Well, I had the most delightful workout this evening. The Texas skies decided to thrash about in anger and send torrential downpours, complete with hail, flashes of lightning, and threats of funnel clouds. So, I was forced to forego sprints. Now, normally I would be jumping for joy, screaming hallelujah. After all, I did talk about doing a rain dance yesterday in hopes of this occurring. Well, that plan backfired. Yes, it did rain, and no, I could not do my sprints. But I had to do something to replace them. And what was the lovely activity that earned that right? Running stairs. Yep...running stairs.

It all started with an 8-minute mile run on the treadmill. An eight-minute mile might not be such a difficult feat for you, but do you have stubby legs? Remember, I'm vertically challenged. These legs can only go so far, so fast.

There are three stories to the apartment buildings in which I live. So, three flights of stairs. For the first part of the workout, I had to run all the way up all three flights. Then, I had to lunge across the walkway to the other side and run down the three flights of stairs. I had to lunge back across the bottom level walkway, and repeat the whole thing all over again...twice. Without stopping. Then I got to have a break and then I had to repeat this for a second set.

Winded? Yep, me too. But I wasn't done. The next ordeal with the stairs involved running up one flight, lunging across the walkway, running up a flight, lunging across the walkway, running down a flight, lunging across the walkway, running down a flight, lunging across the walkway, and repeating this again without stopping. That was one set. After a brief break, I did this all over again. Can we say, "owwww"? I didn't realize I could produce so much sweat. Yeah, I know, y'all probably didn't want that visual. Well, I didn't either, but I didn't have a choice. At least you didn't have to smell me through this whole thing. I did!

And I wasn't done. I then had to take the stairs two at a time and go all the way up all three flights, run down (try running down stairs when your legs are numb), and repeat this six times. That was one set. After a brief break, I had to repeat this again.

Then, I got to walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes. I could barely see straight. But I got through it. And now, I get to look forward to 45 minutes of running on the treadmill in the morning. That chocolate cake and deep dish pizza is going to taste soooo good when it finally gets into my mouth in three weeks. Oh yeah, and standing on stage and looking good in those suits will be pretty cool too...lol

By the way, 50-pound dumbbells for one arm rows for sets of 10 each arm, and that was at the end of a tough back workout and with only a 1/4 cup of oats and a 1/3 cup of blueberries in me to fuel my fire. Yeah! Why can't off season hurry up and get here so I can eat and really lift some heavy weights in the gym???? Of course, then I'll be complaining about how my belly keeps popping off the snap on my camouflage pants (that's not funny!).

One of the guys in the gym did say that he noticed a big difference in my shoulders and back just from six weeks ago. He said he had never seen my back look this thick or this conditioned. I take that as a huge compliment! I handed him an application for a judging position at the Junior Nationals. Lol!

I'm off to eat chicken and then crash into bed. Please get onto the board and tell me what yummy things y'all are eating! I need to live vicariously through someone!

Jodi :)