Male Enhancements

In the spirit of "tell it like it is", I'm going to share that the shoulder issue that I have been dealing with is really cheesing me off. The story goes, I woke up on Melbourne Cup day with a bump over my AC joint (acromio-clavicular joint for the anatomists). This bump became more and more localized and painful over the course of the next week or so. I went to see my new sports doc who did an MRI and X Ray and discovered that this particular joint is degenerate and arthritic.

Enter an ultrasound guided cortisone shot and lots of hot dates with my physio and some initial improvement.
"Ah, " I thought, "rehabbing this will be a cinch.".
Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. Most of January saw many other joints in my body start to stiffen and ache. So, I've been tested for systemic arthritis (eg rheumatoid arthritis and its associated relatives). The only thing that has helped me forget the aches has been a good training session (not involving my shoulder).

So, as well as Uncle Toby the Oat Meister, I thought I would be joined by Arthur Ritis as one of the key men in my life. A bone scan and a blood test later has shown that Arthur Ritis and his friend Loopy Lupus aren't part of my life (phew!) and that my shoulder is purely and plainly cactus.

I'm now gearing up for a trial of two more cortisone injections, otherwise I'm off to pick up another bloke, Serge Un, who likes to get down and dirty with you with his scalpel. It has been enough to handle the threesome of hubby, Arthur and Toby - that is for sure, without inviting Serge along for the ride (I do like his handsome twin Surge though, especially after a hot and sweaty (training) session).

Today I came head to head with another one - Will Power, who told me that I had the potential to achieve anything I wanted to do if I had the belief. I had an internal conversation with Will on my way to teach my regular Friday morning RPM class.

"Do you think I can crack 168 as my HR max today (I have an incredibly low pussy old max HR)?" I asked Will.
"Do you think you can?"
"I don't know...." I mumbled.
"Look at your situation," implored my new best mate Will. "They are waiting for you to show them the way to the top of the mountain. How can you inspire them to reach their potential if you're not prepared to meet yours."

Sure enough I had thirty plus pairs of eyes looking up to me this morning on the podium. I also had the benefit of Emma (one of our other instructors and friend of mine) coming along for the ride ("nothing like having a peer in class to make you want to step up and nail it," I commented to Will).

We warmed up to the sounds of "Something Got Me Started," by Simply Red and then it was onto the next track and our first mountain climb, "True Faith". Then we rode like the wind and employed "Reverse Psychology" in Track 5 and smashed it. It's one of the hardest ones going and I was relieved that I wasn't the only one gasping for air. "Bruised Water" for Track Six saw us going within and riding a stronger cadence on the beat. Then we regrouped, worked together as a team and belted out "Runaway" by Groove Coverage to finish off the working part of the class. Some cool down bliss to follow...aaah and sweet release, we are done.

I look to Emma who told me she was hurting.
"Thank the stars I'm not the only one," I respond.
I look at my Heart Rate Monitor for my Max HR - 172 bpm. Yeah baby, I smashed it, I smashed it! We showered and had morning tea, feeling tired and triumphant.

There are no words for a training session where you feel like you go above and beyond and break through your perceived limitations, there is only wandering around with a silly walk and a stupid grin on your face.

Aaah endorphins, you gotta love em.

on men, female only gyms etc

Many posts about men made by women are made out of frustration but today's post is one of gratitude to all the men in the gym that help me reach my training goals. Mike's program currently involves working in the 6 rep range and under and this means starting to lift some very heavy weights. Often I ask a guy who is training at the same time to spot me. All of the guys I have approached to help out have been nothing but courteous and supportive of me in my desire to improve my strength. On the other hand I cannot count on one hand (except for Anne) the females that have spotted me in the gym and have been happy to do so.

Having men in my RPM classes have added another dimension to my training as well. Sometimes I have more men than ladies in my RPM classes and their work ethic is amazing. This was the case with a recent CBD class I taught - once the lights were dimmed it seemed as if we forgot about our differences and focused on the task ahead.

Over the years I have noticed a number of different women's only gyms opening up and whilst I believes it makes the gym accessible to those who are perhaps rather self conscious, I don't think they're really a good idea. Even when I was overweight, the men in the training room were a vocal and steady support throughout my journey - it was "go for it" and "good on you" the whole way. In a female only gym you lose 50% of your potential support base!

I think we women sometimes create our own insecurites. The men in my life are rather uncomplicated. They don't worry about whether you look fat or whether you're good enough -they just want to go to RPM and have a good time. You trained hard? Awesome! You like sport - even better :) - I've had my best Australian Open conversations with my male training buddies.

My two cents worth to any potential gym goer is to embrace what men can offer you when you are training hard - you may just reach your goals that much faster!

To sum up then, today's post is a thank you to all the men I know and don't know who support me in my quest to be the best I can be. Thanks guys :)