When running hurts, I love a good sweaty gym sesh that much more. Kettlebells, TRX, planks — bring it on. I’m literally bounding out of bed to make it to my boot camp or morning strength workouts rather than suffer through pounding the pavement at the moment.
And maybe to have good excuses to wear all my new fun pants, too. I seem to be starting quite the colorful collection.
On Monday mornings I take a kettlebell/TRX style bootcamp class with 4 other ladies at Mid-City Gym, and I really enjoy it. For me, doing strength training with a group of other strong women (all of whom I really like and have gotten to know well) is an amazing way to start my week. I’ve found that working out with other people — especially doing these type of circuit workouts — is super motivating, and we all push ourselves and work together and encourage each other. It also helps that we have an amazing trainer who is very invested in us and pushes us constantly. It’s a really awesome feeling, and we’re pretty spent at the end of each session.
Then this morning, I pulled on some more fun pants (hey, doesn’t hurt to still be a bit girlie) and headed over to the 41st St NYSC — and found a delightful surprise awaiting me: a UFX/TRX set up.
I think that’s my “stretching hurts these days” face.
Boom. About freakin’ time they got one of these. Very excited about this new addition and will be happier at this gym now.
However, my workout ended on a much more somber note, as one of my closest girlfriends came running into the locker room to find me after coming back from her run outdoors. Something awful happened this morning on the West Side right on the path where I always run: some seriously deranged and sick human being stabbed and slashed 5 people with what they are thinking was a pair of scissors. Click here to read the news report:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/01/at-least-four-people-stabbed-on-upper-west-side/
It’s devastating. The fact that someone could attack innocent people out for their morning runs/walks/family time, right in broad daylight, in what is generally a very safe and beautiful part of the city, absolutely shocks and enrages me. I’m horrified by this occurrence and that my friend actually saw the victims, as she was out there at that very time. I thank God I chose to work out indoors today, but this has scared and sickened me beyond belief. I run this course regularly, and it’s now tarnished for me; some of the magic of my early-morning renewal time is now tained with grief — and even fear — because of such a tragic event.
Please pray for the victims and their families, and for our city in general. Something like this only serves to remind us how life can change in the blink of an eye, and how we can never really be prepared for a tragedy to occur right in the midst of our everyday lives.
Be safe, friends and runners alike. God bless you all.
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I was JUST talking to Zach last night about how I was concerned about running on the trails near our house early in the mornings or at odd hours because it is empty and you never know who’s out there. That is SO scarey. I’m so glad you’re safe!
Thanks girl- and yes be careful!