A Serious Workout Does A Body Good

As planned, I shelled out $25 and hit the gym at Caesar's yesterday. Before I go on, though, I want to address this $25 charge thing. I feel like making the few people that remain dedicated to fitness even while in Vegas actually pay to get their workout on is a little messed up. When you consider that you can get all the booze you can guzzle for next to nothing, it's even more messed up. This is the beauty and the beast that is Vegas, though, so I happily took what would have been money thrown into a slot machine or on red and moseyed on over to the fitness center.

It was money well spent. It was probably the toughest workout I've had since my surgery, and my body is loving it today. I put myself (and my mom) through a rigorous lifting regimen, starting with six separate leg workouts, moving on to chest and back, and finishing with biceps and triceps. Four sets of twelve for everything except squats and calf raises, where we kicked things up a notch with three and four sets of thirty, respectively. I kept the weight levels particularly challenging and actually screamed at the end of a few sets, which is pretty much unprecedented. You know your workout is crazy tough when you're already feeling sore halfway through it.

After our serious weightlifting sets, we did just a smidgeon of straight cardio with about 10 minutes on the bike. Then we walked all around the Vegas strip, up and down stairs and on bridges and sidewalks, until about 4am.

You'd might guess I'd be exhausted today, but you'd be incorrect. I woke up today revitalized, feeling better than I've felt in literally months and months and months. My body feels really strong, my energy levels are off the charts, and I'm completely inspired by the way my body has responded to my new diet/exercise regimen. I really think I've turned a corner in my training and that swimming has helped me reach a whole new level of stamina and strength. Maybe Superman and I have the same blood type and those were the blood transfusion units I got during my surgery. Either way, I'm grateful and humbled, as always, by my body's ability to work with me during these post-op chemo months.

Some people feel betrayed by their bodies when they receive a cancer diagnosis, but I certainly didn't. My body is a miraculous thing that has endured an enormous amount and has healed an enormous amount. And now it's soaking up all the love and attention I'm giving it, and thriving. Such a blessing.