A 750words short entry

At lunch time today, I leave my desk calmly and quietly. I went again to the gym. I have already developed a warm relationship with this gym. Our relationship have gone from ecstasy to soberly sour (when I don't visit the place). There's a lot of fond memories the gym is holding. A lot of people visit here. But I think there were only the three of us. The three of us who made a pact to the gym to regularly visit at lunch time. The rest of the general population will be here after office. Some will pay visit early morning before work start but then very few will consider lunch.  Well, sorry but we did not make a pact on each other, if in case my word brings confusion. You know, we rarely talk. We just exchange pleasantries but we are not qualified to be called friends. Our luncheon repertoire with the gym is the only common thing among us. That's why it seemed we made a pact to make it a habit. There were probably three thousand employees. But only three people could barely spare  the time to visit the gym regularly at lunch. And I am one of those three person. I won't name them here. Because, as I have mentioned we were colleagues and we don't qualify as friends. Exchanging pleasantries is enough. We all are focused in our individual task at hand. And for that, I guess we deserved admiration. Bow!

So when I hopped on the treadmill. I know the gym is mine for the taking. It's mine alone for now.  It's friday today. And everybody perhaps opted to lunch outside the company premise. Payday yesterday so it make sense that I am the only soul who would stumble upon the lure of a Friday workout.

And as usual I put the banana, egg and bottled water in the bottle holder compartment of the treadmill console. I set  up my run to the goal of 30 minutes and have been adjusting my speed from one to seven. After which I started running and have been adjusting to small increments until I reached the speed of ten kilometer per hour. I was having fun with the speed I intend to go higher. Only to realized that my iPhone fell on the treadmill belt due to some of my jerky movements and I before I knew it I have already stepped on it. The phone jerked and thrown off to the floor. I have to stop my run. I need to check if I cracked the phone. I feel bad. It seems I'm out of luck with this phone model. I remember when I lost the previous iPhone, and I lost it without me being conscious about when and how it happened. I was dismayed by the turn of events. When I picked it up I try to calm myself. I opened the pouch and God thank you. It was not harmed. Not even a scratched. I plugged again my head phone and listen to the same crisp music of Adele and that's it. I was relieved that finally. Nothing to worry. I went back on the treadmill and set a new goal of twenty six minutes. Yes, I have to accumulate with the previous attempts. My mind have been whirling with various thoughts. It's weekend tomorrow. Mother's day on Sunday...am not very ceremonial so I really don't think it's necessary to celebrate.
The speed of ten kilometer per hour seemed not doable. But I like today's run. Because, there's a nice air coming from the air-conditioner. I need not stop again to enable it.  And besides I am wearing my cushioning shoes. My blister doesn't hurt. It pays that I have put on some body glide on it. I am pain-free while running. And this is just what I wanted. The glare is terrible so I have to look slightly below instead of the horizon...which is more favorable to me. And my eyes wanders on the green, the grass, the tree, oh! there's a janitor who opted to trim the grass on the shades. Yes, I am all too aware of the situation. I am getting faster....and then my gaze fixed on the banana and egg. And my banana rama yesterday is repeated again on the last eight minutes of my run. Jesus! How can my mind betray me this much. But of course, there will be tug of war, how can discipline let it slipped away. So I continue to run, and reduced my speed on the last four minutes. I was already panting....and there's a perceived side stitch. I tried to massage it but it seems it's not a side stitch but rather a sore muscle from yesterday. So I give in at the last two minutes I brisk walk. That's the way to go to cool down. And when I reached the invisible finished line it feels great....the same relief and excitement brought by a marathon finish. The difference is, right now I am fully aware that this is such a short run. The weather is the factor that reminds me of the feeling.  I mesmerized it and been longing...then there was my banana.

I walked out of the door headed to the changing area. I know my lunch is much better today. Because I have sineguelas or Spanish plum and sandwiches. I still have hard boiled egg. I cannot eat it at the gym. The banana makes me feel full already.

I marched out of the recreational center five minutes late. I dreaded to be late back at work, but apart of me  knows I deserved it. Perhaps my next fitness session should not corrupt certain amount of time from my work. I don't want to be late again.

micro blogging

vff = vibram five fingers

Lunch Running

Lunch running is not new to me. I have been doing it on and off for several years. But this year, some part of my brain just  decided that this is just what suits me. There were a lot of benefits....I go home early, I don't need to ponder on my lunch - because I am practically comfortable eating sandwiches and fruits. And yes, I learned more about discipline and time management.


So yesterday. I wrote about this at 750words  fresh from my RuNCH - as what I call my lunch running is.
What I like about 750words is the fact that it suits as my digital doodle. 
There is no need to share much :-)


Below were edited to remove the cursing and the all other silly things that raved through my mind when I am running.

Take a peek at my brain of what it's like when I am running.

~~~

The past few days my migraine have been grilling me.
It left me with light headedness and tension on my shoulder blades.
I decided to take a run today. It should be intense run. It would be arduous, I haven't beaten myself these past days. I was good in emotionally bashing myself but not physically. Maybe, I should be able to know how I will fare.


At the changing area, I was having a wishful thinking that  I'll be alone at the gym.
And right there as I entered the gym room. One of the executive was already at the lone treadmill. Standing there setting up himself. And looks of him like we have the same plan to beat ourselves.
Sigh! So it would take time...
I know,  I proceeded with warm up exercise.
There perhaps will be very little time to run.
But at least I was there early.
Maybe I can bargain a small time of extension. I deserved it anyway.


After the lazy stretch, I proceeded doing the advance chair dip. Holy Cow! It was difficult. I did two reps at seven counts each. I almost fell. I didn't know it was that much difficult.
Then I proceed with the ab cruncher...man the set up here knows how to make you suffer. I suffered a lot and cringed and shouted at the initial onset of eight pounds of weight. I could feel that any moment my ab muscles will cramp but I was able to sustained fifteen counts at three repetition.
I have to conjured images of great happiness so I will be able to forget that pain that lurks in my core.
But after the pain, it feels good. I feel my  tummy tightens. You know, when you've given birth, there's not only stretch mark on the tummy....there is also that excess skin or fat that jiggles when you run or when you dance hahaha.
When I'm done with the ab cruncher, I thought I can't stand. It took me amount of courage to pull out myself out on that equipment.Good thing there's only me and the big man. If an observer is around I could be a nice laughing stock.
Then when I was standing again in front of the mirror I pulled up my hands  in the air as if I wanna reach for the ceiling then I slowly bend to my left in half moon pose and once the resistance is terrible I moved myself in the middle with great amount of exhalation and then I summoned to inhale and move my arms to the right for another half moon pose.
When I know I had enough of that half moon posed and lost count of how much I have done or how much amount of time was spent. I straightened out. Breathed heavily and moved to the next equipment. The leg press,  I made sure I am using a difficult resistance. And then I hurled it out with loud sound of exhalation and proceeded with breeze  finished  it to fifteen counts. I almost faint at the difficulty of the task. I couldn't imagine how I barely managed three repetitions. My knees feels jelly when I got up.

And as I glanced at the treadmill....the big man hasn't finished and he is furious on the treadmill hitting a high speed. I can guess he is at twelve kilometer per hour. I am not sure with the inclined. He seemed to be experiencing slip off at the treadmill. He surely is too fast.


So I went back to where I had my chair dip. I fought another effort not to lag. Because the treadmill is still unavailable .Instead I got myself some dumb bell for a triceps extension. It was holy difficult. I survived only the seven counts at two repetition.
It was elusive....the weight lifting has always been a challenge for me. And yet the big man is still up.
So I decided another standing yoga poses to keep me perk up so I can run at about thirty minutes.


And when my time was there to hit on the treadmill. I was sweating heavily like a pig. Really, bucket of sweat.
The weather is so hot,  exerting an effort doubles the sweat.
And as I stepped on the treadmill. I mustered the challenge of 30 minutes. Inclined at 2 level hills.
In a short while, I hit the ten kilometer per hour speed. I was loving the rush. I was panting but not out of breathe. Then after five minutes I noticed my big toe from my right foot is hot. The hot spot is killing me. My feet hasn't really get used to vibram five fingers. I always get this blister even if I am wearing an injiji socks. Hmmm. I prefer the vibram over my mizuno because it's light weight and it doesn't take up volume in my bag.
The blister, oh my God, I can feel my skin popping out like a popcorn. Oh God! This is terrible and the air-conditioner is closed. There is no air to soothe my feet. So as I hit the ten minutes mark of my run. Suddenly, I slowed down and stopped. So that's how I accomplished thirty percent of the goal that I keyed in the setting.
I stepped out of the treadmill, opened the air-conditioner but no air. From behind, I heard the big man muttered...."please plugged the power." he was smiling. Uh-oh! I looked so stupid, he must have removed it? After plugging in the device...air started to flow on my environment.  I hopped again on the treadmill and keyed in twenty minutes goal of running.


The run tortures me. It was  a difficult task...after about ten minutes the big man leaves the gym. He's done with his workout. I am left alone. Contemplating, why I am doing this.  But I know, this is what discipline is all about. My bodily state looks like I am taking a carbohydrate depleting training. But I'm not because this is supposed to be a short run. Though in my mind, I want my body to train to take fuel from my fats. Yes, I've got so much fat from around my belly. And then I try to distract myself I look around. Apparently my eyes gazed into the banana that I tossed awhile ago on the bottle holder of the treadmill.
God! I am hungry and running for ten minutes seemed like a total feeling of being in a "Hunger Games". Uh-oh. I haven't watched it....but read it instead. And it reminds me again how much time I lost reading MockingJay. Yes, I lost the time because I didn't like it, of the trilogy....I loved only the Hunger Games.

Then my mind drifted off to my current state. I know, discipline. I told myself that I will only take food upon completing the thirty minutes run. But here I am loathing myself with that self-inflicted rules. Now, my stomach growling and I continue to ignore it. Reminding myself that in this life...there are many things that you cannot have even if you wanted it so bad. There are a lot of limiting factors. So learn to live with it. That's why the word discipline was invented. Then my mind started spelling discipline d-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e. Yes, I am slowly becoming insane. Oh! And then from time to time my eyes set onto the banana. Oh Banana rama I wanted to eat banana. I was like in a trance...I know I am in hunger game now. Excuse me, not the movie my own version of hunger game. It feels so real...it takes me back to the memory lane of the last one kilometer of a marathon run. When I feel exhausted, thirsty, hungry and yet I don't want to stop because I just wanted to get my damn ass to the finish line. And as I reached my invisible finish line. I am up to zero time, I have consumed the twenty minutes plus the earlier ten minutes and here I am rejoicing at the thought. I have defeated my negative ego. I have defeated that demons in me. And hey may I remind myself this is just thirty minutes run...not your typical long run eh!
Finally, it's been months and I have finally completed a thirty minutes running time. I am now ready to eat my banana.

I gulped my water. Peeled the banana. And God the banana tasted really good.
It was the best banana in the world. I don't care if it's a little mushy.I was sated. I know, food awaits at my desk.
 And I headed to the changing room.