The Value Of Exercise Or Don’t Take A Major Trip Without Getting Fit

Day 155: A Bit Of An Update (part 2)

Part of the reason I wanted to get into HAES was to get fit for the big trip. Turns out I was so caught up in dealing with my post diet traumas that I treated myself with kid gloves rather than actually buckling under and getting on with it.

Turns out, not such a good idea.

When we arrived in London, after a 28 hour flight, it was 4.50 am and we couldn’t check into our hotel until 2.00 pm. That wasn’t too much of a problem since I was pretty excited and wanted to just get out there and see what the city had to offer, which is precisely what we did.

Consequently by 9.00 am I was completely shagged! My legs ached, my feet hurt, every time I walked up a flight of stairs, and let me tell you, London is a city full of stairs, I thought I was going to hock up a lung my breathing got so bad. It was woeful. Just woeful.

The worst thing was my partner, my loving, wonderful partner, the man who has a job where he stands for eight hours a day, wasn’t tired at all and wanted to just keep on going. I couldn’t disappoint him so I sucked it up and kept on going to.

We were back at the hotel bang on 2.00 pm. I told my partner I desperately needed a shower (a day and half and 3,000 miles in the same underwear does not make for a pleasant feeling). Really I just couldn’t go on! I was just wiped out. Long story short, by 2.30 pm I was clean and fresh smelling and by 3.00 pm I was fast asleep.

The next day I was so sore it was worse. London passed in a blur of aching legs and grinding fatigue, which made me very anxious, and also really quite fit. By the time we left and headed out into the countryside I was coping much better.

I have to say my fitness level did impact on my enjoyment of the trip. Mostly I was frustrated. I know I passed some things up because I just couldn’t be bothered. And I was aware I was doing that, so I did some things that I really didn’t want to do because I felt bad for not wanting to do them.

I felt limited.

Now that I’m home, well, I’d love to say I continued with the daily exercise, but no.

Which is not to suggest that I’m not exercising, because I am, just in a slightly different way.

I’ve been binge exercising.

One of the takeaways from the trip was I can do a lot more than I think I can. If I push myself, challenge myself, I can do it. So I’ve been finding situations where I push myself further than I normally would. Its been interesting and fun and hard!

But I’m glad I’m doing it, because the secret in all this is that I’m afraid to exercise, afraid to push myself physically. So what I’m doing is challenging the fear, and getting fitter. Hopefully.

Just as well too since we have another big trip planned next year!

Do you get fit before you take trips? Leave a comment and let me know.