Exercise Endorphins - That's All You Need!

"Purpose, vision and courage -- combined

with effort -- turn dreams into realities."

- Tana Sherwood

I was on the cross trainer this morning at the gym, and on the wall ahead of me were the words...'Believe in Your Dreams'.

Now when I first read this upon joining up at Go Health Clubs, and other motivational quotes plastered all around the gym, I wanted to throw up my protein shake. But now that I've been going there a little while now, I've become use to all the polish and glamour and I've only started to utilise them (reading the quotes).

I don't know what it is about commercial gyms, but they get my back up. I'm not the glamorous type - I'm the sweaty, daggy, grungy type of gal, and well...I just don't really fit into the whole 'persona' which are gyms and health clubs these days. I think that's why I loved Crossfit so much - if you finished absolutely drenched, and about to puke or had in fact puked, then you knew you'd had a good day. The prize is to finish a CF session, and callouses and chalk dust on your hands, and scrape marks on your shins were testament to the fact you were willing to give it your all.

My whole take on them (commercial gyms) is that the people who go to them just like to show they have the latest and trendiest Lorna Jane gear (not knocking LJ, because I actually do wear LJ and love her stuff, but somehow I don't look like those models in the brochures or on the website), but aren't really prepared to dirty them by 'sweating' in them - OMG what a travesty!

But you know, it's not all like that. Yes, there are those types of people who frequent the gym (Barbie Dolls), but there are also a lot of people just like me who are daggy and like to sweat and grunt alot when they workout, and are genuinely giving of themselves 100% to their workouts.

Though, I've worked out that sometimes my perceptions say more about where I'm at (headspace), than they do about what is the reality.

Now...how did I just get off-track? Oh...yeah...where is this leading?

Well, anyway...back to the cross-trainer. I was working up quite a lather and feeling great and I looked up at those words....Believe in Your Dreams, and I realised that there was no other place that I'd rather be. Which was a complete turnaround from how I felt before I hoofed it to the gym.

You see, I worked last night, so didn't get to bed until midnight. My neck was out, and I'd had a headache all night. I hopped on to the computer and waiting for me in my inbox was my new training program. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling very enthused, because I took one look at what was in store for me early the next morning and thought...'Aw F*#K! How the hell am I going to get through that?' Now when I woke up I was feeling slightly better, but still very tired, and was dragging my tired ass around thinking that I was not going to enjoy this mornings' session (because I'm unfit at the moment).

But drawing from previous experience, I knew that once I got inside those walls, those feelings would take a back seat and once those endorphins kicked in, I would be on fire!

And I was right! Sweating and grunting on that cross-trainer; tuned into my Ipod and getting pumped - I was in the Zone! I was imagining how lean I'm going to be in a couple of months and back to my old self. And I just can't wait! Hell...I was going for gold and thinking of the prize - a lean me!

It's amazing what feelings you can bring forth when you want something badly enough. Going to the gym - pushing myself - those exercise endorphins are pumping through my body, and every time I go - every session becomes an opportunity to cement those feelings, to relive those highs. And I know that every session will bring me closer to my goals - closer to my prize!

Pffft...who needs drugs? Exercise Endorphins are all you need!

Oh yeah...and as Nicole said...I'M BRINGING SEXY BACK! ;)

Oh...and...2kgs loss on scales since Sunday! So watch this space...hmmm...now I don't want to get ahead of myself, but maybe, just maybe, the bitch is back (fingers crossed)! :P