Recovery and new gym- complete with crazy lady!

Even in the heat and with crazy stress (well that's normal) I have still been enjoying my running. Crazy, right?

Rewinding a couple days....Sunday we literally just laid around most of the day, unpacked some stuff, went shopping to stock up the kitchen, and explored the surrounding area.  After a packed 2 days of moving, cleaning, then the reunion I felt like I couldn't get my body moving in any type of forward and productive motion.  I felt so exhausted and drained that eating seemed like it wasn't even worth it.  Eventually had a decent sized meal at dinner but I was going to be way under points for the day....so we splurged and got ice cream (I got a tiny little kids size, calm down).  It was awesome and literally felt like a lift to my spirits.  Maybe it was just the sugar and peanut butter/chocolate...whatever it was, I felt like a human again instead of a slug.  The fact that I drank my dinner in the form of 2 glasses of wine and a shot the night before might have had something to do with that..... O yeah and this:

My killer sexy shoes were killer on my left side heel

Adrian, being the wonderful husband he is, gave me an amazing foot massage when we got home from the reunion.  Really, he is unbelievable- sometimes I can't believe he is mine!  ::squee::

By Sunday night, post ice cream deliciousness, I felt ready to return to normal life and set my alarm for 6:30am so I could get a 3 mile run in before all my conference calls started at 8:30 am.  And so that I didn't melt in the heat.  Somehow both were accomplished- although I was sweating through every layer of clothes when I returned home from a nice 3.5 mile run around the neighborhoods around us.  But the important part- I did complete what I wanted to run and more.

Tuesday morning I got distracted before my run and was only able to get in 2.5 miles before having to turn in so I could shower and get my butt on a 2 hour conference call. yeah. seriously long call.  Had to go right to a hospital after that so you know I couldn't hold that shower off.  Plus who wants to be sitting in their own nasty sweaty-ness for 2 hours? ewwww. Not me!

That night Adrian and I went to check out gyms.  We had narrowed our choices to two that we were going to trial membership each...but then we walked into LA Fitness. And ended up walking out with two memberships....

 First off, I knew the closest YMCA (our other option aside from Planet Fitness) was at least 15 minutes away- with no traffic.  That really does NOT work for us.  We knew this but were still considering it- even though it didn't have a pool.  I was not thrilled about the no pool fact, but I realized it was a deal breaker once I saw their lap pool at LA.  Recently I have been reminded of the joys of swimming and my long term goal of completing an olympic level triathlon....then maybe half-ironman (if I lose my mind).....you get the idea- I'm an addict after all as Jen C tells me.  ;)

By the time we finished our tour of LA Fitness with David, the totally awesome guy helping us, my only personal concern was price.  The facility was great with separate areas for stationary legs/arms/abs/benching on the main level, a stretching space, special personal training space, a huge aerobic room, a gorgeous and brand new spin room that literally made me salivate, so of course I just HAD to try out their brand new bikes.  On the lower level were the locker rooms (with access to the pool on the main level), 2 racquetball courts and the free lifting room with so many squat racks, Smith racks, and free weights I wanted to jump up and down and squee!!  And then we went upstairs to the cardio area......amazing again.  Tons of treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, stair steppers, AND the combo ellipticals I have been dying to get my feet on.  So, of course I tested them out as well. SOLD.  Also- they had a jogging track surrounding the cardio area.  13 laps=1 mile.  Tediously boring, but another option for a shorter run.  I have been to bigger gyms- like the Gold's gym in King of Prussia (I think it was Golds, if not some other chain) which is basically like the mecca for gym lovers with 50 treadmills!! I would like my ashes scattered there, thank you very much.  Just kidding.......

Turns out, they were running a 4th of July special (convenient, eh?) which knocked our price down a bit.   He gave us some privacy so we could talk about it and realized that A- I was already in love (if you couldn't tell), B- why wouldn't I be?! , and C- there is no way the YMCA that was close could match this since there was no pool, similar prices, and it was much farther away.  Being a quick 5 minute drive from our house really helped the decision.  And my giddiness of playing on all the equipment!

We had a great experience with Dave and since we had talked about potentially using personal training down the line, he sent us to meet with the training coordinator.  FAIL.  Will never train with her. EVER.  She was like a bitchier, nasty, close minded version of Jillian Micheals.  Obsessed with herself and with a nasty attitude and zero respect.   And she would not shut up- especially about how much she hated running.  Really? This is clearly not the way to my heart after I tell you I have recently found a love of running and am training for a half-marathon.  You should be trying to win me over, I am a brand new member that is also a fitness lover!  Also, please don't diss weight watchers after I tell you that's how I lost my nearly 250lbs- that you were hardly fazed by.  Dave freaked out and high fived me, which made me feel awesome.  Let's face it- fitness people love to hear that stuff and that I've done it with healthy eating and exercise.    O yeah, get this, too- if I had lifted all throughout my weight loss I would have no loose skin....

Exactly

That was after telling her that I had been strength training for 2 years and working out throughout my weight loss.  Either she is a terrible listener or just nasty. Maybe both.  I have never claimed to be an expert but I do know that I have tried my best to manage my extra skin.  I also know for a FACT there is NO way you loose 250+ lbs and don't have extra skin, so don't you DARE try to make me feel like I could have done more. YOU SUCK.

Last tidbit I learned from her during her constant contradictions of herself...  My weight goal (according to her) IS 150, and I don't have a choice. This was AFTER I explained where my doctor wanted me to be and our plan to find my body's happy place somewhere between 160-180.  My dander was UP.  Especially because my doctor has basically been trying to prepare me that I will struggle to maintain 160 with my extra skin and muscular body type.  Later on she proceeded to say that BMI isn't important, but % of body fat is how they measure your fitness.  I agree, that is a better fitness indication....so how can you possibly KNOW that I should be 150lbs at goal except for with BMI- which you said was good 30 minutes before hand?!?! 

grrrrrrr indeed

Deep breaths.....so after all this BS, we finally learn their prices/packages and walked out without signing up for any. DUHHH.   I voiced my sticker shock a bit and she dumped salt into my gaping wounds by then telling me how crappy Y's are and how there were probably no good trainers in such a small town.  I nearly came across the desk I was SO pissed.  I was ready to take off her 4 in stilleto boots and beat her with them.  In the head.  Instead, I gave her the patented O'Neil glare (Nicole is another master of this).  It is deadly and I actually saw her squirm (success!!).  She then quickly started saying how she's been kidding the whole time after I explained how absolutely awesome my trainer and old gym was and how I was missing her like crazy, especially at that moment.  And reminded her I would train with her at least once a week, sometimes twice- as I had already told her several times since she kept mocking me after I said I was pretty self sufficient.  Apparently that simply isn't possible that I work out 6 days a week without somebody looking at my log every week and watching over my shoulder.  Because, you know, you can't possibly keep yourself motivated without a personal trainer to tell you ever single step to take and then monitor that you did it correctly.  O and heaven FORBID you lift without said personal trainer- you WILL over lift and hurt yourself.  According to her, who is the expert of the universe.  AGGGHHHHH


I feel like I need to do some sun salutations now to get her bad juju out of my brain.  Emily helped me calm down afterwards by reminding me that she was crazy and I was right.  That's what good friends are for! :)

So since this post warped into this huge rant about crazy gym lady, I'll talk about my 7 MILE run tomorrow.  That's right- 7 MILES!!! So proud of myself :)