Zumba (is not biking)

I'll strength train you and raise you a Zumba.

Yes, I know Zumba is not part of my training plan, but on Wednesday nights the most fabulous little gay Mexican man teaches Zumba. His name is Edgar and I remember the first time I took one of his classes. I was having a horrible week. (We can blame it on the parents and the ex). I went to Edgar's class, and suddenly, I had reasons to smile and shake my booty and have ridiculous fun working out! I approached him afterward and said, "You know, I've been having a really hard week, but this class just made everything a little better." And his face lit up and he threw his arms up in the air, "Awwwwww, sweaty hug!" he cried. And he hugged me.

So I like going to Zumba on Wednesday nights when time allows. One time I even had a glass of wine right before class and my workout resembled a frickin' dance party.

Anyway, tonight's workout was modified.

Brought to you my ME and sponsored byyyyyyy Misterrrrrr Edgarrrrrr! (this is to be said with a sassy Hispanic accent.)

I strength trained for awhile at the gym and looked like an idiot trying out machines that looked familiar but ended up being foreign. Found a few that did the trick. And then. THEN I realized it was Wednesday. I don't know why I thought it was Tuesday. But it was Wednesday.

It was a good workout too! Except these knees are killing me. I know the knee stuff is not fibro related, it's totally the chondromalacia or runner's knee or whatever they said it was. Wore the patellar band in class, it really helps.

So far, I've stuck to the schedule and I only modified Monday's workout because GLEN HANSARD was playing in Millenium Park. For Free. Well, yes, I'd rather watch an Irish superstar sing in my city for free with a picnic and one of my best friends than go swimming too. I had the best intentions to swim when I got home, but I was pretty tired by the time I made it back to my apartment. I did a few of the physical therapy exercises for my hips and knees that my friend taught me, messed around with some resistance bands, and called it a night.

But on the whole, I am feeling decent. I'm nervous to say I might have gotten past the hardest part, the actual beginning and shocking my body (that most of time feels like a mini war zone) with more physical activity than it was used to. Those early flares were so disheartening. But I am feeling pretty good, so much healthier than just a few weeks ago. More energy (which I might credit to Green Vibrance? 5-HTP? I don't know!) I swam last night hardcore (well not hardcore, moderately and with sloppy technique---but more ease than last week) after a ridiculous commute from Skokie back to Chicago. It took me three hours when it should have taken me an hour and 15. Every wrong travel decision put me in direct line of a location or bar or restaurant that I had some kind of memory with my ex. And then I was upset about my family. Add the humidity and my PMS in and the commute and stabbing memories broke me down. Well, SWIM to the rescue. I hauled my cookies to the gym and did about a 1/2 mile! My longest distance yet. AND I slept all the way through the night last night. Not even one wake-up. Small victories. I don't know if it is because the exercise is tiring me out (likely), but even if it was coincidence, it is still great to get uninterrupted sleep. Now was it restorative? Wellllll, I still woke up pretty sore and tired (and not workout sore, just fibro sore), sooooo.

Mornings are still hard. My body is still pretty stiff in the AMs. I'm hoping at some point it will just be sore from working out and not sore because of fibro.

That's all I got.

~K