Legs Cooked, Arms Useless, Badge Incoming

Ah… Saturday morning. The temptation to just hang around in your pyjamas instead of doing the workout you’re meant to be doing.

Or maybe that’s just me.

The boys have headed off to the markets, I’ve just booked some flights for a trip later in the year, and I’ve got a hair appointment to get to shortly. There is absolutely no logical reason to be sitting here writing a blog post right now.

And yet.

The cycling badge is trying to kill me

My 52-in-52 badge for this month with iFit is a cycling one called “Let’s Race” – 8 workouts building up to a 16k race at the end. It’s part of the challenge I set myself this year to earn a workout badge every month.

The workout I’m ignoring this morning is a 1 hour bike ride. Which I really should be doing. But my legs have been cooked since Wednesday’s session, and honestly, I was quite proud of that. It was only 30 minutes, but I pushed hard, kept up with the RPM, and didn’t lower the resistance too much. My legs have felt it ever since.

This morning, I got out the rolling stick and ran it down my ITBs on the outsides of my legs. It felt like my muscles were being torn off the bone.

I looked at the foam roller.

I thought about it for a full two seconds.

Not a chance.

Ever seen those people on the foam rollers grunting in an ugly way? That would be me.

There was no foam rolling this morning.

The treadmill badge, running, and my ongoing sulk

The treadmill badge this month isn’t so bad – I’m doing the 5k one, only 5 sessions, super achievable.

But the temptation to actually run is overwhelming. They’re short intervals, 30 seconds here and there, so totally doable.

I was told a while back that I wasn’t allowed to run anymore, and I’ve been sooked about it ever since. Running was my happy place. The thing I did when everything felt like too much. So having that taken away hit harder than I expected.

For now, I’m still walking it. Being a good girl…

But here’s my argument:

I’ve lost 32kg. My body is different now. And if I was only running on the treadmill with the shock absorbers, only 1-2 times a week, maybe, just maybe, my knee might not get pissy about it?

I should probably stop avoiding going back to the physio, book my next appointment, and raise it with him.

Or…just continue living in denial for a bit longer.

Building my strength, or lack thereof

My friend and I have started a 45-day strength challenge on iFit as well, aimed at beginners, with shorter, 10-minute sessions.

It’s hard without being ridiculous. I’m sore in a good way, which I’ll take.

But the other day, one session was a lot of push-ups, and boy, was I humbled.

For so long, I’ve been doing push-ups with my arms at 90 degrees to my body – straight out from my shoulders. Then one day I realised my arms were meant to be much closer to my sides, working the triceps more.

I tried it.

I collapsed.

Yeah… not good.

I’m currently on all 4s, bum in the air, trying to figure out how to keep my arms in the right position without face-planting. It’s a work in progress.

And as you can imagine, I look very classy when I do it. If there was an image in a training bible somewhere of what not to do, I would be the very definition.

Anyway, I really should go smash this strength session out before the hair appointment.

God, I hope there’s no bloody push-ups.

Has anyone else had a proper “wait, I’ve been doing this wrong the whole time?” moment? Or any other exercises that you’re struggling to nail?