Chapter 19: Skipping the Gym

So it's official, I haven't been to the gym today and to be completely honest I don't feel so bad about it. I work out everyday and I work my butt off so I figured today would be my off day. I normally don't get to work out on Wednesday anyways because I'm so busy from about 8am to 10pm every Wednesday and the gym is closed by the time I have time to go. But today I had time and I didn't go. In a way I was upset with myself but then I realized, I'm working my butt off...literally. I should be allowed at least one day out of the week to let my muscles heal themselves. During my free-time I caught up with some homework, listened to some music, read some on my book, and I just took a thirty minute shower and it felt great. I'm actually looking forward to NOT going to the gym for the first time in about two weeks lol. It feels like a vacation today.

Last night on the bike I was at about an hour when I realized I needed to up my game. I took the level up to 15 which is the equivilant to riding up a hill, and I told myself I would do that for five minutes while staying above 12mph. It was so dang hard! It hurt my legs. It hurt my butt. It hurt my stomach. I felt it. I got to about 4 minutes and my legs were killing me. I felt like my muscles were going to jump out of my legs and go on strike. But I kept pushing myself. I was sweating gallons and I was focusing on keeping my breathing under control (I'm a classically trained singer so that's one thing I'm good at lol). I got to about thirty seconds away from my five minute marker and it seemed my legs were on fire. I was talking to myself and I actually had to make myself get angry and agressive inorder to get that last pump of adrenaline. I had my book, "Half-Assed", in front of me and I remembered I had placed my "Before" picture in there. I grabbed that book like it was a million dollars, rapidly searched through the paper back binding and creme colored pages until I found it. I held it up and looked at it. "Do you wanna be like that again?!" I repeated that in my head and before I knew it I was already at 5.10 minutes. I slowed down to 8mph and set the level on 5. I had done it. I had pushed myself. I realized that I was getting stronger, not only physically but mentally also. I was finding out what I could do, how far I could push myself, and what really motiviated me.