I'm still sore, and my ankles still hurt. But I'm fully aware that these are simply normal parts of life for me. If I were to wake up not sore anywhere one day, it's going to be really weird, to say the least. Like what my previous trainer Bethany used to say, "if I weren't sore, I'd wonder if I were still alive!"
That being said, resting often and well is also crucial. It's not a bad thing to push ourselves, but like with everything else, it ought to be done with moderation. Pushing too hard is not only counterproductive, but also not healthy in general. Our bodies are not machines, and even machines wear out from fatigue and overuse.
While demonstrating my head stand progress to Ezra this morning, I found that I was able to balance myself vertically with both feet off the floor with relative ease. Granted, I only lifted my legs up a little ways, but it was an inversion all right, an upside down arm balance nonetheless, half of a complete head stand. The fact that I was able to do that much without thinking a lot about it, and the fact that I couldn't get anywhere near that far just a couple of weeks ago, just made my day from the start. With a couple of nice chaturangas thrown in there, I got my show-off for the day out of the way.
I do feel the need to mention this: yesterday, at the allergist's office, I weighed in at 145 lbs on the scale. It was a sigh of relief, as well as one more bonus point for me. Looking in the mirror, I can tell that even my arms, the weakest parts on my body, which my grandmother had compared to match sticks one year ago, have widened and are now clearly showing signs of muscles. I have won, after nearly eight years of struggle to get up to and maintain a healthy weight for my height and built. People might think I'm crazy. People might joke and say that they wish they had my problem. People might think I've been trying to prove something else by "working on getting fatter". But they don't know just how hard it's been for me, that being on the other end of the spectrum is no walk in the park either, and that for so long, it was as if I could never force enough nutrition into me. It was beyond frustrating, to be at the mercy of my body's fiendish metabolism as well as its seemingly endless limitations associated with being underweight. Having gone from 110 to 145, it was no easy journey, and it took a good deal of determination and persistence. I'm feeling my best and happiest at last. I no longer feel as if a gust of wind could snap me like a twig. I no longer feel frail and sickly. I am strong and healthy now. I have come a long way, and you bet I'm proud of myself, of my newly fit and toned body with its good amount of muscle mass, of my tenacity and the hard work that had gone into it all. I am a true athlete now, and I will continue to be for many, many years to come.
My day off today was a good one. While visiting a small wine and gift shop on main street in downtown North East hoping to find a good bottle of red wine for making Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon, my taste buds surrendered to a locally brewed Late Harvest Vidal Blanc, which I pretty easily convinced my loving and generous husband to buy a bottle of, even though he's not a wine person at all. Along with a bottle of Merlot, I left the shop satisfied and tipsy, following five rounds of wine tasting.
The Merlot served its purpose well. Our dinner tonight was a huge success. The hours spent preparing and then waiting for the boeuf bourguignon, along with a fine mess in the kitchen accompanied by two loads of dishes, had paid off beautifully. It was probably the most delicious dish I have ever participated in creating, also possibly the best stew I've ever eaten in my life. After dinner, I indulged in a 1/4 glass of my sweet and delicious dessert white wine by myself, savoring the fact that I'm a huge fan of not only French food, but also French alcohol. Mind you, I know I will never grow to love cooking. But Julia Child just might be able to help me get to the point of no longer hating it. And cooking together with my husband, who happens to have always loved it, is actually fun. That being said, it does help that I married a man who is great in the kitchen and enjoys every bit of it.
Today was a wonderful day. I think I'll sleep well tonight.
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