Week 5: Back on Track

My fifth week of training began on Sunday with a 5K.  The Mandan High School's S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Chapter was raising money for educational experiences and it was the perfect opportunity to gauge my stamina.  Sunday was a bit breezy (for non-North Dakotans that means 25 mph winds), but it wasn't cold.  I was walking alone which made me a bit nervous.  However, a quick poke and my blood sugar told me I was good to go.
The run/walk was a 5K or a 10 K.  Five K is about 3.2 miles to those non-metric folk.  Many families came to walk or run together.  The walkers included older adults, mothers pushing strollers and high school students.
The runners began the race with the walking herd following behind them.  I picked a nice, brisk pace passing a several walkers.  With my earbuds in and my MP3 tuned to some upbeat music, I enjoyed the walk on a beautiful North Dakota spring day. 
The route went from NISC on the outskirts of Mandan to Collins, a major north/south road in Mandan and back to NISC.  There are some impressive inclines which set my heart to beating and my lungs to breathing.  About halfway to the turnaround point, I met the 5K runners on their way back.  There is a steady uphill climb on the way back to the finish line.  I was still trudging along at a respectable pace, keeping left to let the runners go past me.  I could hear the finish line before I could see it.  There were no cheering crowds to motivate me forward but I did pick up the pace for the 100 yards.  My finishing time was 1:05:35 - 1 hour, five minutes and 35 seconds.  About 20 minutes per mile.  That was my best time ever!!!  Of course, it was my only time, but who's keeping track?!?
I was surprised that I felt really good.  My blood sugar was a bit low, but I grabbed a sports drink on the way out of the parking lot.
Monday's church exercise class did a three mile DVD and although I was sweaty, it wasn't impossible.  Seeing how far I have come in this short time motivates me to stick with it.
I have always found that my diet is easier to follow if I am exercising to.  I have to want that ice cream/cake/dessert pretty bad if I am willing to use my carb exchanges to have it.  I also know that I will need to burn that off at some point. However, some things are worth the splurge!  My exercise regimen is easier to stick to because I have "in your face" accountability at the gym.  If I didn't move my lazy body off the couch all weekend, I'm going to pay for that with my personal trainer (PT) come Tuesday afternoon. 
What I was unprepared for was the realization that discipline in my diet and exercise has carried over into other parts of my life.  I am becoming more disciplined in my spiritual life, finding more balance between work and personal time and even find money management to be easier.  I take more credit for these facts - God needs the glory for setting these things into motion (literally and figuratively).  I struggle with self-discipline and I believe that this is the answer to prayer.
Back at the gym on Tuesday, PT set a brisk pace and I was happy to be breathless and sweaty.  PT has gradually stepped up the workouts after the "big crash" and I have impatiently waited for more challenging exercises.  This is the calm before the storm, I guess. 
PT led me through weights for my arms and some interval training on the bike.  A minute of fast pedaling followed by a minute of slower pedaling.  I even faced the beast - elliptical machine - again.  I haven't climbed on the beast for a couple of weeks.  It seriously kicks my backside, but it's a great cardio work out.  I look forward to the day when I can jump on and go for 20 minutes at a time without a paramedic standing by.
I am back to doing "core on the floor", a phrase that should strike terror in anyone who knows what that means.  Core exercises strengthen your core muscles - abdominals, etc.  They include crunches, planks and many other moves that look like a dying cockroach to those spectators working away at the treadmills right next to me.  I write this only partially in jest as I have watched others do these exercises and there is no graceful way to execute them.
I have observed that people are more real at the gym than they are elsewhere in polite society.  You really can't hold in your stomach and try to look thinner when you are on the floor doing core exercises.  Don't bother with hair or make up as any real workout will make this a huge waste of time.  Your best bet is to pull your hair back and wipe the mascara off so you don't smear it all over while wiping away sweat.  Oh, yeah -- people at the gym sweat.  Few perspire.  Take that, ladies deodorant makers!
Thursday, PT told me to expect to ramp up the work out the following week. We will do 15 minutes of weights, etc and 15 to 20 minutes of hard work. I am excited, nervous and a little scared. I am confident that we have successfully navigated the blood sugar speed bump. However, as a precaution, I will be carrying my glucometer with me and checking my sugars mid-work out. My snacks about an hour and a half before exercise need to be a bit lighter as I would prefer not to have the contents of my stomach make an encore appearance!
As I thought through my nervousness, I came to the epiphany that I trust PT to keep me safe (and conscious), so I will surrender to the process and hope that surrender will seep into other areas of my life also.  To surrender to our God means trusting that He will keep you safe and conscious of the work that He is doing in our lives.  Say a prayer for me as I jump in with both feet!