I lifted some weights this morning and surprised myself.

This morning's workout of choice was Cathe's Lift It, HiiT It: Back, Biceps, and Shoulders.  Again, I'm not a fan of repeating exercises three times in a row, but this is a workout that kicks your back, biceps, and shoulders in ways they have never been worked before, and those body parts will be sure to tell you the next day what those ways are.  My workout supervisor would agree with my assessment of the workout if he had been awake at all during it.

I did the pre-mix that threw in ab segments rather than do the "finisher" sets after each exercise like I've been doing, because I am definitely finished after each set of three and don't need another exercise to finish me.  And let me tell you something about those ab exercises...

"Flying snow angel?"  More like "let's see what dumb pose they'll
do this time"

...they're effective but completely ridiculous.  I do them because I do whatever is on the TV screen in front of me.

But one thing happened during the workout, kids, that has never EVER happened before when I have done a strength workout involving biceps:

ZOMG PEOPLE I LIFTED A WEIGHT

I did bicep curls with a 20 lb dumbbell.  Your amazed amazement is palpable--I can feel it.

Before this morning I thought I would never be able to do that.  I thought 15 pounders were my limit for bicep curls, but today I grabbed that 20 pound dumbbell just like Cathe did without even thinking about it and slammed out 3 sets on each arm.  And it was only during the last set that the ZOMG hit me and I got to start the day with an LOOK AT ME I CAN DO ANYTHING attitude.  And that's a good way to start the day, let me tell you.  Especially since the rest of my day was spent cleaning and staining all of the doors and baseboards for my new house.

While I was immersed in my world of wood staining, I began thinking about other little "fitness milestones" that have occurred since I began to take my fitness seriously.  None of them are particularly earth-shattering since a of other fit people have done them, but they represent major breakthroughs for me:

1) My first run ever.  I had been doing workout DVDs for years before I took my first run.  Made it 2.5 miles...and then ran my first 5K two weeks later.
2) The first time I ran 10 miles.  Something about the number 10 was magical to me, and when I was training for my first half marathon it was the longest run I would do in training.  It was a horrific run plagued with gear and gastrointestinal malfunctions, but I remember still screaming to my husband that I had run 10 miles when I staggered back into the house.  And then he asked me if I needed a paramedic.
3) The first time I made it through the Tae Bo Advanced original workout video without wanting to puke.
4) My first obstacle course race.  Signing up is one thing...being confronted with muddy water with my knowledge of how many bacterial infections may be lurking in there is another.  But I made it through and happy to report no post-race sicknesses.
5) The first time I ran a sub-2 half marathon.  I also screamed at my husband that I did it at that time, too, but he was asleep downstairs and didn't even hear it.  Because he sleeps like the dead.
6) My first marathon.  I didn't die.  It was a win.
7) My first triathlon.  Again, I didn't die.  It was a win.
8) My first ultra marathon.  Still didn't die, but I ran it through a cemetery where a lot of people were dead.  Still a win.
9) The one time I ran a 50 minute 10K.  For a 40+ slow runner person such as myself, I almost fainted dead away when I got my results (those were the days before I had a GPS watch).
10) The first time you pass someone in the last mile of a race that treated you like crap before the race started because they were faster than you.  Most runners are awesome...a few aren't. 


Like I said, nothing particularly earth-shattering.  But these small wins (and sometimes snarky ones, in the case of #10) need to be remembered on your way to your bigger goals.  I know I'm going to remember my 20 pound barbell win from this morning...mainly because I'm an idiot that took a picture of it.

And the learnings are below in case you forgot where they were:

• I had to do my ab workout around that dog this morning.  Who snored through it.
• I'll try any dumb pose that's on the workout DVD.  Including ones that just involve laying on a mat...I'm looking at you, corpse pose.
• I almost dropped that 20 pounder on my foot when I realized what I had just done.  Which would have been bad because, you know, I need my feet for running.
• Wouldn't you be glad you passed a runner in the last mile who told you that you looked like you needed all the luck you could get just to finish?  I know I was.

Tomorrow's workout: Speed, baby.  4 x 800 delicious meters.