A Whole Lotta Something: February 2013

Happy New Year, Bloggies!

So, there are a lot of "firsts" happening in this post. It's my first post of 2013 (my, how time flies), it's the first time someone has requested that I blog about something specific (yes, I'm that big of a deal), and that "specific thing" happens to be my first Pure Barre class.

Like a lot of you, I'm sure--I spend the first few months of the year trying to get in shape, and lose that extra, inevitable holiday weight.. This year is no exception, so I thought I'd blog about some exercise classes I've been to recently, and then move on to a few other things.

Ahem. Here goes.

My friend Holly gave me a gift certificate for a Pure Barre class for my birthday in November. I just got around to using it in this new year. I had no idea what to expect. I showed up in my work out gear, and they asked me to remove my shoes to which I thought: Whaaaaaaat?? What kind of hippy sh*t is this?! I thought I was here to WORK.

But work, we did, my friends.

It's actually hard to explain, but the whole class takes place on a ballet bar and you are doing small muscle movements. They are concentrated, slow, focused, and you will sweat and you will shake and you will hurt for the entire duration of the class. (Don't even talk to me about the next day). We got started and there were all these women in there-- all ages, all sizes, all shapes, and they were killing it--- and I was thinking-- Is this for REAL?! Are these people serious?! Surely this won't last the whole hour... But it did.

I swear, there were times when I thought my muscles might burn right out of my skin.

I've also been doing machine pilates at the Y. I love it, because while I am only 32, my back thinks that it is 91 and the stretching and exercises we do in that class really help with my back pain. You still have to do cardio though, if you want to see results- so what I'm getting at basically, is 45 minutes of cardio + 60 minutes of pilates = a long day at the gym. But I recommend it if you have the time. Which I do some days. #Iamblessed.

I also tried out a new gym (because your first class is free). My girlfriend Layton is a big fan of it, and I said I'd go because you know, I'll try anything once... twice if it's fun... She raves about the trainer there- Josh... and rightly so. This man is the fittest, prettiest, wittiest, homosexual in Nashville (possibly the world). He has you run on these "special" treadmills, which would be more suitably named "deathmills." They incline at the push of a button-- so you know-- 5% 10% 15% 20% all the way up to 30% which is pretty much the incline up Mount Everest ( I mean-- I can't be sure about that... but it was STEEP.) Trust me. And the whole time you are running and working, he's yelling (with a lisp) for you to "WORK IT, GIRL! ! !" "WORK IT LADIES." "NO PAIN, NO GAIN, GIRLS", "I WANNA SEE YOU WORKIN' IT!", as he skips back and forth on his iPod between songs by Girl Talk and wait for it-- Ace of Base. It was awesome. Did I mention that he also trains several contestants for the Miss America Pageant? Double awesome. I mean--why wouldn't he?

Which brings me to the circuit training class at the Y I've been into lately. It's convenient for me because I work from home and it meets at noon. It's a great break in the middle of the day. I saw it on the schedule and thought - "I'll give it a whirl" because of the timing. I really didn't know what I was getting into, but I walked in and over half of the class were males -- so-- I knew I had my work cut out for me.

Truer words never spoken as it turns out, because that class is HARD. Sometimes we're in the studio, but almost always go out to the track at some point. It's lots of cardio in the form of running, high knees, burpees, lunges, pushups, squats, etc.. then moves in to some strength training involving weights and ab work. INTENSE. But you feel so great afterward. The trainer could be a LITTLE more encouraging if you ask me. He's getting better but there's not a whole lot of "almost there, guys-- you can do it" happening BUT I think I've figured out why. There are about three ladies in there that just want to talk the whole time. They are doing their exercises, but TALKING THE WHOLE TIME. It's the strangest thing. Like today-- we are on our mats doing abs and so the room is quiet except for a little "No Diggity" in the background and these ladies are on opposite ends of the room screaming to each other about the last book they read, the outfit they got on sale, their kids school bake sale. I'd find it super annoying if it weren't so comical. Ha. Seriously.

Anyway-- it's a bit ironic to bring this up NOW since I've been talking about shaping up this whole post BUT some friends and I were reminiscing the other day about good times at weddings (of which I've had many). LauraFrazier requested that I sing Patti Griffin's "Heavenly Day" for her first dance with her husband (my brother) at her wedding. She had the band learn it and everything. I love that song, and was honored to sing it for them. Afterwards-- one of her friends that I didn't know THAT well, came up to me and said she was in the adjoining room when I started the song and she walked in expecting to see "a big fat black woman" on the mic. Still--one of the greatest compliments I've ever received. :)

And speaking of Tom and LauraFrazier, they have moved out to "Momma & Daddy's house" down in the Delta, and I took a few friends there to duck hunt, ride ATV's, drink too much, and gamble a couple of weeks ago. We had a blast. I'd tell you hilarious stories, but "what happens in Tunica stays in Tunica" so I can't. BUT-- what is a blog post without a few pictures, right? So I'll close with these. #Iwishihadtakenmore.