My Butt Hurts Real Bad

I’ve been repeating the title of this post in my head for a day now….in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice.  No, my butt doesn’t hurt real bad because of my Sweet Dance moves, it hurts because of Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs video!  Every time I sit down, every time I stand up, every time I move – IT HURTS!!  The good kind of pain, like when you know you have worked a totally new muscle group.

As most of you know I’m training for my first marathon in January, and I’m not really a “runner” by trade – I’m a triathlete.  But in late August I injured my shoulder and have not been able to swim.  Also, since I’m running so much I haven’t been biking much lately so my workouts have mainly consisted of running lately.  My running times are improving, but I’ve got a chronic back issue (I’ll share more about what I’ve discovered in a different post) that I know impedes my running.  I know stronger hips, legs, and core will improve my running stamina and help with the back pain.  So, I decided that since I’m not spending my time swimming and biking, I should get back to doing some more strength and core training.

So last week I purchased two Jillian Michaels DVDs – Killer Buns & Thighs and Six Week Six Pack.  Both were very reasonably priced on Amazon at just under $9 each.  Yesterday I decided to give the Buns & Thighs DVD a go.  The DVD has 3 levels and each workout is about 30 minutes.  I, of course, decided to start with Level 1, but I didn’t have 30 minutes to dedicate to it so I just did PART of the video.  She does each series of moves twice, so I decided for times sake I would just run through them once.  I can’t believe how sore I am from about a 20 minute workout.  I can only imagine how I would feel if I had done the entire thing! 

I totally expect to look like this in just 6 weeks!

It might not have been the best idea ever to start this week.  I was still pretty sore and tired from my half marathon on Saturday and I have my first ever run over 13.1 miles this Saturday.  When I ran this morning I felt my butt the entire time.  But, I am a glutton for punishment so I’ll be throwing in the Six Pack abs DVD tonight after work.  Wish me luck!!  At least tomorrow is a rest day.  I think I’m gonna need it!

Thanks so, so much to everyone for the very kind and encouraging words on my blog this week.  I can’t tell you how thrilling it was to PR this weekend.  I’m still basking in the glow of it.  I’ve had other PRs recently, but nothing has felt as good as this one.  I finally felt like a runner.  I know an 11:39 pace is no record breaker, but for someone who’s never been able to get out of the 12s on long races it seemed like an almost unattainable accomplishment for me. 

Have you seen Napoleon Dynamite?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Seriously, it’s a classic!