Pressure

Keep pushing. Go a little further, lift a little more, go a bit faster, but don't give up until it hurts, which is most of the time.

This time it's my back. I have no idea what I did to it - probably something stupid like trying to pick up my beer when I should have had the help get it for me. But do I stop working out? Not a chance. I go for a massage. The lady I've been seeing knows just where to find the sore spots, the ones that she pushes at that make me flinch and she says "sorry sorry" then keeps at it until it actually feels better. Worth every penny. No pressure.

I told my doctor that I can swim the first mile just fine, then it starts to hurt. Her advice: Stop after one mile. That will be a $20 co-pay, please. Squeeze. I tell myself I just have to change my workout for awhile, maybe take out a second mortgage.

"Push" the spinning instructor shouts out, "PUSH". I sit up front in the coat closet they call the spinning room. Bike #2. My bike. Anyway, I can't see anyone except three other people. After class yesterday Spinning Instructor told me that half the class just putzed along. I suggested maybe they were out of shape, hurting, half asleep (we start at 5:30, FYI), or hungover, and I know about the hangover workouts. Today I swam my mile and just did some mat work. It was great - nice and easy - relax, relax. It was tempting to just crap out with a juice box and ask the lady in the fitness center for Story Time, but maybe that would be pushing my luck.

I had a general physical on Wednesday. Everything was good - except my blood pressure, that is, so I'll have to make some changes. Meditation, deep breathing, less salt. One of the recommendations I read was to eat an ounce of 70% chocolate a day. So I will force myself to do this too - I'm sure it won't be easy. FYI it goes great with beer and pretzels. The pressure is on.