This picture could be part of an actual crossfit workout! I would totally burn my butt. And speaking of burning butts, I did make it to Bulldog today. First I did have to light a fire under my own butt to get going. I actually had some sort of weird inception moment this morning where I dreamed that I woke up, was super tired and headache-y and posted on this very blog that I did not go to Bulldog today. Whoa. Then the alarm went off and I woke up and was super tired, but not headache-y. I still thought, hmmm, maybe two times is best for this first week back. Then I looked at the Bulldog workout for today.

Today this was my main motivator instead of a fear-inducer. The name of today's workout is "Wet." Hmmm...what's up with that? Then I saw "kettlebell" I was all in. Somehow I must have looked past the word "burpee." But with the image of kettlebells dancing in my head, I was out the door and off to Bulldog. Plus Juanita, one of my Poundmates, loves kettlebells too, so I knew she would be even more psyched than usual for today. When Juanita is psyched, we are all psyched. (Note: Juanita is almost always psyched.)

I did the usual warm-up, but because I was early this morning, I got through almost all of it. Until the last thing: back extensions. I thought these were our fun "I'm flying! on the floor!" exercises but no. It's on a contraption thinger like this.

I was also supposed to be doing my sit-ups on it. But I thought I was too out of shape and overweight to use this thing. One future day, when I am svelte and bendy, I would graduate to this machine.

Wrong. "Get up there woman," says Gio the coach. I was terrified. I had visions of going backwards and feeling my entire muscle system in my abdomen and back tear with cartoon plucking sounds (ploink, ploink, ploink!). Gio patiently tried to get me to lean back, but I was just too scared. I said I wouldn't do it.

This is frustrating! It's a lack of trust in myself and a lack of self knowledge about what my body can do. I will have to confront this contraption again.

But on to the "Wet" workout: 4 repetitions of 10 kettlebell cleans, 10 kettlebell push presses, 10 kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls, run 200 meters, then 10 burpees. I mostly used a 24 lb kettlebell but switched to 20 lbs for the push presses near the end. When I started this -- somewhere around the start of the burpees in round one -- I thought I would do 2 rounds and then stop. But somehow I found myself in the third round. So then I thought, at the end of this round, I'm done, because I am dragging my ass and not just feeling the burn, but possibly spontaneously combusting, and I have to babysit my nephews today, and and and... At the end of round three I looked pleadingly at Gio and held up three fingers. He said,"Let's go, Tami." Oof. Ironically, this is one of the many reasons why I choose Bulldog. Because Gio knew that I had another round in me and I'd already quit once today with the contraption. So I did all four rounds. Everyone was so awesome with encouraging me and cheering me on -- another reason why I choose this place: It is not just a gym! It's friends and fellow tortured beings who want to see you finish too.

I think my time was 34 minutes and something seconds. I forgot to write it down. I definitely understand the workout's name now because wow was I sweaty.

So triumphantly (except for the tussle with myself and the contraption), I put in three workouts at Bulldog this week. Yay! On to week two on Monday.

Thanks again to everyone for their support and encouragement!!