Storm of the century, Eye of the tiger......

How about that rain yesterday, huh? As I was walking to BART in the downpour and then sitting at my desk with soaked feet and a bad attitude, I was secretly plotting my absence from boot camp today. I mean, no way this torrential downpour would be over by this morning, right? Might as well all settle in for a long wet spell!! And while we all enjoy a good Rocky montage with him running through the rain and drinking raw eggs, I think we all agree that's for people of a far heartier constitution than myself. I just got a pedicure for Christ's sake!!

So, it was with a tear in my eye and bitterness in my heart that I woke up at 3:00am this morning to no comforting plinking of rain outside my window. Still no rain at 5:40. Annoying. I dressed and hied myself over to Berkeley. Today's class also featured a small group, allowing me to immediately feel morally superior to all of the people who didn't make it to class, and isn't that the main point of exercise? To win? Even if the winning is accomplished by virtue of people NOT doing something. Just by showing up, I'm already ahead. And when you still can't do a full push-up, you take whatever small slice of the victory pie you can. Here, read this; She gets it.

This morning's workout was kind of surreal. Because there were so few of us, we were able to work out in the little studio where all of the equipment/torture devices are stored. It's basically a cute little innocuous looking barn from the outside, but inside it's filled with all kinds of weird stuff and has ropes and chains and weight bags (?!? ummm, boxing bags maybe? Weight bags seems wrong. Oh, wait; Lord Google informs me it is indeed a "boxing bag".One of these things.) hanging from the ceiling.

Which is all great and very gym-like. Until you have 10 profusely sweating people in there. Combine that with the frigid air coming in from outside and all of a sudden you're in a humid little barn with eddies of steam and sweat rising and swirling, giving a very "Gorillas in the Mist" like feeling. No? Was I alone in that comparison? See, this is yet another screwed up part about exercise. Your body just takes over. Now, I've heard a ton of people like this side-effect. Quiet the mind and all that. It is very primal, being able to hear your heart pounding in your ears as you try not to throw up or pass out,  I'll give it that. And I can see the allure, but when your mind has enjoyed a lifetime of reading and being hyperactive and very imaginative, your body taking over sometimes causes you to go all kinds of weird places. As I lay there doing ab work (so much ab work. So hard. So sob-inducing), looking at the pretty grey paint on the ceiling and the hooks and ropes and various trinkets and whatnots dangling above, as my breath streamed all around me and dawn was just breaking (or maybe my vision was tunneling due to the abs workout. My God, the abs) I immediately thought of Victorian London and darkened alleys where Jack the Ripper lies in wait. My body's working so hard just to keep me alive, my mind is roaming all over the place thinking about whether I'd be able to fight off Jack the Ripper now that I've been lifting weights? MESSED UP, right!?!?! What do you think about when you work out?

Working out in Ye Olde London

But hey, at least it's not raining anymore! And Week 4* is almost done. I WIN!