Just in case you were on the fence about the integrity of my mental faculties, I will provide you with the evidence needed to convince you on which side you should fall.
Don’t let all my talk of meditation fool you; I rarely sit still. Today, I just had to go for a run. It is beautiful outside and the dog was just begging me to take him out. Okay, well actually he was passed out on the couch, but I’m sure he was begging me in his dreams. Now this wasn’t just any run. This was a 3 1/2 mile loop around the neighborhood. A VERY hilly neighborhood.
Run accomplished, I quickly rehydrated. I read about a kettlebell move to use with the Tabata protocol at 3:00 am this morning when I couldn’t sleep. Of course, I had to try it . Today. Immediately following the run.
Now, a brief interlude here for those of you not familiar with the particular brand of torture that is Tabata. You pick a full-body move that is easy to start and stop (I usually do the elliptical). You go all-out for 20 seconds and rest for 10. This cycle is repeated 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. Go ahead, laugh. I did too. Then I tried it and couldn’t move for 10 minutes. Normally, on days I do Tabata, I don’t do much of anything else too active.
Not today. So, I did squat thrusts with two 15 lb kettlebells with the Tabata protocol. I collapsed 3 seconds before the end of the final round. Breath heaving. Legs screaming. Shoulders burning. Glancing up, the heavy bag hanging in the corner caught my eye.
tentatively, I lifted an arm. Then the other. Yup, they still worked. Grasping onto a nearby chair, I hoisted my body into an upright position. I could still stand. I hobbled over to the nearby shelf, tugged the punching gloves onto my shaking hands and made my way to the bag.
And proceeded to do another 15 minutes of bag work.
And now (post-shower, of course) I’m off to a 3 year old’s birthday party.
Yup, insane.
Related articles
- How a Kettlebell Became My Therapist (lessonsfromtheendofamarriage.com)
Awesomeness! Tabata is great. I usually warm up for a workout with Tabata. YouTube “World’s Fastest Workout” and you’ll see the routine I follow. The kettlebells are awesome too and I totally understand why you couldn’t move your arms!
Warm up with Tabata? Yikes! I usually pass out with Tabata. Mucho respect!
Warming up with tabata is good because it’s cardio so your heart is pumping when you workout. Trust me, there is a 5 minute period in between where I catch my breath.
…and for some reason I forgot that I drove a standard transmission and that the birthday party was across town. Almost stalled countless times because my clutch leg was so shaky!