The Dreaded Machine

I am a self-diagnosed exercise addict. Seriously, I work out every single day. My day is just not complete without my daily sweat fest.  My friends and colleagues think I am nuts...I get up at 4AM to work out.  I know that if I wait until after school, something will happen and there goes my workout. Running has been my go-to work out for a while now, mixed with a little yoga and the occasional boot camp.  That is until I developed "old lady" foot and running was taken off the table (I have arthritis in my big toe which affects the way I run. I let it go on for MONTHS before I went to the doctor only to find I have plantar fasciitis in one foot, and arthritis and tendonitis in the other) I have had to come up with new ways to sweat. Now I alternate between Beachbody videos and my new machine.

I say all that to introduce to you the dreaded machine workout. I received the BowFlex Max Trainer as a Christmas present.  Now, don't get me wrong I asked for one and I LOVE this machine.  It just consistently kicks my butt.  Case in point this morning's workout:

I got out of bed at the super early time of 3:53, changed my clothes, grabbed my phone and went to the basement. There it sits... the grey and red machine.  Its size hides the truth, this machine is a beast.  I plug it in, turn on Spotify and put my feet on the pedals.  I connect the app to the machine, check out today's workout and up the minutes to thirty.  I set my Apple Watch to high intensity ( I mean, I gotta get credit for this workout) and take a deep breath.  The app finally shows how many high-intensity intervals I will push through today.  See, this machine isn't your run of the mill treadmill or elliptical. No, this bad boy is part stepper, part elliptical ad it forces you to sprint for a specific amount of time.  Which doesn't sound all bad, in fact, it sounds like the way to really sweat .... until you are working out, then it becomes the beast. 

This morning's workout was 56-second sprints followed by 1:30 "rest" intervals.  Much better ratio than Sunday's 2:00 sprints and 3-minute intervals but 56 seconds is a long time to go all out.  I start with the warm-up a nice minute prelude to what is to come.  Finally, the first sprint is upon me.  I grab the handles and pump my legs furiously for 56 seconds. (They are really long seconds) The rest is well earned and a welcome relief...until the dreaded 56 seconds starts again.  At about the 16-minute mark, I questioned my sanity.  Why exactly am I doing this?  At the 22 minute mark, I decided that I can do anything for eight minutes. At the 29 minute mark, I am in the home stretch and cooling down. 

Whew! It is over! My sweaty hands turn off the app, turn off Spotify and end my Apple Workout. I may be crazy for getting up at 4AM,  and every day this machine may try to get the best of me but I did it.  I lived to tell the tale and I am glad that I did it.... that is until Thursday when I will do it all again.