Discuss Ordinary vs Extra-Ordinary!

I took a cycle class today. Big deal, right? Yes, this is a big deal. You see, cardio and I are not exactly on a first name basis, and the names I do use for cardio, well I can't use them here. Regardless, I took a cycle class today.

So why was I in this hour of punishment? Janet. She taught the class and she's also my Personal Trainer. She can be very persuasive. I told her on Monday as we were working out that I had the day off on July 4. I had no plans other than sleeping late, watching movies, maybe a few errands but nothing big. It is a holiday after all! "Well you can come to my cycle class that morning then!" She has that look - the look that says "you know you should do this and you have no excuse really" so....I took a cycle class today.

I showed up on time, early actually. I was psyching myself up for this. "I can do this! How hard can it be? It won't kill me. It's only an hour!" Everyone there seemed so happy to be there, and they had all been there before. That was encouraging, so I hung around until 8:30 to take a cycle class today.

Janet comes bouncing in all full of energy and jumps on that bike. Warm up time she says. Warm up! That's an easy part; I can do that! So I start pedaling. "Turn up the resistance" she says. Huh? I thought this was warm up! "Turn it up some more!" What the...? I dutifully follow along until I am definitely warmed up and wondering what I have gotten myself into. I look at the clock and its 8:38 or something close to that. It's going to be a long hour in this cycle class I'm taking today.

After 35 looks at the clock and another 5 minutes, my heart rate monitor is screaming at me telling me I am doing cardio. No duh! After 55 more looks at the clock and another 5 mins, my legs are saying "WTF are you doing?" Janet is still up there encouraging everyone on and talking about how much fun this is. It's a good thing she wasn't looking directly at me when she made that statement! The look I was giving her....but it wasn't a long look because my eyes kept going back to that broken clock. It had to be broken because I’d already spent two hours in this cycle class I was taking today.

After the numbers started fading out on the clock from all the looks I was giving it, I decided that after 30 mins I was out of here. Just 30 mins! I can do that! So I kept pedaling and pedaling and pedaling and pedaling and pedaling some more. I didn't do all the things Janet was instructing us to do though. Most of the time I was concentrating on willing my heart not to go on strike, my legs to not totally turn to mush and completely fall off and my breakfast to stay where I put it earlier this morning. Another look at the clock....28 mins gone. Yes! Only 2 more minutes and this now abbreviated cycle class will be over! Yes, 2 more minutes; I can do that! "You know the difference in Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary?" Huh? Where did that come from? Oh, it's that person up front who is encouraging us on. "Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary, do you know the difference?" Who gives a rip? I have only one more minute to go. "EXTRA! Extra is the difference. You people are not Ordinary; you are Extra-Ordinary to be here in my cycle class at 8:30 on a holiday morning. And you have that extra to push yourselves ....." Well, it was some drivel like that. I was still hung up on the fact that she had just called me Ordinary! Yes, I was about to walk out and she had to go say that garbage! Now if I walked out, I would be Ordinary! Damn! Just Damn! I am not ordinary by golly! So, I decided I could spend a few more minutes in this cycle class I am taking today.

40 minutes gone; ok 5 more and she'll start the cool down. I don't want to miss the cool down! 45 mins gone; surely she has to start the cool down now! I mean there's another class in here at 9:30 right? Apparently not! 50, 55 minutes gone and I am still pedaling because by this time I have an attitude. Stupid class! Stupid bike! Stupid me for being here but I'll be darned if I'm going to walk out and be Ordinary! Two people have left by this time and I saw my opening, but for some reason I stayed. Why? Janet? She can be very persuasive. But no, not Janet. It was me. I stayed because I am on a mission to get on a first name basis with this cardio thing. I want my heart to enjoy what I'm doing, regardless of what I'm doing. And I want to do it for a very long time. I'm not as young as I used to be but that's no excuse for letting myself go. It's even more reason to eat clean, exercise often and work on those things I know are a challenge for me. For those reasons, I TOOK A FREAKIN' CYCLE CLASS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Janet! :-)