I went to Orange Theory and ate dirt
Hello and welcome to May I spoon you?! I hope this week finds you well and as always thank you for sharing this space with me.
First of all, thank you to those who reached out and asked if I am ok. Yes, I am! I needed to get things off my chest and what better way to express my feelings than through my writing. Also, thank you to the new subscribers. Welcome and thank you for being here.
In last week’s edition of May I spoon you? I briefly mentioned that I started going to Orange Theory (OT). OT is a gym and this gym is located about 40 minutes from my house and one month ago I decided to give it a try.
First of all, OT is in my hometown. I will use any excuse in the book to go back to my hometown to shop, run errands, etc. There is no OT where I currently live. Rumor has it that they were planning on opening one close to my apartment BUT the pandemic hit. Those plans have been put on hold and I am crossing my fingers and toes that they revisit those plans soon. OT has a teacher cult-like following. Every time I open my teacher Instagram account, I see dozens of teachers posting about their OT workouts. OT has the teacher seal of approval and therefore decided to give it a try.
Your first workout at OT is free. I signed up and called the gym to get a few details. They told me to arrive at least 30 minutes early to sign some paperwork and meet with a trainer to get a quick tour of the gym. I was super nervous. I wore my best leggings and socks to somewhat look the part. I arrived at OT and signed the paperwork and meet with my trainer. I was overwhelmed during my meeting with my trainer. She dumped a lot of information in a very short amount of time. However, she assured me that she would be around during class in case I had questions.
Class started and the energy in the room shifted. Everyone in the room was pumped and determined to have a good workout. There are three stations at OT; the rower, treadmill, and floor exercises. I started at the rower, moved to the floor, and then to the treadmill. I was doing great in the first two stations. I was surprised at how intensive they were but at the same time not impossible. In my mind, I was killing it! Then I jumped on the treadmill, I started pushing a bunch of buttons and the treadmill started going super fast. I leaped to the side of the treadmill as I was frantically looking for the safety button to stop the stupid machine. As I leaped, my left foot somehow got caught on, and I slipped off, falling to the floor. Out of nowhere, my trainer rushed to my side and picked me up. She called someone over to check me for any injuries. I said, “no, I am fine, I am not stopping”. I got back on the treadmill and finished my workout. As I am jumped back on the treadmill, my trainer said “if you can get through this class after falling, you can do anything”. I finished my workout and signed up under the most basic membership (4 classes a month).
I left OT drenched in sweat, with a bruise on the right elbow (which I hit on my way down from my fall) and $59 poorer. Yet, I was determined to return. I think this has to do with my age. Had I been in my twenties, I would have started crying and wishing to die because I embarrassed myself. However, I can honestly say that falling off the treadmill in front of a room full of strangers just gave me the motivation to come back and work harder. As a fat woman, I have always avoided gyms. I understand that they aid in weight loss but they can feel intimidating.
I am tired. I am sore. But I am proud of myself for being able to make good on my Summer 2021 resolutions.
This week + Now, May I spoon you?
This week, I am combining both sections of my newsletter. Also, this week’s newsletter will go out on Wednesday. I have not been feeling well. I have not had the energy to do much writing. I think it is a combination of emotions and the weather. It has been very humid and I believe that has played a role in my energy level.
Normally, I would be very hard on myself and give up my interest in writing this newsletter. I have the tendency of giving up if something (even if it is small) goes wrong. Not today Satan!
I recently read Sara Campbell’s latest edition, where she too explains why she skipped a week. It resonated so much with me, most importantly I felt a connection to another human and their emotions.
Please take care of yourself and your space. If you need the time to step back and do you, do it! Thank you as always for reading and see you next week.
Bonus: The Cut has been my go-to during sleepless nights. I love their content.
This newsletter details my daily struggle with Lupus and what works for my body to help manage my condition. May I spoon you? does not provide medical advice. The contents of this newsletter are intended for informational/entertainment purposes only. Please consult with a medical professional before seeking new treatment and/or medication.