365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day # 218

September 20th, 2012

11,000 Miles-11 Weeks-11 Pounds

Man oh man, it happens fast. Putting on a little weight and getting a bit out of shape. How does an aerobics instructor fall off the cardio fitness wagon and need to buy bigger pants.

Well, the same way everyone else does.

 An increase in comfort food intake and

 a decrease of elevated heart rate out take.

Throw in loosing my favorite gig of all time and there you go, it's official, I am a gym rat drop out. 

I miss quite a few things about home back in Florence, SC. It's a pretty lengthy list but I won't bore anyone with that and my intent is not to complain this post, especially about the weather. Just for kicks and giggles though, as I type Baby Daddy gets up every thirty minutes or so to check to see if it has started snowing yet. Yes, we are expecting flurries here overnight, maybe just a slight dusting. Thanks to EBAY and him the kids are outfitted Minnesota style from head to toe, ready for the elements at any time of the day. As for me, I have bought a stash of yummy rich hot chocolate and a tub of ready whip herbal tea and some local honey to keep me warm. Ok, back to the issue at hand. Why the buttons on my favorite knock off designer jeans are a hazard to anyone in a 10 foot radius. Safety glasses everyone, you have been warned.

11,000 miles ago getting a good work out in my day wasn't an issue. Teaching classes at McLeod was the dream job for a girl who may or may not be addicted to cupcakes. If sweating off the calories while dancing to Pitbull with a bunch of other torqued up people is your gig, than sit down and be quiet. I miss it more than I have words. No excuses to be made. I had to be there. I had to to show up. People were expecting me. I don't mean like a fan club Justin Bieber style. I mean my boss and the other crazy members that agreed dancing is a genius way to be nice to your heart, lungs and soccer mom rear end.

Yes mom, I know Zumba had already been invented years ago. No thanks, I don't think you need to send your old Jazzercise leg warmers out to Minnesota just yet. Wait a minute, what color are they again?    

McLeod Health and Fitness is a class act all the way around. BD and I have known it for years. Like the southern Taj Mahal of gyms, plunked right on down in the middle of Florence. All the kiddies have grown up here. Getting to know the outstanding people who run this huge operation as some sort of extended family. I miss the friendly smiles, love and warmth of this family for sure. 

Working along side these people was a treat, generally running with no issues, smooth as butter. Being part of a dedicated professional team was only one side to the best non-job ever. Once I completed kid sign in and drop off at the MACK, hurried my way past the front desk, took a quick sip of water, then the real fun would begin. 

The fact that I am a Madonna wanna be, hooking up the super cool microphone to my over sized head never got old, ever.

Creating long lasting friendship while shaking my booty tah tah never did either.

The dynamics of an aerobics room are an interesting thing. I have witnessed throw downs and chest puffing amongst grown people over the taking of ones spot. This is serious biz nass, for real. Position in the room is key for most. The more diverse the crowd the better for me. Doesn't matter if you zig when I zag with what seems like two left feet. To all you J LO's and Justin Timberlakes of the front row, I love you as much as the middle and back rows equally.  

To those who woke up at dawns butt crack to get to 6:15am Zumba I will always be amazed and impressed and possibly may love you the best. Who would have thunk you guys could have made such an early dance class work. My favorite way to start the weekend.

If you accidentally dress like my twin, well then you receive a big ole cheesy, middle age, white lady, high five.

Won't that make your day!

Oh sorry, I was never invited to a sorority in college so this pose was a must. Thanks Becky for putting up with me.

I have heard of a runners high. I really do believe you jacked up fit people who always look great in Norts have experienced just that, many times before. Even in my brief  I like running stage of life when my hiney looked more its appropriate ethnic group, I never came across or stumbled upon such a phenomenon. Oh well, I am seriously slow and quite duck footed. My cards were stacked against me from birth. Maybe next time.  

Dancing High....now that is something different. I can relate better to that. I'm so high I almost seem to get lost while teaching. Occasionally lost in my own choreographed moves but mostly in a big, happy, sweaty world. Time is stuck on a fast forward button during Zumba, it flies by. While I run the risk of sounding uber corny, for me it was always some sort of magical thing happening. A magical land where I no longer cared about the new wrinkles and fresh grey hair found only 3o minutes prior to warm up. All was good in the world between those teal green walls. Dishes, bills and long mom days disappeared into thin air. Thick, sweaty, loud air. Yes, a play list turned magical because of the refection's I was able to catch a glimpse of in the full length mirror. 45 minutes of magic starting right after the meet and greet of familiar faces and the panic look of the newbies. Wonder if it was wrong to have told the extra nervous ones the back of the room was really the front? Just kidding CB, I would never do that......again.    

Off days are normal but few and far between.

 

As I re read what I have written here I am a bit confused. Even thought I ain't no English major I clearly see a problem with the past and present tense usage. I apologize to those who may read here and cringe at my grammar, spelling an inappropriate anything on a regular bases. Just a weird place for me not to have a gym gig at the moment. Living in the past a tad, and more than anxious to get back into the swing of things of the future. 

We finally broke down and joined a place here. I won't go into too many details about what a big fat McLeod snob I am but I will say  my stomach twisted up in knots when I read they only offered Zumba twice a week. I went for the first time last Tuesday. The instructor could sense in our conversation after class I was itching to get back on track. I was thrilled when she asked me to be a guest teacher tonight. 

Everyone looked a bit shocked to see me, Southern Sally waltz over to the front with my Mickey D's visor securely fastened, IPhone in hand ready to start the class. To be a new instructor in a gym that was built before they understood acoustics, the importance of mirrors and no sophisticated sound system is a bit challenging. Throw in a little rusty and out of shape sucking wind instructor and that my friends is a recipe for disaster. I went for it anyway, being myself and happy to be there. Happy to be moving, moving towards a healthier pre move time and 11 or so pounds ago. Just for the record there was nothing magical about the class at all. 45 long minutes without a microphone, my raspy y'alls flying out of my sweet tea stained mouth ever other cuing sentence. The drawn out syllables seemed to slam against the back wall and directly back at me with a taunting smirk, mocking me relentlessly. No fairly dust here, I went over like a turd in a punch bowl.     

Some of these older ones below were taken with phones and stolen from Face Book walls. I didn't think any of you guys would mind. With less than 3 months til we are back on the east coast I 've got my work cut out for me. McLeod I will be back, mark my words. Hold on just a minute. CB, you will rehire me right? I finally brought back all my towels.  

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