Hey! Sgt. Ken and Amber! Look Over There --->

...because I'm afraid of what might happen if they read what I'm about to say next.

I actually enjoyed today's class.

I know - it sounds like crazy talk. Especially if you were there; if you were there, you'd know that we did hill repeats for our running drills (not on the monster hill that makes me think I'm going to shit my pants; but a killer hill nonetheless), then we returned to the studio to do circuits. They weren't cool-down circuits, either. They were tough. But it was fun. I felt good; I didn't feel sick or get that weird spontaneous sobbing sensation one single time. I got winded and fatigued; I had pain; I was exhausted. But I didn't feel the total misery that I've grown accustomed to having during class. I'm hoping this is a sign that I'm actually getting more fit and stronger, rather than a sign that I'm in shock. Or dead. Maybe I'm dead. But I'd expect Heaven to be a lot more pleasant, and Hell to be a lot worse, so that's not it. Probably.

We did two sets of three up & down on the hill repeats. When Sarah (our incredibly awesome running coach) said that we would do that many, I was really hoping I had misunderstood her. I thought There is no flipping way I'm going to be able to run that hill six times. My legs will spontaneously combust. But, as has happened so many times in this program, I surprised myself. I ran that hill five times without stopping to walk on the way up (we were instructed that walking for a bit to cool down on the way down was acceptable), and I only stopped to walk briefly the sixth time. Now, I was doing a S-L-O-W run. But I was running. It hurt; but at the same time, it felt great. Sarah is a spectacular running coach, and she has given us tips and instruction that has improved my endurance immensely. I was relaxed and focused the entire run. I kept my arms loose, made sure to lean forward from the ankle, and when I needed an extra push, I used my arms to pump some extra momentum into each step. Most of all, I made a point to observe the tip she gave us that has helped me more than anything ever: I didn't lift my feet any higher than absolutely necessary in order to clear the ground when going uphill. That has saved me so much energy, I can't even begin to illustrate with words. Sarah is my hero. I can freaking run hillz, bitchez!

The circuit in the studio was tough, but the only station that really kind of made me want to weep was the crab-walk. I didn't want to cry because it hurt, or because it was so draining on my body; I wanted to cry a little because I was so clumsy, and looked like such a freak doing it. It felt like everyone else was so much more graceful than me...though no one can be truly graceful doing a crab-walk. Awkwardness is just the nature of the movement. Regardless, it sucked for me. That position, belly-up with my hands behind me and all my muscles focused solely on keeping my butt off the ground, left me absolutely no muscle control to suck in my big gut. I had more rolls than an O'Charley's delivery truck. It was gross. Seriously, y'all.

On a positive note, all three of our new recruits returned for their second day, and they positively KILLED IT! They were superstars. If we keep getting new people who have as much heart and determination as we've seen so far, we are going to take over the world. And how TOTALLY COOL IS THAT GOING TO BE?