workin' it.

I'm really trying to get fit again. I've taken a solid year off and that's about enough. In fact, it's the longest I have gone in as long as I can remember without any regular physical regime. When I was a child I was urged to take part in extra-curricular activities. My Mom chose ballet and piano. I happened to love both. So, for a very long time I was dancing twice a week (in my early teens before I decided to become a complete shithead I was dancing 4 days a week) and piano lessons at lunch once a week until Grade 8. I suddenly got lazy, stopped practicing, new I couldn't be the best I wanted to be so quit. Broke my parent's hearts but that wasn't the first or the last time for that either.

In University I tried going to the gym a few times, but that meant dedication and so instead I partied my ass off and danced til sunrise alot. I figure the amount of calories and sweat I was burning made up for the amount of toxins going into my body. Kinda wrong, but it got me through. In my twenties I dated a guy who hit the gym pretty hard every day so I did too. I weight trained and did all that circuit trainig shit. I got a little bulky but my waist stayed trim. I liked lifting weights. It was a very good agression killer for me. I coupled that with a weekly yoga class that taught me how to deal with my anxiety. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that yoga class saved my life. But then I quit my job and moved out west. Out west I learned that pretty much all activities take place outside, rain or shine. And I'm here to tell you that rain happened alot more then shine. So I picked up some rain gear and started running. I fell in love. I found an activity that gave me the best of all the previous execise worlds I'd been in. Music on the MP3 made me feel like dancing. The endophins kicking in allowed for my aggression to release. My mind would empty like in final shivasina. I got pretty good. I even ran a 10k. My body got extremely lean and my face had never before been more slender and structured. Secret - I am vain.

I moved back home and got pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Olivia. And although I did a handful of pre-natal pilates I don't consider that counting as any form of true excersize, albeit was an absolute joke watching me even try to get down on the mat. I found it frustrating more then anything, but Dax was there and we laughed a helluvalot so it made it ok. Anyone sensing a theme here? I don't like to half ass things and if I think that's going to be the outcome I usually bail. I'm a perfectionist and I am driven. I am also happiest when in shape.

Dax started this Baby and Me fitness program a while ago so she and Bella could have something to do. Goals. She's good at that. She's the planner and the organizer. I pushawd it at first but then became a little more interested when we talked about going swimming with the girls. I'm not the Mommy Group type. I find alot of it fake and full of what I label the extreme Mommies - super feminist or super June fucking Cleaver. I'm neither. However, the chance to get into the pool with our little ones and splash around to some pretty bad 90's gay anthems sounded appealing so I went for it. And we bombed. Little Liv is still a little too small for the enlarged rubber ducky dingy. Her shoulders slip down and she's not holding her own quite enough yet. We spent the class (ok this was the second shot at it) in the corner outside of the rest of the group blowing bubbles and swooshing around in circles. She had fun for a little while until she got tired and hungry. Then all hell broke loose. Like her Mother, when she is hungry the world must stop until she is fed. It's an unfourtunate trait - it means you usually have to carry food on you at all times, or at least a fiv'r so you can hit the nearest variety store for a candy bar - but she's still too young for that. Whatever, this comes with the territory. But really? It's a bit of a production.

So, tomorrow I'm trying Stroller Fit. This is a cardio class that takes place in one of Toronto's many parks. You push your baby in the stroller up and down hills and look like a complete jackass I'm sure. But apparently it's a pretty good workout. Here's hoping. The instructions on the website say meet at the bench beside the snack bar. At least I got that covered!