I knew that to lose weight that I'd have to exercise. Going to the gym as an overweight person is terrifying. I started at an all women's gym. That felt safe. Most of my time was spent on the elliptical and occasionally I'd take a Body Pump class. You'd find me in the back row, left hand corner.
A new fancy gym opened up way closer to our house and I could add Hubby for the same price I was paying at the women's gym, so we joined. The kids loved it. Bug was only 6 months old so he loved pretty much anywhere. I started missing the sense of community that a group fitness class brings so I started doing group water aerobics. There is something reassuring when you look over and see that someone else is working as hard as you. Water aerobics turned into Yoga and then Kickboxing and then Step Aerobics and eventually Shred. Shred is best described at HIIT meets Bootcamp with a flavor of CrossFit. My spot in the back row, left corner slowly started to migrate. Now you will find my in the middle or front. I am pretty fearless in these classes. I am often the "look at Kari for an alternative" on some of the moves. I know my body. I know what works for me.
I love group classes, but when it comes to running I am a one man show. I don't have a partner. I don't run with a club. Heck, I even hate it when someone sees me on the side of the road and honks when they drive by. At Fitbloggin I had an amazing opportunity to run with two ladies (Erin and Emily) and it truly changed how I think about running and my own fitness level. Running, to me, has always been very private. I.run.alone. The reason I run alone is that I don't want to hold anyone back. I worry that they will go home and complain about how I ruined their run. Erin, Emily and I agreed that we were just going to have a good time. We'd walk when we wanted and that was ok. It was the best run of my life. Not the fastest, but definitely the best. I was with friends. They weren't judging my speed.
Letting down my fitness fears allowed me
the opportunity to enjoy running with friends.
There was nothing to prove. We just ran. Kickboxing to Step Aerobics was a months long transition. I'd sit outside of Step and watch people. The fear of tripping over the step kept me out of that class for way to long. I probably never would have tried Shred, except for the fact that I met the instructor in Kickboxing and we had a solid relationship.
Doing the Mud run this past weekend pushed me further than I thought possible. The mud run gets it's own post later on. :)
I am doing the Spartan race. I AM DOING THE SPARTAN RACE to put myself out there. To show myself and others what I am capable of doing. Is it crazy? Possibly! I refuse to sit back and wonder "What if I would have tried". It's scary to put yourself out there when it comes to try new fitness activities, but I can tell you that I have never been disappointed with the results. I don't love every class I've tried (Zumba), but I am thankful for the opportunity to even try.
Here's Erin, Emily and I mid and post race! Thanks for the run Ladies!
~Kari
