Personal Trainer

Thats what is new, the workout is never going to be the same again.....huh.....My first day with a personal trainer, Prashant. More than 8 hours have passed...and my biceps, triceps, Quadraceps,...wherever they are in my body, just won't let me forget about the ordeal.... An hour it was..Or was it just half an hour? Don't know

Its so amazing how a small tweak in the regular side-squats can produce drastically different results. I am amazed. Have done them thousand times before, but never to such great effect. .. To start with, treadmill was fine, i never go below 6.5 kmph anyway, which was Prashant's order, piece of cake....i did fine. Went treading the belt at 7 kmph (see i am so good at it!) Stepper 75 steps per minute. I could do 80. Happy and smiling ..........What followed was running from machine to machine, 20 repetitions, end of every set being such a relief.... was fine, but the muscles had started protesting. And Prashant was ruthless. 20 repetitions, then hold, then pulse....(pulse in Gym terminology is doing the same repetitions fast), Started having my doubts now, whether i was right in going for a personal trainer. he seemed heartless!! All my doubts vanished soon.

Was trying my best to lift 30 Kg plates on some machine (too much, eh?) Had an odd feeling in the stomach, felt nauseatic (reminded me of first month of pregnancy), immediately reported it, and the heartless guy transformed into the softest, kindest sweetest person. ...... All he said was, "Get down, tumko chakkar aane wala hai." Well, i didn't quite think so. But was quite happy to get down from whatever machine that was. He sat me down on a bench, asked someone to get a bottle of water, someone else to Glucon-D from his bag. And within a second, i was relishing the sweet taste of Glucon-D.

We took a two minute break in which i was left wondering whether this was the same rough and tough, bald headed, all muscle, no-heart guy? The nausea, it seems was the beginning, then you start feeling dizzy and then a blackout...you don't know what hit you. "Do you know we are just 20 minutes into the workout", he did not forget to add. Hmm....

We finished the workout, though at a little slower pace. Stretching, relaxation. All done. Have been working out for quite a few years. But this was quite an experience. Didn't forget to thank him while going. He is like "Hope you feel fine now. See you tomorrow. Kal kuch khaake aana"
:-( ...............Wonder what's in store tomorrow............

party anyone?

Have been through a particular experience many times before, have started getting frustrated these days. There's a valentine party in the gym and everyone insists i have to be there. It does not interest me AT ALL. I have to give reasons (make excuses?)... A simple 'No' is never enough. I am not answerable to whys from every Tom, Dick and Harry, am I? Why cant they just respect someone's opinion, his/her disinterest. This is what is known as an emotional rape i guess. You feel like a victim. Have decided to be stright-forward hereon. (that i already am, but more.) The fact that i am writing a blog about a stupid issue is quite indicative of the pressure i feel. I should stop being pressurised and be more assertive.

And well, this is not the only case. Happens to me all the time. Am not a party-person at all. I see no sense wasting time in useless chatting and talking about the weather. Musical chair is the most idiotic game ever invented, i think. Makes no sense circling the chairs. 'Only men's' parties are different, they get together just to booze. I guess its nice to know that they are not alone...other addicted idiots exist. So, it might be a nice idea to get together and drink.

But parties are definitely not for me.

passport mayhem

My husband had taken our passports with him to office last week, for photocopies i guess. Out of the blue i asked, why did you keep the passports in office for so long? He was shell-shocked. He was sure he had got them back and given them to me. I was equally sure he had not. A frenzy followed with him searching the whole wardrobe, a real sense of urgency rarely displayed by him. As he realised that i was calm and cool, he wondered aloud, "how could you sit there like that?".

Why should i be tensed? I am in India, for God's sake. In a foreign country, this sort of a thing would have been a disaster. But i am safe and sound in my own country. I don't have to give anyone any proof of my Indianness. Even if i loose my passport, worst thing is, i cannot travel abroad. No problem .....I am happy where i am...He just could not accept the reasoning. Difference of point of view i guess.

Anyways, a small plastic bag with our passports in it, was found later on the shoe-rack. It was fortunately spared handling by my little daughter. Was absolutely reachable for her 2 feet 2 inches. Lucky booklets i must say, a week of very risky stay on the shoe-rack. They ran the risk of being used as drawing books, decorated with the new Faber Castle crayons, or being made to fly right through the wide gap in the balcony-railings...possibilities are endless. If you are wondering why i did not mention paper-boats and aeroplanes, my daughter does not have the required expertise yet. But she is learning and learning fast....

If my husband happens to read this, he'll be shocked to know what i can do to our passports in my imagination. Not that i have anything against the poor little booklet, just that my imagination knows no bounds. Like for example, i love taking snaps from the train window (i know, the train is in motion, but the camera has a set running mode). I would often wonder, what if i loose my grip and the camera falls right out of the window. I can see the scenes clearly in my mind,(there's no dolby stereo surround sound....will upgrade). I can see the poor Cannon Powershot lying helplessly on the rail tracks, only to be picked up by some local trash collectors, or crushed by a group of Buffalloes......Now don't ask me what the buffalo is doing on a railway track...trying to commit suicide? Its imagination ...don't forget....(Even with the imagination running riot, i dare not to imagine my husband's reaction)....
Funny, each time i took a snap like that, this was the first thought to cross my mind. (Don't worry, I still have my camera!!).

I know, i am not getting anywhere near the camera after this confession. Goodbye photography...:-(

Granny

Last two days have been extremely disturbing. My husband's granny expired 2 days back. Not that i was particularly close to her. Nor did i attend the last rites. She was a healthy 75 year old woman, died of a wierd disease called Pemphigus.
Was an excellent cook, made excellent pickles. Still have the mirchi ka achaar she gave me last month. She had stitched a few blankets for my daughter from her old sarees. They give the warmth no branded one can give. My daughter just loves curling up with one of the saree blankets.
As i am writing all this i realise, i never told her all this. We all took her for granted when she was there. I should have told her that she made the best mirchi achaar in the world....Also that the blankets she has given are a boon.
All of a sudden, she is not alive anymore. I want to say thanks for all little things she has done. I wish i can just talk to her for one last minute and convey all this. That makes me aware of the other (most) relations i have been taking for granted. In the more civilised world we are trained not to speak our hearts i think. Its time i untrain myself and be more vocal. Life is so uncertain, if you dont say it when its due, you might never get a chance to say it at all....What say?