Anyone who knows me knows that exercise and I haven’t ever really got on. Ever since infant school it has meant running about, doing things that give you pain (I’m thinking the rope burn from sliding down the ropes too fast), fear (in my case of heights from the top of the ‘apparatus’), and discomfort (hockey and lacrosse in the pouring rain or sleet). I was in one school hockey team – quite an achievement for me – but never made the lacrosse one; probably because my aim was to run away from the ball that was hurling itself at me through space at great speed, instead of catching it in my stick net thing. I hated swimming, and I just wasn’t ever a runner. Ever.
However, since then I have made an effort to join gyms and keep fit. As a nursing student, I went to weekly step aerobic classes but gave up after a few months as I didn’t have any co-ordination. Stepping on and off the step was easy, but start throwing in arm movements…… completely lost me. Then, due to most of my 20s either fighting illness or expecting my children (the first baby we lost early on, sadly), my exercise was minimal.
Over the past few years, I came to like the two gyms I have been a member of. During my nursing days, they were a godsend after all the stress of a normal day. On days off, I’d be at the gym for 6.30am so that I could have it to myself before the ‘rugby boys’ came in and posed, looking at themselves in the mirror whilst pretending to lift weights. I loved exercise so much that, for several years, I took part in several charity fundraiser events: a couple of sponsored cycles for Marie Curie Cancer Care, and several years of Cancer Research’s ‘Race For Life’ – strictly the 5km run only for me. 10km was just a bit too much. Often some of my friends would join me, and once or twice my daughter, and we would have a fun time punishing ourselves whilst raising cash in order for other people to have the happy ending to their cancer diagnosis as I have had. I think, in total, I’ve raised about £5,000 for these charities – not a huge amount, but money which I hope has been used to help these people.
Then, about 3 years ago, whilst out running, I injured myself which put pay to my running days. I was quite sad about this as I loved going out with my daughter and the area where we live is an ideal outdoor gym – especially in the early mornings.
Other than walking/hiking – which I do a lot of around here, in a town surrounded by hills – and cycling, which I’m not a great fan of (because the roads are busy) – I needed another form of cardio exercise. After trying Clubbercise once (really not for me, even with the whole waving lightsticks thing), I took up rowing at my local gym. Finally, a low impact sport which I really enjoyed. And I’ve done it ever since. The local gym only has two ergo machines (rowing machines) and I was getting grumpy at having to tire myself out on the treadmill or bikes while waiting for countless other people to finish on one or other of the ergos before I could put in my daily 10km stint…….so we ended up buying our own. Now I have no excuse to shirk trying to keep fit. If I do, it sits there and makes me feel guilty.
I have been a bit lax recently with my rowing though. Tutoring every evening, as well as thesis-writing, and doing the house up for selling has taken every spare minute of my time. However, I signed up for DoddieAid and am trying to make up my walking miles with some rowing ones too. It’s not one of my beloved cancer charities this time, but the cause is equally as important; someone we knew locally passed away a couple of years ago with MND. It is a dreadful illness. So, although my effort for Team Edinburgh is pretty meagre, I’m doing my tiny bit to help. (Team Edinburgh isn’t doing great in the Inter-District league…..come on, folks!).
I went a bit OTT with my rowing today, especially after not having done it much over the past couple of months. It also didn’t help that I hit the wrong Spotify playlist on my phone and so I ended up trying to keep a steady 25spm whilst high energy tunes were bursting out of my earbuds. Not recommended. I’m going to be hurting tomorrow……..
June's Jottings 