I will not die of embarrassment

I have been very busy realizing that I am immensely out of shape. I went hiking with my father (thankfully he went) on two different mountains and really thought I might pass out. I was struggling so badly to breath. At one point I felt my throat tighten up. It scared me into breathing - I think. My body is so doable with pain growing up as a swimmer it is (oddly) a comfortable feeling. But I have never had a problem breathing.

I looked up online and found that learning a 2,2 or 3,2 breathing method when walking or jogging will help. I also found swimming or jogging in water will help as the pressure will build breathing so that out of the water it's easier.

With my trip to Yosemite coming up, I could either kill myself of embarrassment when the other women left me dying of breath on the mountain or I could kill myself trying to get back in shape.

For the past week, I have been working out either walking, jogging, running, swimming, bicycling and/or yoga.

I realized that my breathing may not be totally my fault, so I went ahead and went to the doctor who diagnosed me as having sports induced asthma and gave me an albuterol inhaler. I use it before I go workout and/or as needed. Both my doctor and my pharmacist said it will make me jittery right after I take the inhaler. I kept thinking, "do these people know me? I am already a bit of an energizer bunny."

With my inhaler I have had much more success working out. I will admit (out loud) that my body is in pain. Especially my hamstrings. They are so tight it actually takes me a minute to get out of a chair. My shoulders are in agony over the amount of planks my yoga instructor likes to do.

One day I was so excited. Not only was I going swimming, but I was going to bike to the gym. WOHOO! Course the bike is downhill to the gym, and yes, uphill home. I packed all my stuff, took six pedals and realized my tires were flat. ARG! I rolled the bike back in the garage and drove. As I was getting in the pool my goggles strap broke. And broke again, a million little times in pieces as I tried to tie it back together just to manage my time in the pool. In the end, I tossed the goggles and swam without. No big deal, but my eyes were a bit sore after. Join the rest of my body.

The other day, I swam for a half hour then joined a new class at the gym - Hoola Hoop Yoga! Taught by my crazy ass yoga instructor. She is so awesome. I really love her. She is the epitome of I love to hate her! We started by becoming one with the hoola hoop (and trying not to giggle out loud). Then we learned how to move with the hoola hoop. Thankfully I am pretty good at the whole hoola hooping thing. (once won a contest at a bar) Then we learned some moves with the hoola hoop - around the world, over the head, back and forth. Then we danced while hoola hooping. Every time we dropped our hoop we had to jump and make a WOOP! sound so we could learn not to take the hoop seriously. I loved every minute of it and I was sweating by the end. Then I pulled out my yoga mat and did full on tough yoga. So proud of myself. It was a full two and a half hours of working out.

I have noticed a change. Sadly not around my middle (yet), but my mind is very clear during the day and I sleep like a rock at night. I also find myself wanting to figure out new ways to workout.

I have been doing my best to eat healthy too. I stuck to salads, sandwiches and only 3 meals a day (much smaller than normal). I cut out my daily mocha. I did have one at the end of the week, but it was a tall with half the mocha. I only had a few Hersey kisses for sugar each day to curb the sugar cravings. I enjoyed a vegetable day without any kind of meat.

I have a few more weeks of working toward my goal, but now I am thinking of having a new goal. Swim Alcatraz! Something I will look in to doing next year some time. I wrangled my old swim buddy in to doing it with me as I know he has been looking to shape up as well.