So, Friday through Sunday I skipped Pilates because I was going to be working on a house and did I ever work. There was scraping. Painting. Drywalling. Plastering. Carrying. Moving. More carrying. Many flights of stairs ... it was a major amount of work. I only got 11 hours of sleep all weekend long. Last night, after getting back, I managed to snag eight hours.
I should be sore. Majorly sore. But I'm not. I'm tired, I'll admit that, but I don't hurt at all. I'm not in top condition but I'm more than able to function.
All weekend long, with all the lifting and moving, I kept the Pilates breathing form in mind. I kept Pilates in mind throughout it all, really, using what I had learned in the workout videos to aid in keeping me from hurting myself.
The crazy thing is that it worked. I didn't hurt myself (minor the cuts/blisters) and I didn't suffer any collapse from exhaustion. I could have easily kept going a long time. The drive back made me sleepy, but I made it back.
Today, I wasn't sure if I was going to do Pilates, but in telling my friend (who turned me onto Pilates in the first place) the weekend's events, we both admitted we had missed Pilates. It's a great way to keep in shape, make you stronger, and just relieve some stress.
I was pretty stressed when I woke this morning. I just wasn't in a good mood. My long drive back had done nothing for me and the lacks of sleep made me a bit ill. I wanted to rip some people's heads off. I got better as the day progressed, the crappy feelings going away, but I totally was looking forward to Pilates. I wanted to do it.
So, I did. The first video was the Beginner's Workout and I must proudly say, I made it through. No breaks, no cheating, and no break down of form. The video is kind of a trip back in time because three weeks ago, when I started this, that workout kicked my tail. I was using all the shortcuts and taking breaks to get through it.
Now, three weeks later, I'm making it through the video without any breaks. I was proud of myself. Yes, it still takes some effort, but not a backbreaking amount. Not an amount of effort that makes me feel like I got hit by a bus afterwards.
It's amazing what gains I've made with this in just three weeks time. I thought I was fit before but, based on these past four days, I have to say I'm way fitter now. It's probably not going to sell more people (guys in particular) on the idea, but there have been strength gains. Flexibility gains. The fact I didn't pull anything this past weekend is astounding considering the amount of stuff I was hauling around. Multiple 18 pound bags, a few 50 pound bags, buckets full of tools, buckets of five gallon paint, and I was doing this across multiple terrains: flat, sloped, stairs, and more.
I didn't pull anything. I would normally have pulled something but I didn't, and I didn't on less sleep than normal. Pilates has definitely made a positive difference here, a noticeable one, and I think everyone should get aboard and do this. You may not see the same amount of success as I have in the same amount of time, but you'll see it sooner rather than later if you really put the time in.
My success with the first video was not repeatable with the second, however.
The second video kicked my tail. The pace and the reps really make this a tough video to follow up on ... I won't pretend I did well on it. I was in a heap after about two minutes of it. Considering the wear and tear of this past weekend, I don't count this as a loss.
Overall, I'm quite proud of my efforts today and hope to repeat it as the days go on.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you folks for Day Twenty-One
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