Continuing in my quest for reasonable fitness by Regionals, I ran a modified Special K workout.

In particular, I ran:

  1 stinker
  4 stinkettes
  3 suicides

I wanted to run more suicides, but, eh, I wimped out. The fields were getting overrun with kids (who all showed up at 5:30, oddly enough. And the MP3 player I was using messed up a little bit, so, eh, I just stopped.

I did have a mental lapse in the middle of the stinkettes. I was about half way through the run, and just stopped. Ick. I didn't count that one in my totals.

Well, I have less than two weeks to get ready for Regionals. Though I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make it, I'm sure as hell going to give it my best shot.

I'm not supposed to play ultimate yet (the risk for a really serious injury instead of merely a serious injury is too great), I played yesterday. Kris said I looked pretty good, but every step was hard. I am out of shape.

So, in an effort to get back into shape quickly, I joined Kris at ASA today for the MVP class. This is the second to last one for me before Regionals.

We were joined today by Scottie and Mitch. Mitch was pretty loud and obnoxious, though somewhat entertaining. Scottie was a little more serious. G tried to instill a strong sense of work ethic in the two of them ("Be the player the coach can turn his back on."), but they weren't really self-motivated. Still they were entertaining. Both play on the Vikings (some local, possibly travelling, baseball team).

Started off with ladders. Because Scottie and Mitch were also doing the ladders, we did two sets of 1/2 ladders (nine squares instead of 2x9 squares) for warm up. We did the usual, nothing new.

Note to Self: I should get up and do ladders hourly. See if that helps my aerobic capacity.

Next, we did the eye of pain (read: shuttle run at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, forward and backward (i.e. no turning around like in a suicide)). We did 4 sets.

Next, we did did frog hops to one legged balances, to explode into a sprint. G set up cones every 6 feet or so. We started at one end, and did two legged jumps to the next cone, bounding up as soon as we landed. At the last cone (there were about 25 yards of bounding), we landed on one foot, and settled into a one-legged squat. After holding that squat for two seconds, we exploded into a sprint.

We did two sets of these landing on the right foot, two landing on the left foot, then 4 more landing on the foot G called out just before we landed.

Next, we went back inside (those were all in the back parking lot), and did a 5 station lower body workout. The stations were:

• Hop onto a single lift aerobics step, hop onto the other side, that's one. Hop back onto the step, then off the other side. That's two. Do 20 (10 each leg).
• Hop over the step. As soon as you land, jump back over to the other side. I stuggled with this one. The longest streak I had was only 8 jumps.
• Next was jumps off a 1' box, land and spring up to a 2' box. Do 12.
• Next was the shuffle over a 1' box. Essentially, put a foot on the box, the other on the ground. Spring up, and switch which foot is up, and which is on the ground.
• Last was toe touches for 30 seconds (Kris had 45 seconds).

We did this set of five exercises three times. Ugh.

Next was leg presses and squat jumps. We did 2 or three sets of these, I don't recall.

Abs came next. Once again, I wasn't able to complete all of them. In particular, I couldn't do the partner leg throw downs. Too much torsional exertion.

My shins here. My ribs hurt. But I feel good. I'm exercising again! After 4 weeks off, it feels good.

Migraines: 10
Menstruations: 4

Emergency rooms: 0

Number nine yesterday. Number god-damned fucking nine yesterday day. I'm fucking 35 years old. I should be done with these horrible things. I run. I exercise. I eat all the good stuff I'm supposed to eat. I don't smoke. I don't drug up. I don't toke. I have problems consuming bubbly drinks or even caffeinated ones. Why the hell do I have these totally fuck-up-your-life throw-you-down-and-step-on-you stupid mi-fucking-graine headaches. I'm tired of them! TIRED.

My grandfather had them. My father had them. How did I become so lucky as to inherit them from the male side of my family? My grandfather outgrew them. My dad lost the pain of his. Of course, if we go back another generation, the migraines come from my great grandmother, my dad's dad's mother. Argh.

I guess we all have our burden. We all have that one quirk that makes us who we are, that one burden that shapes our lives. I have my migraines. Kris has his Crohn's. Chris has diabetes. Everyone has something. If we don't, we probably make it up.

My friend Robin Saxen (who I've sadly fallen out of touch with) and I were once comparing childhoods. I thought mine was bad, then heard hers. I consider hers much worse and said as much. She replied, "We all have our burdens. Who's to say which burden is heavier than the next? We have them, we carry them. Your load is never more than you can handle."

Yeah, I miss Robin.

I'd like to think I chose this burden. That, before I was born I was given a menu of fantastic features I could have, with the associated burdens that go with them. That I chose all my good qualities, and thought to myself, "These headaches? I can manage them. I can bear them, because I know the gifts I have in compensation."

Because my gifts are many. And my blessings are more.

Migraines: 9
Menstruations: 4