The Fat Kid in Class

So in my post yesterday, I was talking about all the perks having joined ClassPass and how I was a nervous wreck about taking Barry's Bootcamp for the first time! Well, I took the class, and I survived! But boy was that class such a challenge for me!!

I signed up for the Full Body workout, and I think everyday since I signed up I've been a nervous wreck! I've been on Google looking for all the information I could on the workout, all I wanted to know is if regular people like myself could actually get in a workout and do everything that was asked! But all I found online was how this was the workout to the stars and how hard it was instead! So all week all I could think of was how I'd be the weakest one in the class and that I wouldn't keep up and basically make myself look like a joke! 

The day of the class I was pacing all over my apartment just telling myself that I could get through it, it was only 50 mins and it would be over before I knew it! That really didn't help me, I seriously told myself that I'd rather run the NYC Marathon that day  than take this class! What in the world was I thinking!?!? 

So as I arrived to the studio I was even more intimidated when I saw the model like photos of the instructors plastered to the glass, and the camo militant theme from the outside. I mean could I feel any less fit than I already do?? But I told myself everyone has to start somewhere right!?

When I was all checked in, I was waiting with the rest of the class outside the studio, and ordered a peanut butter smoothie for post class, because in reality I just needed something to look forward to after class was over, in case this crazy idea of mine was a bust! 

Anyway when we were finally let inside, I felt a little better knowing this was coming to an end soon! The room is set up with mirrors all over the room, with treadmills against the wall on one side and then steppers set up on the opposite side. We were instructed that we'd be starting on the treadmills for class and then doing floor work later. As the the instructor told us to start warming up he also asked if anyone was new, and I introduced myself to him, and he told me what to expect, but that if I needed to, to take it at my own pace. 

We started and he started calling out commands to run at a speed of a 5-8, which I was ok at a 5, but then he said to increase the incline to a 6%, and that's where I started to struggle! So I never made it past a 5.7 on the treadmill, but I kept running anyway, and it was so hard because I really hate the treadmill, but I pushed through it. When we were ready to hit the floor the instructor told females to grab 10-15 lb weights, and the guys, 20-25 lbs, and I gladly took the smallest 8 lb weights they had, which was still heavy for me because I usually go for the 5 lbs or less! The lunges, squats, and presses with the weights were easy, but the countless bur-pees, push ups, walking push ups, and triceps push ups, made my arms so dead! I was a sweaty hot mess, front and center in the class, while everyone else was doing just fine with their heavy weights! And just when I thought we were almost done, we had to hit the treadmills one more time. After the floor work my legs were already shaking, and telling me no girl, not now, but I got on it and pushed through the best I could without giving up. I was ready to crawl under a rock because at moments I felt silly for even thinking I could be a part of this class, but I was doing it even if it wasn't as great as anyone else. We were back to the floor, and it was time for ab work. Ab work is the worst for me, we were doing bicycle crunches, and I could barely move my legs, and then we had to keep them straight up and do crunches, and that wasn't cute either. But once the instructor said we only had two moves left, I realized, I just did this, I took a class that scared the daylights outta me, but I pushed through and made it! 

At the end I was in tears, tears of pure pride and joy, I couldn't really feel anything else, I just felt proud of myself for not wimping out. And then as I walked out of class the instructor said to me, " Hey! You didn't die! Great work today!" and that made me want to go back for more, and I will because it felt so awesome after class. 

I was on a high the whole day, I used to give up on myself so easily in the past, but with marathon training in full swing, I feel like I can at least try to better myself, and try new things to keep me motivated. I want to be stronger than I am today on November 1st, and I want to know that I trained, and put in all the hours of hard work to get to the finish line strong and healthy.