Two-A-Days

I had a workout session with Mike yesterday and asked him if the one hour per day of cardio I have been doing was enough. Can I do more? Yes-- two-a-days. Yesterday I was only able to get in one cardio workout and my weight-training session with Mike. Today I began attacking things with a vengeance. I got up early this morning, went to the gym and walked two miles on the treadmill in an hour. Went home and ate breakfast, studied a bit, went to class then took my niece Candy to swim practice. I was not finished for the day. Candy and I returned to the gym where she was able to play with new friends in the kids' room and I walked another two miles in an hour. 

It's funny, the things that happen while on a treadmill. My two good buddies, Sweet Little Angel and Cute Little Devil showed up just as things were getting good. 

Me: It's only been a half hour and I am soaked!

Sweet Little Angel: You're doing great! Pretty soon you'll be lean and mean!

Cute Little Devil: Pffftt... don't listen to halo-head, you are red, huffing and puffing, sweaty and seriously stinky!

Me: Do I really stink? Do I look stupid doing this? Is it really going to help me?

Cute Little Devil: Of course you stink!

Sweet Little Angel: Yes you stink, but it's because you are doing something good for your body! Don't listen to him. Look at him, he's lookin' a little pudgy himself. See, he doesn't like himself very much, so he wants you to be miserable alongside him.

Cute Little Devil: Not true, not true! If you say it again I'll stick you with this fork! Now, Elisa; we can settle this once and for all. Look out of the window and tell me what you see.

Me: Burger King... across the street.

Cute Little Devil: That's right, just across the street, a double Whopper with cheese is waiting for you! If you get there quickly enough they might still have soft-serve ice cream for your chocolate shake.

I tripped and was jolted back into reality. Tripping on a treadmill is never fun for the tripper but I am sure it is funny for observers. See, when I tripped, I pulled my earphones which were plugged into my iPhone and the phone took a nice ride on the conveyor belt before hitting the floor. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed and everyone looked innocent enough, but I still think everyone shared a silent chuckle.

My little buddies were gone so I was left alone and began to think about how often I assume I cannot do something. They say that success in sports is 95 percent mental and 5 percent physical. This reminds me of a scene from "The Empire Strikes Back". Luke Skywalker has just tried to raise his submerged ship out of a swamp and failed. He is convinced it cannot be done. Yoda moves the ship out of the mire using his mind and makes it look easy. Amazed, Luke says "I can't believe it!" Yoda replies, "That is why you fail." 

All too often, I don't give myself the chance to succeed. I tend to look at a task and assume I am not able or capable to tackle and master it. The way I look at it is this; if I begin a task believing I can try but will not be able to finish it; I have already doomed myself to failure. Armed with this knowledge, I will attend BodyFlow tomorrow morning. I will stand on one foot, stretch the other leg out, grab it by the foot and hold it there in mid-air. I will let you know how that goes.