OK, I still wasn't walking very well this morning but I hobbled over to my gym to do Jim-not-Gym's workout again:

- Warm-up: Run 5 minutes

- Push-ups: 2 sets of 20

- Kettle bell squats: 2 sets of 20

- Barbell Rows: 2 sets of 20

- Lunges: the length of the gym and back, twice, no rests or steps in between lunges

- Lat pull downs: 2 sets of 20

- Bench lunges: stand on bench, lunge down on each side, returning to bench and straightening after each lunge. 30 sets of 10 each side.

- Cross-pulls: 2 sets of 20, each side

- Bicycle crunches: 3 sets of 10, each side

I have to admit, it was tough going, especially the kettle bell squats. I thought it would be the lunges that would kill me, but no, it was the squats that had me screaming. I decided to follow this workout with an energetic walk around the docks to keep things loose. It was a beautiful day, and there was even a black swan swimming alongside Swanee and Mrs. Swanee (my pet white swans). Then I got home, still feeling good, and watched the World Athletics Championships on BBC for awhile, which inspired me, and I peeled myself off the couch and had a go at this new "30 Day Shred" DVD that Heather recommended.

The Shred may have been a little too much. It's 20 minutes, and I thought, "Hey, what's 20 minutes? It can't hurt."

Um, it did.

It's only 20 minutes, but it's intense: a quick warmup, then 3 3-minute strength circuits, interspersed with 3 2-minute cardio workouts and 3 1-minute ab workouts. And it's frickin' hard. I don't normally do jumping jacks followed by pushups followed by crunches, with no rests in between. I was definitely not a happy camper by the end of the 20 minutes.

I blame the endorphins. Once I get on an exercise kick, I just can't stop. This is why I've gone through periods in my life where I've exercised compulsively, running for hours at a time. I just love the high. The problem is, I ain't built like an Olympic athlete, I just like to *think* I am, that I have that level of endurance. Sigh. It ain't easy bein' mediocre.