I DID IT!!!!

Dee is my favorite step aerobics instructor at my gym. If I know she is teaching a class, I know I am guaranteed a butt-kicking, fabulous workout. I will get up out of a warm bed on a Saturday morning to make her 8:00 AM class, and I will make sure that I'm there for her "Super Step" class on Friday evening at 5:30 before officially kicking off my weekend.

There are several things that amaze me about this woman. First, in a recent conversation with her, she revealed that her boyfriend was several years younger than she. Hardly a revolutionary concept. I didn't even think anything of it until she said that her boyfriend was 43 years old. Thinking that she had misspoken, I pointed out that she said her boyfriend was "43." After taking at least 3 aerobics classes weekly with this woman for the past 3 years, I was under the impression that she was within a year or two of my own age, 32. When I "corrected" her, she stood flummoxed for a moment. I thought she must have meant to say that he was 33. How in the name of God could somebody aged 43 be several years younger than Dee?

Lo and behold, she revealed to me that she is, indeed 46 years old. Now look, I know that 46 is young, but to be 46 and look not a day over 32 is pretty incredible. I guess that is the benefit of exercise, right?

The second thing that amazes me about this woman is that she is absolutely TINY, yet when she is teaching a strength training class, she is invariably up there lifting at least twice what I am lifting, and I am at least TWICE her size. She is as strong as an ox. Another testimonial to exercise, I guess.

And the third thing that I find amazing about this woman is her endurance. She will teach up to 4 classes in a row. And when she teaches, she really gets up there and does everything right along with the class. None of this standing around up there eating a meat lovers' Dominos pizza while she calls out to us what to do. No siree, Bob. She's up there, doing the full fledged workout and calling all the moves, never out of breath and never even breaking a freakin' sweat. She's unreal. Most of the times, when she teaches several classes in a row, she'll do some muscle class, followed by a cardio class, etc. But on Friday nights, it blows me away that she teaches two sessions of full-out step aerobics in a row. That's two full hours back to back. I always wondered how the hell she does it. I mean, after just one hour, I'm beat.

So, last Saturday, I'm at the gym working out, and she comes in to exercise. Not to teach, just to work out. So, in chatting with her, I asked her how the hell she manages to do both step classes, back to back. She surprised me by saying that sometimes, the second one actually gets easier than the first one. Hogwash, I thought!

I dismissed it as an obvious sign of psychosis on this otherwise totally normal woman's behalf.

Then, my cousin, California Mo, called, and we were talking about the gym and exercising, etc. CA Mo told me that at times, she has indeed gone to the gym twice in one day to take two step classes. She goes in the morning, and then again in the afternoon/evening. Like my step instructor, CA Mo has been an exercise addict for years. This whole fitness thing is relatively new to me within the past few years.

But there it was. All week, this whole idea of doing a two hour aerobics challenge was like a call to arms. I had to do it. I trained all week, taking one or more classes each day, or taking a class and then doing some treadmill work. But never two step classes in a row.

Last night, I walked in there, prepared to do what I dubbed the "Dee-athon" (named in honor of Dee, the instructor), but I was prepared to give myself and out and leave at any point during the second class if things got too intense.

I made it through the first class no problem, but I was already dreading the second.

As soon as the second class started up, I started feeling pretty good. I looked up at the clock after what I thought was just a few minutes and discovered that in fact a half hour had already passed. The next ten minutes, for some reason, were rough. But I perservered. The last 20 minutes were great, but my feet started getting very hot..blistery hot. But still, I did not falter.

I was so proud of myself upon completin of these two classes! What a great way to start my weekend and, more importantly, my full week off for "February vacation!"

I look forward to doing it again next weekend and getting conditioned to do it on a regular basis.

I owe a big shout out thanks to my girls Dee and California Mo! Thanks to you, I was able to achieve something of which I'm very proud. Also, as is evidenced by the photograph below, I was able to properly send the weekend and school vacation into full "blast-off!"




peace out!