I hate burpees

I don't know who invented burpees, but I'm going to create a time machine, go back, and kill them. They even have a stupid name.

For those who don't know what burpees are, they are these brilliant things used by torturers - I mean trainers - as a cardio and whole body workout. You start in a push-up position, spring your feet forward to your hands (so you're in a crouch) jump straight up, crouch back down, then kick back out into the push up position. And keep going. I hate them. I really hate them. About six and my knees will start aching. I'll start tripping as I try to bounce forward and back. And I look retarded the whole time. I'm sure they have a very useful purpose; I just don't see what it is - besides making me very sore and very miserable in a short period of time. And I'm concentrating so hard on not falling on my face, I can't concentrate on breathing.

Okay, now I'm just whining.

It was the only low point in my training session last night. I've tried burpies before, without a lot of success. Last night, Shawn decided he wanted to try them again. I hate feeling like I'm wimping out, but at the same time, I'm not real fond of being in pain for days following a session either. And for some reason, my knees (well, my left knee) seems to be the one thing that will make me pansy out faster than anything else I have to do. He kept offering suggestions on ways to take the strain off my knees (such as rolling back to my heels as I jump) but again, when you're trying to concentrate on that much at once, and you've only ever jumped one way your whole life, brain does not compute just changing it on a moment's notice. Credit where credit’s due, when I started complaining that they really bother my knee, Shawn had me stop and move on, and said we might try coming back to them when I’ve build up more strength in my legs. Maybe if I have a little less ass to try to bounce off the ground it would help too? The rest of the night went great, though. He was trying a new program, which meant lots of new things to try. I can even live with the silly squat-kick combo things he’s decided to create for me, even if I do suck at them and look ridiculous. Suffice it to say if I ever meet anyone in a dark alley – it’s a good thing I practice running so much. I *love* some of the new weight exercises and core exercises – suffice it to say, side planks will become very much a part of my daily workout, just like a normal plank – and was even enjoying the lunges. Squats – okay, not so much, but it’s more the self-conscious side of my nature not really liking anything that requires me to stick my butt out. I am really starting to enjoy this whole training thing, largely because I’m starting to relax into it a bit more. I can laugh and joke with Shawn, I can laugh at myself – I still have moments where I get a bit frustrated and have to stop and take few breaths and chill myself out, but they’re getting fewer and farther between. And I love the high feeling I get from my few successes – like when I got through thirty seconds doing side steps on the YMCA step last night and literally looked at Shawn and went “That was it?” (By the way, wrong thing to say. %$&#@%&# made me do sixty seconds for the next set. I nearly fell down. Largely because I tripped on the stability ball behind me when I went to lean on the wall.) I bought fifteen more sessions last night, and will buy another fifteen likely at the beginning of next week, once I get some more money shuffled around. Including the seven or eight I have left, that would give me close to 20 weeks of working with Shawn, on the current twice a week schedule. And, presumably, at some point I'll have to switch to a once a week schedule, when my life gets a little busier (i.e. school).

I have another chiropractic appointment tonight. I've been wondering if I'd actually be able to notice any difference in anything apart from my back pain from all these appointments - after all, chiropractic is supposed to have fairly wide-reaching applications. So far, I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the results. Not only do I find my neck and back bother me less, but I'm finding myself less stressed on a day-to-day basis, I have more energy, and I sleep so much better. That was the big one I noticed, because it was the marked difference between last week and this week. I think the regular exercise is contributing to all this as well, but the sleep patterns - I've been an intermittent insomniac since before I was a teenager, and last week, I found myself returning to tossing and turning and sleeping fitfully. This week, I seem to be sleeping much more soundly and waking much more rested. Hmmm. Interesting. So I'm, as usual, looking forward to my appointment tonight, And, of course, my workout afterwards!

Burpees still suck. I don't care how good a workout they are.