What next?

I'm itching for my next gym challenge, though I'm not sure what it is yet. Here are a few things I've thought of.

1. Flying Trapeze

This is definitely on my to try list. It looks amazing.

It is kind of pricey and I'm not in that much of a hurry to try it.

2. Spinning classes

I've wanted to try a spinning class for years. I have an exercise bike at home, and I worry my left knee doesn't like cycling.

It could be intense.

3. Vertical Pole classes

Also on my to try list. I need to save up the courage to take this. I am so uncoordinated! But all the girls who do this have killer abs.

4. Kickboxing

I could be pretty bad at this, but if someone taught me how to do it, then maybe?

(There are two groupons for this right now.)

5) Blast 900

I've driven by this place on Baxter St. A million times. They offer you a free first class, but I don't know what it is.

(Note: I looked it up. It's interval training with treadmills. I'm not sure I like treadmills. Classes are $20 each or $195 for an unlimited month. Not sure I can afford to like this one.) 

Description from their website:

BLASTClasses

BLAST is a fat shredding, muscle toning, personalized group exercise class in which people of every fitness level alternate between cardio on a treadmill and strength training on the floor, each working at their own pace to reach THEIR maximum effort.

Other ideas

6) Running

I could take up running again. 

7) Canopy Trapeze classes

I've wanted to take trapeze classes at Canopy for a year now, but have had no luck. Despite emailing the owner a few times and knowing two instructors, there is NEVER an opening in their beginner classes and there's no drop-in classes. 

8) A friend suggested belly dancing.

I cannot dance. I'm not sure about this idea, but it is on the list of possibilities. 

9) Zumba

A coworker lost a ton of weight doing zumba. I can't move my hips so I think I'd be tragic at this one. 

10) There seem to be a lot of bootcamp classes in Athens. I could look into this.

I'm not sure what's next. What should I do?

Lazy week

I've spent the week nursing my ankle. I only went to the gym three times, which left me teeming with excess energy. I could definitely see the appeal of not being a gym rat and staying home and doing nothing, but I won't do that.

This week I did a lot of toe raises and exercise bike. I iced a lot too. Any day now the ankle should be better.

I was also in athletic shoes all week.

1) I forgot how comfortable athletic shoes are. Wearing my Asics to the grocery store is awesome. Why aren't all shoes that comfortable?

2) I'm used to living in flip flops in the summer. I have to plan outfits around my shoes. It's hard to pull off shorts and shoes—unless they're athletic shorts of you're going for the American tourist look. It's been a challenge. I've been wearing black pumas to work and trying to pass them off as dress shoes. And when I go out, sometimes wearing athletic shoes can look kind of punk.

I might have to start wearing athletic shoes more.

How to organize your gym clothes

Hi my name is Sara and I am addicted to gym clothes.

Seriously, I have a problem and need to stop. I love gym clothes. And as such I'd like my gym clothes properly displayed and organized so that I can see exactly what I have and don't make a mess out of them.

I've tried drawers, a basket, shelves. Finally, I took over a spare closet and turned it into my gym clothes closet (it previously held wrinkly clothes needing to be steaming and ironing).

I hang up my tops on clear hangers, by color, so I can easily pick a shirt. I've got tanks, short sleeve and long sleeve shirts all in their own section.

I put a hanging shelf in the closet with sports bras, shorts and capris. My winter leggings are stored elsewhere. It's way too hot for them right now.

This makes it pretty easy to pick out gym clothes in the morning. I find a top, some capri's, a sports bra. Grab shoes and socks and I'm done.

Exercising while tired/ Rolling my ankle (again!)

I can't tell if it's swollen. Maybe?

There's this fine line between pushing through fatigue for a better workout to working out tired and getting hurt. I don't know where this line is. I try to listen to my body and sometimes I know and sometimes I don't.

When I tore a ligament in October, I was doing a second hour of working out. I was trying something new and crazy and I was tired. Really tired and not paying attention. Looking back, I shouldn't have done that second hour.

Last night, I did an hour of circuit training and then was really tired at the beginning of cardio, my second class. I had no energy. I had a stitch in my abs. I just wanted to go home. But I was at the gym. And I felt like I was more tired than I should be.

We were playing four square and I was running over to another square and I rolled my ankle. It twisted too much to the side and my foot rolled under. I fell. I knew the feeling.

"Are you okay," a friend asks.

"I'm out," I said and stood up, leaving them with three people for a four-person game. "I think I rolled it," I said and hobbled off the trampoline. My ankle is tingling. Not a good sign. It's not a stabbing pain, but it lets me know something is wrong.

I have one of those ankles that occasionally rolls. Especially if I'm wearing too high heels. It will roll out of place. I'll be off kilter for a few steps and that's it. But this roll was somewhere between that roll and October's sprain.

I walk around the gym testing my ankle. I can walk. It's stiff, but not impossible. I elevate my ankle and ice it for about 10 minutes. I'm too anxious to sit still much longer. It doesn't hurt like last time, but there is pain and it's not in my head. I do some of the ankle stretches from last time. None of them hurt. Fingers crossed it's not bad.

I was tired and not paying attention to body position. And I was just thinking about how I haven't been doing my physical therapy. I should do more toe raises and keep meaning to run once a week or so.

But I really was tired. I didn't realize it until afterwards.  I usually workout 5-7 hours a week with two days off. But this week:

Sunday: 90 minutes of acro yoga.
Monday: 60 minutes circuits, 60 minutes cardio.
Tuesday: 90 minutes climbing
Wednesday: 60 minutes cardio, 90 minutes tumbling
Thursday: 60 minutes circuits + another class.

Adding acro yoga  into my mix is something I need to start considering and then adding that one cardio class made more of an impact that I realized. I'd already done 8.5 hours before I started the class.

This morning I woke up and the ankle was not purple and puffy. It's a little stiff and sore. Flexing it and moving it to the right are both a tad tender.  It tried to roll again when I was walking the dog in flip-flops. I need to be wearing shoes.

I am wearing a compression sock, icing it, keeping it elevated, doing my stretches and hoping that in the next week it's back to normal.

If not, there's always spin class, abs and wall sits.

Adventures in Climbing Shoes

Today's adventure was looking for climbing shoes. If the hubby and I are going to climb regularly, it would be nice to have our own shoes. The rentals are always beat up looking and the velcro pops open when I'm at the top of a wall. Not cool!

I couldn't find anything online cheaper than $70-$80, which I really only want to pay $40 for climbing shoes, if I climb once a month or so. The hubby said they were having a sale at the local outdoor outfitters store and texted me a picture of some climbing shoes for $49.99—the same shoes that are $80 elsewhere. I decided to go have a look.

Meanwhile, they didn't have the sale shoe in his size, so he bought $90 lace-up climbing shoes. I sure hope he's going to climb a lot, because at $3 a rental, he'd have to climb 30 times to get his money's worth.

I went to the store later that day. The sale shoe was a velcro shoe, and I think I'd rather have a lace up, so I could tighten it. But I'm not sure it's worth twice the price. It didn't actually matter. The size 7 in the sale shoe was too small. I tried an 8 and oddly that fit. (I have never in my life worn bigger than a 7.5). Only, the catch was that only the display was the sale price. That 7 that was too small was the only $49.99 shoe. The 8 he brought me that was an identical  style was $80. He didn't tell me that until I was trying on a different style, still velcro, but it fit better and was that plum/fuchsia color I like so much. I was't paying $100 for climbing shoes I'd barely use so I left the store without buying anything.

I liked the way these 5.10 Rogue shoes fit better than
the other shoes, but not for $100.

Now the hunt is on for inexpensive climbing shoes.

Workout Wear Wednesday: New Crazy Pants

I've gotten bored with black capri's, my gym uniform. So I've been on a hunt for super crazy pants to work out in. The really colorful ones can be hard to come by. Either they're super pricey or not in my size (apparently I am not the only one whose tired of black.)

I've gotten four pairs, which is more than I need.

The first two were purple Puma print capri's from 6pm.com. One's a small and one's an extra-small. I figured only one would fit and I'd send back what didn't fit, but they both fit and I liked them.

The lighter pair is a tad bit see through, so I'll just wear a long shirt or maybe shorts underneath, but both are super fun.

I ordered these capri's from Fabletics. I'm worried about signing up for their service, but I had to have these pants.

They came in a look fabulous. The fabric is thick and all-around they seem like high quality pants. They're a tiny bit tight in the thighs, but I suppose they fit (they are compression pants. I haven't worn them to work out in, but we'll see.

I thought I was done with crazy pants, but I found these Reebok color blast capri's on the clearance rack at Dick's Sporting goods for $19.99.

All of these pants are super fun. I like clothes that make me smile when I put them on. I can't wait to wear these. I might wear the Reebok pants to TRX tomorrow.

Staycation Adventures: Climbing in Atlanta

Today the hubby and I went climbing at Adrenaline in Atlanta. We had a Groupon.

This shelf was NOT easy to get over.

I think it's my favorite place to climb. The atmosphere is very relaxed. The space is a tad small, but not too busy. There are lots of paths to climb—and it's very beginner friendly. So if you've never been climbing before, you can find paths to climb and have fun. Want something harder? They have paths along the roof, under a boulder. So something for everyone. They use an auto-belay, so it's easy to learn and they'll give you an intro before you start. Or you can opt out and pass their belay test—which they're super chill about.

We climbed a little, but mostly bouldered. I think I did all of the red (very beginner) bouldering paths. I found those challenging enough.

Beast Mode muscles.

Another shelf that gave me a challenge.

Matt bouldering in his Aerofit shirt.

Gym brain

So I cannot write after I come back from the gym. I feel like working out flips some switch in my brain to revert to caveman mode and leave me incapable of conjugating verbs.

This always happens. I come back from the gym and have a free hour to write—only my brain is mush and all I can do is stare at my computer screen. Maybe I'll troll the Facebook feeds or watch hulu (we cancelled cable). But I can't manage anything productive with this free hour.

I googled it and apparently gym brain actually is a thing:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/my-brains-tired-scientists-looking-at-seratonin-find-you-may-well-be-right-8519939.html

Scientists have even studied it.

I'll take it as a good sign that I got a good workout. Thank you Laura and your slightly evil but effective gymnastics ab drill.

Favorite line of tonight's workout:
Context: I was whining about the ab drills. Hips on raised pads, with a partner (Grace) holding my feet down and were were doing holds (hold a swim position, go up and down, side to side obliques).

Grace: Think of all the clothes you can wash
Me: ???
Grace: on your wash board abs.
Me: Thanks, Grace.

I should add that Grace (who is a medical student and I bother her way too much about med school because I think it's fascinating and wish I were smart enough to go to med school) cheated on abs by using the trampoline do bounce back up. I thought it was a genius way to outsmart the evil ab drill. (She mostly did this to be funny, and it worked.)

So because my brain is mush, I will give you a gratuitous picture of me and the dog. He's always happy to see me when I come home from the gym.

Does gym brain happen to anyone else? Does cardio turn anyone stupid?

The nerdy girl's guide to indoor rock climbing

Most everything you wanted to know about going indoor climbing….

1. You should try indoor rock climbing. It can be a lot of fun. And it's a cerebral workout without being too intense. If you could climb trees when you were little, you can do this. (And maybe you'll even feel like a kid again!) You won't feel like you're working out—but you'll be exhausted the next day.

2. A lot of gyms run groupons or deals, so check for discounts before you go.

3. You'll want to go with someone. This really isn't a solo workout as you'll need someone to belay you—ideally someone of similar size. A weight differential can be problematic say if a tiny girl goes with a burly guy. But this can work—then the girl will just have to be extra careful when belaying the guy down the wall (hook into the floor or get a staffer to help spot you.)

4. What to wear? Workout clothes. Capri's might offer more protection than shorts when your legs graze the walls and shorts are going to ride up when you put on the harness. Also, bring socks!

5. When you get there, make sure to rent climbing shoes. They help you grip the holds and can make climbing a lot easier.

6. Every place has a different belay system. Some places make you thread the rope, others have auto belays. Auto belays are easier. Most places make you pass a belay test. Some places will offer a free tutorial (which is great) before you climb, others have scheduled hour belay sessions, others leave you to figure it out for yourself. Obviously, places with auto belays and intros offered at any time are going to make it easier for first timers. Most websites will give you an idea what to expect.

Learning how to belay

7. When you're ready to climb, look for color coded tape (see the neon green and white tape in the back of that picture). Most places offer routes marked off in tape. Check the wall for the key. Red may be easiest, green the second easiest, white the hardest. Check the wall for the colors and start with some of the easier routes.

8. Not sure where to put your hands or feet? Ask your belayer. Take a second and think. Or try the wall again. You don't have to get it right the first time. And you can always try again.

9. Try bouldering. It's like rock climbing without the belay. These walls don't go especially tall and have gymnastics mats underneath. This is a good way to learn about climbing and routes without belays, levers and ropes. And you don't have to go higher than you want.

10. Watch the little kids. They know where to put their hands and feet and if they're nimbly climbing a route, it may be a good route for you to try when they're done.

And don't get discouraged. If bouldering is getting difficult, go back to a climbing with the belay. Take a break.

Stay for an hour, maybe two. Try climbing, belaying, whatever looks fun. Don't be afraid to try the slide they have set up for the kiddos.

Nerdy Gym Clothes

Don't know what to wear to the gym? I just found this site: http://www.lookhuman.com/browse/apparel/?collection=402-fitness 

All the tanks nerdy girls could ever need. There are Harry Potter tanks, Nintendo tanks, Star Wars tanks, cat memes, Disney characters, Shakespeare and all sorts of cartoons from my youth. 

Also good to know I'm not the only gym-obsessed nerdy girl.