Monday, Nov. 29
When I envision my Thanksgiving Break, I see myself doing lots of things, such as eating, sleeping, napping, shopping, eating again. One thing I definitely don't see myself doing is working out.
In fact, the extent of my exercise from Nov. 23 to Nov. 28 was the slow walks from the fridge to the couch to see how quickly I could polish off mom's leftovers. Let me tell you, I enjoyed every minute of it.
I refused to remind myself of what waited for me back at school. But before I could finish the last of the turkey, break was over and it was time for me to go back to the gym.
Before I hit the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, I had to see which days I could work out. I was completely booked on Friday, which meant I had to work out Monday through Thursday. I wasn't too thrilled about working out the first day back from doing nothing.
It was like the first day I exercises, only ten times worse. Every part of my workout was a complete struggle, which I expected from the beginning. In a sense, I completely forgot how to work out, and exercising felt foreign to me. Not even listening to Madonna or Michael Jackson could keep me focused.
I did the bare minimum and made it out of the gym in an hour. I didn't even attempt the running portion of my workout since I already felt like dying. I sauntered back to LaFollette Complex, mustered up the energy to take my Nikes off and passed out in my workout clothes.
Tuesday, Nov. 30
In order to prevent a repeat of my first attempt to work out this week, I decided to walk as much as I could to prepare for the night's workout.
Instead of walking through the Robert Bell Building to get to the Art and Journalism Building, I took the long way from LaFollette. I also took the stairs instead of using the elevator.
For lunch, I had a salad, fruit and a bottle of water at Woodworth Complex. It felt weird to eat something that wasn't smothered in gravy, but I had so much energy to burn by the time I got to the gym.
I figured it would be best to take it slow and work my way up to high-intensity exercises. For example, I set my elliptical machine to level three for half the time, then set it to level six for the other half. I found that it really worked in my favor, and I was able to get through my entire workout, including the running, where I added another two laps to my routine. I even had enough energy to get through my homework when I got back to my dorm.
Wednesday, Dec. 1
My late night workout was going to be impossible due to the large amount of homework I had to accomplish, so my only option would be a morning workout.
I showered the night before so I could get ready quickly and hit the gym around 9 a.m. I felt exhausted, but I was motivated to repeat that work ethic. It was so difficult starting out, though, especially on the bicycles. Every time I felt like falling asleep, I turned up the volume on my music. That was probably not good for my eardrums, but it pumped my energy up, and I eventually turned down the volume and set a good pace for myself.
I found that exercising in the morning not only gets me through the day with plenty of energy, but it saves me from forcing myself to go to the gym when I really don't have the time or willpower. Because I worked out in the morning, I had the evening to study for finals and work on the various projects due next week.
Thursday, Dec. 2
My English class was canceled, so instead of doing what I usually do when there's no class -- pig out in front of the TV -- I decided to use my time wisely and headed to the gym until my next class at 12:30 p.m.
As with the night before, I was shocked at how easy it was to work out in the morning.
The Recreation Center isn't as busy in the morning than in the evening, making me think I have the gym to myself (at least for a little while). That really helps during running laps, since I tend to get intimidated by other runners who make it look effortless.
This week turned out to be easier than I thought it'd be. Yes, I ate my weight in stuffing and pie, but I also learned to bounce back from it. It wasn't easy at first, but all I had to do was go to the gym and pace myself. Next week sure sounds promising.
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