Legs and thoughts...

I went over to the gym yesterday afternoon to visit with Jack, the owner.  I haven't done a leg workout since I left Mr. Muscles in December so I wanted to make sure I knew how to use all the machines properly at Snap before diving right in.  I also have some IT band tightness on my left leg that I really need to work out. 

Jack gave me the details on the machines.  I told him my goal - inner thigh, quads and IT band.  He suggested 5 different machines for me, showed me how to use them and wished me luck. :)  So last night I got to the gym and did a super hard 45 minute elliptical workout.  I just about doubled the distance/speed/intensity that I usually do.  Yay me!  I did a partial arm workout and then hit the legs. 

Holy Moly.  I forgot how good a leg workout feels.  And I forgot how hard a leg workout can be!  And today I'm not dying.  So all in all a fantastic workout to be proud of. 

When I do cardio I listen to music.  I need the speed of the songs to match my pace and I need the words to distract me from the physical exertion.  And then I set goals.  Like, I'm going to go super fast for the length of this song without slowing down.  Advice:  don't choose Paradise By The Dashboard Light as one of those goals...especially the 11 minute version! HA! 

But when I lift, I don't listen to music.  Instead I focus on my breathing and counting reps.  And then I think.  There aren't that many times in my life that I can just tune it all out and listen to my thoughts.  

It's scary, isn't it?  To be in your head with no escape?  I find I'm having deeper conversations with myself the more I workout.  I've never done this before since I've always had a trainer to distract me while lifting. 

But I am thinking more about my future; what I want from it.  Where I want to be in 1 year, in 5 years, in 10 years.  But what I won't do yet is put those goals down on paper.  Because what if I don't reach them?  Then I've failed. 

Is it better to fail at a goal that you set or never set the goal so although you might not fail, you really have no measure of success.  I had this discussion with a friend this morning.  He brought it up and it took me a little off guard because I was already thinking about this. 

Until I decide which is better, I'll just keep working on my internal self as I'm working on my external self; one step at a time...