Morning In Vermont

Sitting on my porch on a warm Fall night with Pandora in the background after another stellar workout at Green Mountain Rock Climbing. Something seems to right about this all right now. Today it feels like the world got put back on it’s correct axis after weeks of being atilt. As you see I am writing about two days. It’s been hard lately to get the motivation at night to write, between long days at work and lack of time or energy to workout it’s all been a little off, I know excuses they crept in, until today.
 

If you want to know what I did yesterday, basically nothing athletic. My body was tired and my brain just couldn’t take in a workout. Instead, I went and helped out a friend in need last night while at the same time giving my mind a break from my world for a few hours. It was a day of helping out those around me and being a friend and sometimes that’s just more important than throwing a rock around, or pounding on the trail. Well that was my Tuesday, today is another story.
 

Peak foliage is almost here!

After over a month without seeing Steve, my trainer, at the climbing gym it was time to go back. It had been before Irene since I had been able to get down there. It seems so long ago. I walked into the gym this afternoon and instantly things started to align themselves and I felt like it was time to get back on track. As most like to hear about Steve’s hour of pain I will not delay anymore. This one is a little bit harder to describe other than the fact I went to muscle failure several times today!
 

PART 1

Today we started off with a warm up on the rowing machine, 500 meters in under 4 minutes. Like I said it was a warmup. Next we progressed to hanging leg lifts (25) then push-ups (25) for the first set. The second set we did knee-ups (25) then push-ups (20). After the first two sets we did Steve’s Double Pillar bouldering. This is two columns he has in the gym which I had to boulder around and basically was my rest. Moving onto the third set 5 leg lifts then 15 knee-ups into push-ups (15). The final set leg lifts (5) then knee ups (10) into the final push-ups (10). We finished up this part of the workout with another two times around the pillars.
 

I may have missed a round of going around the pillars. This part of the workout was pretty much a blur partly due to muscle failure and part due to the copious amounts of sweat dripping down every part of my body. I can tell you each week I make heads turn in the gym! The “What the hell is she doing?” look I am all too familiar with. Steve just tells them I am training. Today one guy commented something about paying for massive amounts of pain. Like I said it was a blur. Somewhere along the way I pushed myself to muscle failure in the push-up arena. In the end I needed help on the ups and after each set involuntary shaking took over. Good Livin’!
 

PART 2

After a change out of climbing shoes into sneakers we headed outside to do some burpees, not just basic burpees but three types. The first one were with a 50lb bag of kids play sand. That damn cartoon child’s race smiling away at me as I did a clean with the bag, placed it down, push-up jump back in and do it again. After finishing the first set I went into burpees without the sandbag but a jump and clap instead. The final type of burpee was just into a plank then up again. The first set was 10 of each, and the second set was 7 of each.
 

These might have been the slowest burpees of my life! I was tired at this point and still dripping sweat! Some serious Good Livin’ was had this afternoon. We finished up with 800 metes on the rowing machine in under 4 minutes (it took me just over 3). Finally a 200 meter cool down. As I got off the machine arms barely able to move, I felt back on track.
 

Who knew all it would take was a solid ass kicking from Steve at the gym and complete muscle failure. Can’t wait to go back next week! Thanks Steve for getting my head back in a good place. Much love for Green Mountain Rock Climbing!