BLAST!

That facebook!  It screws me every time!  So I see on my friend Doug's status that he is going at 6:15 to take this class at the gym.  It's called BLAST.  I have no idea what BLAST means, maybe it's some acronym, I think I'll make up something whitty if there isn't.

I see that it's taught by one of the triathlon trainers.  OK, I took her class 2-3 years ago & I had to leave after 10 minutes (ok 5!).  It was that tough.  But that was then....not 2010 the year I'm training for my 1/2 Ironman.  I can do it.  & not being one to step down from a request from a friend, I'm going!  I totally succumb to peer pressure.  Is there a bridge?  Are you jumping off?  Me too.  If you can do it, I can too!  OK, so that's not the smartest thinking, but I didn't just want to get on the treadmill again tonight.  Too boring.

1 hour, that's it.  I can make it.  I go to spin all the time.  But that's on a bike, and you can go at your own pace.  This class is broken up into groups & you're 1 of 4.  So you can't just hide in the back.  There was a lot of situps, burpees, abs, etc.  You get the idea.  It was tough & I was sweating, but at the halfway mark I thought I'm ok...I'm not dying...I'm gonna make it.

It actually went a lot faster than I thought.  Then out comes the dreaded stepper - you know the Reebok stepper circa 1997.  You had to jump straight up on it.  Uh oh.  This presented a problem.  Years ago, I was in a car accident & my left ankle & heel was broken in about 3 or 4 places.  6 pins, 2 screws, a plate & 2 surgeries later, the ankle doesn't bend that well & balancing on one foot?  Yeah, not happening!  I felt like I was cheating, only being able to do 10 jumps when everyone else was doing 25, but each time I landed on that left foot - the tendons & tiny ligaments just burned with pain.  I had to resort to one foot up at a time.  I just couldn't do it.  But that was towards the end of the class & at the end I approached the  instructor.  I didn't want her to think I was cheating, I am just physically unable to make that ankle bend. She was really nice when I showed her the 8" scar & said I just can't do it.  Not to worry she said - you did a great job keeping up on your first try!

Great, words of encouragement!  I think I'll come back next week.  It really was a great class, we had a blast too....wait a minute, maybe that's why the call it that!!!!!  OK, I'm a dork, but it was a lot of fun!