So my first run in 4 months was…interesting!

Before I start my type-vomit, let me just say.  I ran a total of 3 miles on a dreaded treadmill.  But the only way I could convince my body to do it was to alternate three-one mile runs with strength training.  So imagine me, Bgirl875, running between the hamster wheel and the weight machines over and over.  I really did look like I hamster, a pear-shaped brown little thing with a lot of hair, running through this crazy obstacle course I called working out.

The running was actually easier than I thought.  THE FIRST TIME.  But after three sets of arms strengthening exercises on three different machines, getting back on that treadmill, was P A I N F U L.  Who would have thought one mile of running could make my legs fatigue so badly?  However, I held back the tears and fought through it.

The next strengthening break (I use the term break lightly) was alternating pikes on the ball, with crunches, and some random exercise I learned in my pilates days (basically strengthens the lower back while stretching the abs.)  I vomited a little when I went up for my 2nd rep of ball pikes.  It wasn’t pretty.

Then as I was finishing, my worst nightmare happened.  Some guy came in and took over my machine.  If looks could kill, he’d be a goner.  But looks can’t kill, so he survived my stare attack and handed me my stuff as he jacked me for my machine.  Womp Womp Womp.  So I had to continue more strengthening until my friend felt bad enough for me to fork over her machine.

My last one mile stretch was brutal.  I tried focusing on the TV in my friends gym.  Watching JJ Evans (Good Times) intently.  Paying attention to his every move.  The way he enunciated the word “THELMA” was the most important thing ever, as it was all I could do to get my mind off my fatigued legs and my life flashing before my eyes.  Then the second worst things that could happen, happened.  The show went off.  The ending credits rolled, and to COMMERCIALS.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like commercials in a boring gym facility are like a struggling runners nightmare.  No one can really get into commercials enough to ignore the pain or the seconds ticking away ever so SLOWLY!  ‘Damned Everest college.  Who cares who believed in you? Get off my screen.  Wait, what’s this, The Jeffersons.  Fish don’t fry in the kitchen.  YESSSSSSS!’  Now I just get through a couple of commercials and George and Weezy would take me home.  I yelled out loud in front of the other people in the gym.  “Come on! Why are there so many f-ing commercials!”  And that’s all it took.  On to George and his male sexual problems episode.  And before I knew it, I was done.

I couldn’t bear to do the leg drills, so I settled for stretching thoroughly in hopes that I would alleviate the impending soreness I was going to feel in the next few hours.  But alas.

My legs hurt sooooo much right not.  So much so, that I couldn’t go back in today.  But I already have a date for tomorrow.  I am going to try to just run straight through to make sure I can still do it.  I don’t think I’ll have too much of a problem as long as I alternate intervals to break up the 30 minutes of running in place on my hamster wheel.  Clearly, it’s cold in DC and I am stuck inside.  But I am running, nonetheless. Thus, I am happy!

Hope you all are enjoying your runs!

An anonymous black girl who loves running and hates commercials!