It was an accident. Things just progressed too fast and getting caught up in the moment, it happened... I stepped into the gym for the first time in my life (-___-)
Twas the wee hours of morning. I dragged myself out of bed to go for Bikram but unbeknowst to me, the blurdy centre changed the schedule without prior notification. What's a girl to do at 6.30am, all geared up for a work-out but none to be had?
The answer was a row of treadmills and electronic gadgetry which are guaranteed to make you sweat. Since I'm going to climb a mountain in May, might as well work up some stamina.
Pulling on my hand-me-down Nikes, I headed for the first machine that looked like it wouldn't make me resemble a hamster running the wheel. Some sort of cross-country skiing machine maybe? Looks easy enough.
5 minutes later, my heart rate was up and I'm breaking a sweat. Good! But no more skiing... I can't feel my legs.
Hopping off, I scan for the StairMaster. A doctor friend recommended that I do 30 mins of stairs 3 times a week to prep for my climb. None to be found on the ground floor so up to the 1st floor, I went.
In a corner was something that remotely resembles a StairMaster, though I'm not quite sure. There was a nice gentleman resolutely stepping on the peddles and it looked like he was climbing so I decided to give it a shot (virgins don't know better).
Programming the darn thing should be a cinch but it isn't. 30 seconds later, I gave up and must have looked thoroughly baffled when the nice gentleman called out, "the higher the effort number, the easier it is". Thanks but how do I apply this information?
The machine displayed a message: lift your knees one at a time. Aah.. why didn't you say so earlier?
The effort level was adjusted to 25 (min is 1, max is 25). Then comes the next instruction: keep speed at 270 spm (presumably means 270 steps per minute). Ok.. let's go!
5 minutes later, I'm no closer to 270 spm (hovering between 130 to 150 spm) although I've never stepped so furiously before in my life. Yet the instructions kept flashing: keep speed at 270 spm. Before I passed out, I hit the "pause" button. "The higher the effort number the easier it is." Yeah right!
There has got to be an easier way, think I, the gym virgin. Let's try setting a "Goal". 5 km, I tapped with the numerical keypad. "Lift your knees one at a time". This time I lifted slowly with as little gusto as I could muster. Effort set at 3. Aw-raight!
"Keep speed at 60 spm." Hurrah! That's do-able.
Step left, step right... My calves were starting to protest. "24 minutes to end". I glanced at the timer and it's been only 5 minutes. OMG! How to survive 24 minutes? Distance stepped was only 1.5km. Keep going... "Climbing a mountain is not so much stamina and endurance but also mental strength". Right-o...
I cannot begin to describe the immeasurable relief when the "Goal" indicator blinked 5km. Yapari! I've done it. I can't feel my legs for the first few seconds but thankfully I didn't fall flat on my face.
I am so not cut out to be gym bunny :(
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