Unitards and Sparkles

After the half marathon my body was reeeeallly sick of running. Running 4 times a week for 5 months wreaked havoc on my feet, ankles, shins, and hips. So the past couple of weeks I've been trying to change up my workout routine a little. I thought for sure I would be so excited to take a break from running that I wouldn't run at all for awhile. The crazy thing is that I really have missed it. But I know I need to give my body a little break, so I've only run a few times in the last couple of weeks.

I have a free 1 month membership at one of the gyms in town, so I've been taking advantage of that to do more strength training and use some different cardio equipment. We have a treadmill, elliptical, hand weights, a kettlebell, and some DVD's at home, but for some reason it seems easier to stay motivated when I have to actually go somewhere for my workout.

I have NEVER been a morning worker-outer. EVER. I've tried for years to force myself to the gym at the ass crack of dawn, but somehow the snooze button calls to me and sleep ends up trumping the gym.

Because I am staying home with my kiddos for the summer, the only time I can really get to the gym is right away in the morning before my hubby goes to work. So I have been fighting the snooze button and have actually made it to the gym at 5am several times in a row. Go ME!

As I got to the gym bleary eyed and wondering what the hell I was doing there before the sun had even risen, something happened that made it all worth it.....

I went to the locker room to fill my water bottle when suddenly from around the corner appears the spunkiest elderly woman I've ever encountered. Let me paint a picture for you, though it will be difficult to do her justice.

The first thing I noticed was, of course, the 1980's style unitard. It was like Jane Fonda meets High School Wrestler.

Next was the scarf tied neatly around her neck. Fancy.

Let's move on to the glitter, shall we? Her arms and chest sparkled in the dim lights of the locker room.

This description would not be complete without the perfume.... hard to describe the scent. Kind of a heavy, musky flowery aroma. The entire locker room smelled of it.

As I was trying to process what I was seeing, she yelled in my direction "HEY! ARE YOU GOING TO BOX WITH US THIS MORNING?!?!" I was so taken aback, I just sputtered "no" and quickly left the locker room.

I didn't know whether to be frightened by her or totally impressed!

She stuck in my brain as I was laboring on the elliptical machine, I think the glitter may have hypnotized me? But as I reached those moments during my workout when I would think "eh, I know I set the workout to 45 minutes, but maybe 20 would be enough? I would start to think myself out of my workout and then I would glance over to the group fitness room. Grandma Glitter was boxing the hell out of kickboxing class. She was ripped and totally kept up with everyone else. And I kept going with my workout. I even added a mile of running for good measure after the 45 minute elliptical workout. I think she was my inspiration to run faster than I've ever run a mile.

So in the end I decided that I am totally impressed by her. I hope when I'm 70+ years old I'm kicking ass at the gym....maybe just without the unitard and glitter ;)