Hey, hey! Give me five -- I did it! I went to Bulldog this morning. When the alarm went off at 4:30, I did have one tiny "oh hell no" moment, but it passed quickly. I always love to be up when the first couple of birds start warming up with their sleepy chirps. And thanks to some James Brown on the radio, I was pretty peppy when I got to The Pound. Here's what I did today:

Warm-up: run 400 meters (my feet said yay! my lungs said wtf?!), then two amazingly uncomfortable stretches (how can stretching make you feel like you might barf? these are extreme stretches!), 10 squats (butt must touch medicine ball), 10 leg swings, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups -- I didn't make it to the pull ups or back extensions because the weight-lifting session started.

Today: deadlifts: 10 at 50% of your max, 8 at 60%, and 6 at 70%. I don't have a max, so I tried to start at half my body weight, but no sir, that was not happnin. I ended up at 105 lbs for 10 very breathy, grunty, not all-in-a-row reps, followed by 8 incredibly slow attempts at lifting 110 lbs. It was not pretty. For some reason I cannot get the breathing pattern right. You'd think the lifting part would be the worst, but no, it's learning to breathe at the right places to help your lift (and not pass out).

Then the workout: 4 rounds (for time) of 200 single rope jumps, 30 hip thrusters, and 15 jumping pull ups. It quickly became apparent that 4 rounds was just not possible on this first day back. I am the worst jump-roper ever. I jump like a chubby schoolgirl -- which is right about the last time I ever jumped rope. I do not jump like a smooth, swift boxer in training. No. 200 times is excrutiating for everyone involved (spectators and coaches included). By the time I got to the hip thrusters, my tongue was dragging on the floor. I did something that somehow counted as 30. Then the jumping pull ups, which are okay except when every muscle is crying out, stop! stop! But I did them. I did only 1 round and it took me 14:16. Watching everyone else finish their rounds was good motivation. The fact that I was still panting and pink-faced even after they were finished also was a clear indication that I need to work -- consistently and hard.

I have to say that my muscles have been fatigued all day, but my inner energy feels like I drank a pot of espresso. I have been super productive and energetic all day! I do have the beginnings of migraine chewing on my right eyebrow, but I probably would have had that or worse without Bulldog this morning. I am psyched to go back tomorrow morning. Yay!