It was August, and I crushed it.

Yes, I am here! And the battle rages on!

I made it to the gym 4 times last week, and this week I received my first round of circuit training from my super awesome trainer.  It nearly killed me when I went through it the first night (3 times, I thought I might die toward the end), which did not really surprise me.  I'm a stranger in a strange land, and my legs were protesting the whole way through.

I noticed something as we worked in front of the huge mirror for part of it.  Through those parts of it, confronted with what I was seeing, my eyes were automatically looking toward the ceiling or the floor.  I wouldn't look at myself.

Really, it felt so silly, I was totally aware that I was avoiding myself.  Even if I did take a glance, it was not at my face.  I wouldn't look myself in the eye.  After I was finished, I tried to rationalize it to myself, but I honestly couldn't. I did look at my legs, my gut, my feet (my shoes are very hard to ignore, after all, they're bright pink).  But looking myself in the eye was pretty much impossible.

Maybe it went with the old idea that we're our own worst enemies, but even that doesn't really explain it.  Would I laugh at myself?  Would I point and criticize myself?  Not in any serious way. The root cause is a mystery to me, and I know it will probably happen again.  But it really doesn't matter because as long as I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, it's alright.

My attendance at the gym hasn't been as great this week, but that's a scheduling thing.  I've actually been missing it, and I was pretty stoked that my trainer thinks the amount of cardio I do is "insanely impressive".  What?!? FOR REALS?!?  Well then, I shall carry on being awesome.

I have started keeping track of my trips over to the gym.  Big, black check marks of achievement. At the end of each month, I'll take a photo of what I have achieved.  Here's what August looked like (taking into consideration that the newest era of this war started on August 18th), I'm pretty proud of it:

Not too shabby for a beginner, as far as I'm concerned.  

Onward, always onward.

xo
LB