Another step in the journey, or should I say a "kick-step"?

Hello dear ones...I'm here!  Nothing dramatic this week after the migraine, just business as usual.  Oh, did I mention that I took my first ever kick boxing class this morning and I didn't die?!  Yes, let's discuss that.

Earlier this month, groupon.com had an offer for 3 kick boxing classes and 1 training session at a different gym for $19. I've been pondering something like this for a while, so it was a great opportunity to try it out.  I bought it and have been a little intimidated to take my first class.  J was heading out camping this morning so I figured I would go to the 11 am Women's Kickboxing class.  I called yesterday and was told to come at 10:30 for my training session and then I could stay for the 11 am class.

Up and ready in just enough time, eating a piece of bread and an apple on my way there.  Got in and after chatting with the front desk guy, it was time to "wrap my hands."  You heard right, wrap my hands.  It's right about now that I am realizing I may be in over my head.  I picked pink wraps.  Girly right?  The front desk guy, Doug, hands me off to another guy to wrap my hands.  Another incredibly fit guy.  This process is a bit complex and I'm supposed to remember what I am doing for next time.  He then proceeds to lead me through all the punches.  Apparently, in the class, they don't refer to them as the punch name but rather their number in the order.  So that took about 15 minutes to go through the 8 different kinds of punches.  Now I am noticing that more women are starting to show up and we're getting close to class time.  I was sure that all the women would be incredibly fit, but as it turns out only the instructor and maybe 3 others are.  The others probably have more weight to lose than me.  So maybe this won't be so bad?

First up, jump rope.  (Side note: I was on a jump rope team when I was in elementary school and Trainer and Meanie Christinie seem to love this exercise, so while I'm not a pro I can hold my own.)  Six full minutes of jump rope...okay, that's a lot of jumping.  But as I watch myself in the mirror, I notice that while there are parts that I don't like to see jiggle, there are less than I would have guessed...yay me!  Oh, forgot to mention that there's a clock in the front of the room that times the different exercises...that's how I know it was 6 minutes.  My feet really started to hurt about half way through...guess it's time to roll my arches again on the ice cold water bottle...fun fun!  Jump ropes down, sip of water, and outside for sprints.  Wait, say what?!  We're supposed to box, not sprint!

We walk down to the road and run about 50 feet, sorry, sprint in teams, since there were too many of us to all run at once.  Of course, I'm in the group with the two size two chickies.  Great!  We take of sprinting and they both beat me, but I'm not far behind...YAY!  We do 5 sets.  By the last one, they're panting and I'm breathing heavy, but not terrible.  We jog back in and pick up our gloves.  Yup, boxing gloves now.  Now, it's time to pick a hanging bag to hit.  There's probably 25 around the perimeter of the room.  The instructor calls out numbers and that's the punch you do.  But really she's calling out a series of numbers like "1, 2, 3, 2, 4!"  That's how we know which punch to do.  I'm pretty good on 1-4, it's 5-8 that I can't remember!  We do that for about 6 minutes, then grab water.  Now it's time for open time, meaning we just punch or kick the bag, then she'll yell something and we do that for one rep...like a burpee (jump up, hands to the floor, jump your legs out, jump legs in, jump up again).  So that's another 5 minutes.  Next, it's partner time.  One partner grabs a bag and the other one has a combination they hit the bag with, including 5 kicks on each leg when she yells.  That's 3 minutes, then we switch.  The lady I am with is in her 2nd class, so we're even matched. 

Then, we switch back again and do a kicking series.  1 kick on one side, 1 kick on the other, 2 kicks on one side, 2 kicks on the other, all the way to 10 kicks on one side, 10 on the other.  My butt will be sore tomorrow!  Switch again, and partner's turn to kick me.  Now we're done with partner, and time for medicine ball work out.  Bicep curls with the ball, tricep curls with ball, good mornings with the ball (a good morning is holding the ball at your chest and bending forward with straight back, then back up) etc.  But at the end of every set, you hold the ball out for 10 seconds.  Sound easy?  I dare you to try it after your arms are tired!  Finally, she says lay on your stomach.  Then we do swimming for a minute.  That's holding your arms and legs up, til she says kick and move your arms for 10 seconds, then hold, etc.  After that's done, she says roll over.  We all had the same thought - "no, this position is good!"  Nobody moved, hoping she didn't notice!!  She laughed and we slowly rolled over.  A little ab work that was way hard, and finally those blissful words - "Stretch, class is over!" 

Finally get up for some water and to take my hand wraps off.  I can't believe I survived.  I'm drenched with sweat and a little tingly (which worries me for tomorrow) but I feel pretty good.  The people that I thought were in better shape then me looked the same, and one of the girls I ran with didn't even do the rest of the workout....hmm?  YAY for Nikus! 

I start talking to the other newbie who I was working out with and her name is Holly.  The first words out of my mouth were, "Your last name isn't Hutchison is it?"  She laughs and says no.  I tell her about Holly H. and that I've been emailing her but never met her.  We start comparing workout schedules and they're pretty similar.  She does boot camp, and spinning and decided to add this.  I tell her about boot camp, and the gym and that I swim in the summer.  So we talk about that because she wants to swim.  So she may come with me next week.  She heads off and with the last of my strength, I grab my purse and head for the car, dropping my gloves at the front desk.

Doug is taking to a woman and he asks what I thought.  I tell him I liked it and I'm tired.  He asks if I'll come back.  I say I'd like to come next Saturday.  He asks about long term and (trying to be vague) I say, "well, I've got a thing next month so not then, but after that's over I might, but not for a while."  He looks confused and I feel bad, I don't want him to think I'm brushing him off.  So I finally say, "my husband and I are trying to get pregnant, and next month the doctor is helping...we're starting IVF.  All the jumping and kicking each other in class, probably isn't a good thing next month or during pregnancy, but after that I could totally see coming back to get back in shape.  Probably more than you wanted to know."  He laughs.  The lady looks excited and says congratulations.  He says, "you're the second one to tell me that.  No worries.  See you next week!"

Apparently, my life revolves around IVF now.  It's always on my mind. 

I must head out Bleaders.  I'm trying out a church tonight.  I really want to have our child baptized, but need a church to do that.  So now my mission is begun.  Trying one tonight, and maybe one that I have been thinking about tomorrow after swimming.  J said he would go more often if it was Sunday morning, rather than Saturday night.  So we'll see what happens.

Keep you posted!  Happy Weekend loves!