Training triumph and torture

In one hour today, the triumph and torture of training were realized.

I fit me in by going to the gym for my scheduled session of hills training. I have been working this session since early February. I have done parts of the session, but I have not been able to complete it as my trainer instructed. I have been making progress, but.... Today, I wasn't certain of my ability to complete the session, particularly because my thighs have been aching. After putting one foot in front of the other for more than one hour and for a total of 6 miles, I successfully completed the session. The hills portion included staying at an even pace, but changing the incline every 2 minutes. The incline ranged from 1 to 7 with everything in between, and then again. During past attempts, I changed the pace, had not gotten to a 7 incline, or did not get to every incremental increase as instructed. Today, I did all of that and more!

The triumph of my successful session was huge! Home I went.

When I walked in the door at home, my son called from the other room, "why are you so late?" It was not late; it was 5:50 in the afternoon. I proceeded to the kitchen, and told my husband about the quick dinner I was going to prepare. With a tone and an attitude, he said, "I can't wait until 7:00 for dinner." I tried to explain myself, and he said, "you got to do what you wanted to do, so what's the problem." This also was said with a tone and an attitude. Classic attacks. These comments were torture. They tainted my triumph. Nonetheless, I prepared my dinner as planned. Part of the reason for the attitudes is that my family is trained to sit down to dinner by 6:00. My triumph did not meet their expections, and they took it out on me.

My son now is in bed, no worse from the trainng torture, as evidenced by the fact that recalling his day at bedtime did not even include my time at the gym, or the different dinner.

I am regrouping, getting ready for the many more things that I must manage to conquer tonight. For this monumental moment, however, I am digesting my acceptance that triumph and torture often come together. Without one, the other is not so intense.