Wasting Time

So I get to leave my office in 26 minutes, not that I'm counting.

This week has been very stressful for everyone in my office and it seems that none of us have the stamina to make it the next less than half hour. Time for blogging.

Tonight at LA Boxing is mixed martial arts (MMA) workout.

A side note. I've never had children and I'm far away from that time, but I hear that women "forget" how much childbirth HURTS. My mom disagrees and says that she remembers quite well. But it makes me think about the MMA workout I'm going to tonight.

Last time, we started out in the ring doing a 30 minute endurance workout. I was unfamiliar with what an endurance workout meant.

It was roughly 5 solid minutes of some core based exercise to another 5 minutes of core based exercise...etc. In essence, 6 exercises, 5 minutes of each. Now, 5 minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but just try some of this stuff this guy tells you to do and then let me know if 5 minutes doesn't sound like an eternity.

I dont' actually remember the other 30 minutes of the workout (that's the honest truth). It was that painful...and yet, I'm telling myself right now "it wasn't that bad." Like childbirth, I assume, I've forgotten how epicly painful it was to try and make it through that workout. I recall stopping halfway home and wondering if I was going to puke on the street.

...

Normally, there wouldn't be a debate. My boxing gym buddy, unforunately is detained this evening, so now I have to rely on myself to go, on a Friday afternoon, to the gym, where I'll get my ass kicked. I'd probably be considered clinical for wanting to go. And yet, I do...kind of.

So, I took the issue to my fitness twin. We'll call her Gray for now.

She raised a good point saying, "tend to feel better about not working out when I've planned my day off ahead of time like today: is day off from the gym and I'm ok with it because I put it in my schedule."

Gray's right. I need to go tonight because I planned to go. I took Monday off and I'm probably taking tomorrow off.

12 minutes to freedom and a good beat down.

Stay active this weekend--you won't regret it.

Ding ding ding

Boxing won.

The presentations went well, the feedback...as expected. Everyone walked to the hotel, I walked to the metro, got myself to my front door, threw on gym clothes, then went to boxing.

It was refreshing to get all my energy out, go home and cook for a bit, then hit the sack. I didnt't even drink my own beer, I was too tired.

Boxing is truly one of the most transformative things I've done. It's been just 4 workouts and I see a big difference. Granted, I've also cut back on my "crap eating" but...all in all, it's great.

Except for this new shoulder pain. I should probably get to class early tomorrow to talk about it.

The Great Debate

I'm having a conversation with a friend who is similarly gym addicted. She, too, gets a lot of stress relief from a good work out at the end of the day, and feels grumpy if she goes too long without a good sweat.

Tonight, my coworkers and I have to partake in an unenviable task of presenting a stressful presentation to upper management from 4-6. It's only about 30 minutes in the lime light, which is not something I get nervous about (it's the aerobics instructor thing), but it's a stressful situation regardless.

After this presentation, our company is sponsoring a happy hour for us...which means that our tab goes onto the company's credit card. Lubricated team bonding time in addition to the classic way to blow off steam from a stressful week at the office.

In another sphere of my life, I've taken up boxing at LA Boxing, which is the boxing club chain that is becoming increasingly popular around the country. For a long time I had the misconception about these clubs that they were a place to go and get beat on/beat on others. Not my style, I prefer injury free aggressive workouts. Cycling, for instance. The most intense I get with combat is TurboKick, and while it may be fun, it's not scary.

Boxing is scary. See it on tv...that hurts and I hate to admit to being a chicken, but I don't like getting hit in the face. Or getting hit anywhere else, for that matter.

But for some reason, I thought it might be worth checking it out. I think I heard somewhere that only 2-3 of the classes are sparring based and the rest of them are bag contact only.

I went to a free class with my now boxing buddy...and was addicted immediately. I signed up on the spot, bought my gloves, and now crave boxing every day.


More than a 1000+ calorie workout, it's stress relief, anger managment...it's hard to be angry, or even emotional after an hour long beat down on a bag. Talk about leaving it at the door, you can't even leave the gym with energy to be angry, much less make it to your door.

So this leads us to the great debate.


Do I go to the work sponsored happy hour after an 11 hour day that started at 7am, which is several metro stops away from home, with coworkers, who while I greatly enjoy a good deal of their company...I also see them 90% of my waking hours.

OR

Do I head back home after the presentations (6), hopefully getting home by 7, in time to change and go to boxing to relieve stress and get home before 9, alcohol free, ready to shower and go to bed. Do I give up the free drinks and social interaction for some much needed stress relief and a good workout?

It really is up in the air right now. Report to follow on what I wind up doing. Your bets are welcome.