Permission to Be Wrong and Look Silly

The puppy pic is to celebrate a spring sunny day. Who can resist a puppy looking out the window?

I've been killing it with my "own my workout" goal for 2015. Before the snow hit I was at a yoga studio almost every night. I think I may have found my workout of choice. But...then the snow and ice came it was impossible to go. When the snow/ice melted I decided to get right back to what I'd been doing. So Monday night I did hot yoga...it wasn't one of my favorites. I didn't feel stronger after. But, it was still time that my body was moving and burning a few of the calories I need to burn.

My favorite yoga class is held on Tuesdays. But it's a pretty late class. I would have been in a time limbo for too long to make that class make sense. So, armed with my new sense of workout duty, I went to the gym at my office. I decided to ride the bike for 30 minutes plus a cool-down. Granted it's been a while since I have done pure aerobic exercise. --I'd been doing the hot yoga instead. So, when I started to feel yucky while riding the bike, I was not deterred or surprised. I thought to myself..."Yep, this is what you get when you let yourself get out of shape. You get winded and you want to throw up."

Like the militant taskmaster than I can be, I shamed myself into continuing.  My heart rate according to the bike was all over the place. I'm never convinced that the machines are getting accurate readings. I didn't give myself a break until 25 minutes of stationary bike hell. I decided "today my workout is 25 minutes...not the 30 minutes I planned." And I decided I was okay with that.

I was pretty disappointed when the nausea didn't automatically go away when I stopped the workout.  I mean what the heck? I walked to my car and started the commute home. Luckily it was late enough that there wasn't a ton of traffic. The whole way home I felt sick, but I made it without an incident. 

I got home and just sat on the couch trying to control that queasy feeling and "will myself" to not be sick. Long story short...that didn't work. 

Hours later (after being sick) I had no relief. So we called the insurance 24-hour nurse, which led to the decision of "better safe than sorry" and an ambulance and EMS workers taking me to the hospital. The symptoms I was having can be linked to a heart attack, which is why the drama.  

I'm happy to tell you that I did not have a heart attack. I had a virus. One that made me very sick and resulted in dehydration. I'm so thankful that what I experienced was not life-threatening. I'm also proud of myself for not being afraid to look foolish. Because, what if it was a heart attack? And I was too afraid of looking silly to follow through on the nurse's advice? Or what if I didn't call the nurse at all? 

Granted, if we hadn't called for advice/help we wouldn't have a medical bill that will be coming our way. But, really, the cost of medical care is a topic for another day.