Quit Yer Belly Achin'

With all the problems facing our world today: the evacuation of the Gaza Strip, Hurricane Katrina destroying the South, the rise in gas prices, I think it is important to take a moment and discuss the most important issue of all. My abs hurt. A lot.

Whoever decided that doing a lot of crunches, on a daily basis, was the best way to tone a stomach, should be burned at the stake. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to move. It hurts to laugh.

(Billy, this part is for you…)

And I love working out. I am one of those persons who really enjoys going to the gym. Ten months out of the year I go to the gym, a few times a week, and subject myself to really intense workouts. I don’t feel like I have accomplished anything unless my hair is soaked, I have sweated through my t-shirt, and my muscles burn with a pain so fierce I have trouble walking.

I love lifting weights the most. I love exhausting my muscles and then forcing myself to do another rep of 10. I love when the endorphins kick in and you get that rush of blood that flushes your face. For awhile I was waking up in the middle of the night with severe leg cramps, because I was pushing myself too hard at the gym.

But nothing compares to the pain of crunches. And the worst part is I know I am going to do them again today. And tomorrow. And the next day.

So here is a tribute to all those people who suffer with me.
Laine: who is running a marathon this weekend, as part of her training ran 10 miles on Sunday.
Angie: because of her dedication, my 2-year-old nephew knows how to say “Pilates”.
Mom: she climbs on that bike and watches “So, You Think You Can Dance” in order to ease the pain.
Sarah: your arms look like Madonna's arms. No lie.

Feel the burn.