired by the Mama Wants Her Body BackDVD series, it offers high intensity, interval workouts along with before and after fitness assessments, a nutrition plan, coaching and support in a motivating and inspirational program. The workouts have been clinically proven in a University research study to help moms lose the weight and get their pre-baby body back. Moms all over the country are achieving results that they never dreamed possible. 100% of the weight lost was pure body fat! You will see that anything is possible!