Beating the Dark...

It's Winter here. Many of you may know that. It's cold. Very Cold. And Dark, most of the time. I get up in the Dark, come home in the Dark. Dark everywhere. Even the Friend I talk to most (mostly whining) is Dark, as in Joan of Dark.

(oh, I could be VERY funny today)

(Note to self: Insert random Bengal pics in the post for the people who don't either find you funny or want to hear about your random FIT Plan)

I've been on the FIT Plan for 5 months now, I do believe I've mentioned this. And am STUCK on the Plateau. People who have done this FIT thing have told me this would happen. You lose 10% of your body weight and stay there for a while. But it is very time to move on, so, I've stepped up the game.

I hurt (in a good way) I can hardly move post workouts, I'm so tired when I get home, I've been seriously considering Twittering for someone to come over and help me do things like, oh, un-dress and bathe me. It's so hard to drag myself to the gym sometimes, I want to scream. I don't EVER want to get up in the cold and Dark and generally spend the first half hour in my Cave of Covers emailing the (Joan of) Dark with interesting things like "COLD DARK HURT SUCKS DON'T WANT TO"

And I love it.

Two weeks into this new Stepped up Plan and it's working. Sometime this week, the Switch in my Brain will flip on, and I will start loving this. It may have been yesterday, actually. Had an amazing ride, then, tho I had to drag myself there kicking and screaming, kind of loved the horrible step class/core workout.

Felt the Power.

The week looks like this:

Monday: AM Step/Zumba with Little Evil, PM TURBO
Tuesday: AM Ride, PM Zumba/ Personal Trainning w/ Little Evil
Wednesday: AM Zumba w/ Little Evil, PM Zumba-lite
Thursday: AM Ride PM Horrid Step/Core workout
Friday: PM Zumba/Weights with Little Evil
Saturday: Zumba w/ Little Evil
Sunday: Skating

LOTS of Little Evil, my trainer. I'll take any class she teaches, because I know there's no holding back and she will get more out of me than I know for certain that I can do.

It's a good Plan, every day is something different, all of it (mostly) is fun, which is important. If your Plan isn't fun, it's not going to work. Food is important too in any Plan, but trust me, if you are working out like this, the last thing you worry about is eating badly.

First of all, you have no energy by the night to make much, and secondly, working that hard, you don't want to eat ANYTHING that is going to negate it. Fruit, veg, whole grains, fake meat. (Yes, went Veggie a while back, met this chicken who became my friend, long story and saw blood sausage in Ireland. Can't eat meat anymore) Lots of little meals. And lots of water.

My riding is getting better. I want to show this summer and not like last summers Trial By Fire, terrified and not knowing what I was doing (tho to give Poetry credit, she knew what she was about, get that one out of the way, step it UP, which led to NOW. Oh, it worked all right)

I want to pursue Derby, so much joy these last few months has been getting to know so many Derby Girls, and their inspiration, watching their Bouts, and the encouragement I've gotten from them has tipped the scales. (So to speak, that scale is going DOWN)

Thanks for listening while I got this all straight in my head. It's hard. And anyone who wants to pursue this FIT needs to know that. There IS no Magic about it. It's sweat and bone and muscle and a will that grows stronger and determination like iron. It's falling, failing and getting back up, stronger. It's beating the Dark. (The real Dark, not beating the Joan of...)

You also need to know this:

It's worth it.

Very, very worth it.

Love and Strength,
Lorraine