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Week 4: Workout by Numbers

I am an English major so numbers can often elude me. Long division hurts my head and I never really discovered what “x” equals. However, when it comes to exerci...

I am an English major so numbers can often elude me. Long division hurts my head and I never really discovered what “x” equals. However, when it comes to exercise I am a math GENIUS.

In our most recent group workout, our Master Trainer, Mindy told me to pick up some giant-sized kettle bells and walk with them up and down the field for 1 minute. I instantly panicked, “those were the same kettle bells Michael Gorsegner just carried. I can’t pick those up!” Mindy didn’t want to hear it.

I was so freaked out, I couldn’t even look at the weight. So I begrudgingly gripped one in each arm and prepared for my arm to dislocate itself from my body. But that didn’t happen. I was actually able to walk and carry the weight at the same time. Once this exercise was over – I quickly checked out the number on the side of the kettle bell. 45 pounds. FORTY-FIVE POUNDS. In a split second, I started doing math. 45 pounds in each arm means I just lifted 90 pounds total. Or 7 and a half 12 pound turkeys. Or 10 one-gallons of milk. I could do this for hours.

Fast forward to Sunday. I was running my third half marathon in Philadelphia. 13.1 miles. I wanted to keep a 9:30 pace. And instantly the adding of time begins. We started 24 minutes after the start. So every mile I passed, I instantly subtracted that time. Then a lengthy 7 minute wait at the port-a-potty slowed me down. I had to add that in. And pretty soon I was calculating other math problems. 1 mile equals 1760 yards. Multiply that by 13 and I am running 22,880 yards. So I am running the length of a football field 228 times. See? Math genius.

One number that’s not working in my favor – the scale. No matter how much math or how little has been subtracting, it’s hard not to get frustrated. In the past few weeks, I’ve only dropped a few ounces! But I feel better, stronger. My clothes are fitting better. And ever since I carried those kettle bells, I know carry up all my groceries in one load because I know I CAN. Mindy says don’t let the number rule your life. I add, don’t let ANY numbers rule your life! No matter how much you can lift, press or run – numbers are just numbers! They only measure so much. Being healthy is more about how you feel. So as you Get Fit, get ready to look beyond the stats and focus on YOUR status instead. Meanwhile, in my head, if you multiply “feeling good” by 7 and divide it by 20 you get…

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