that one time when I almost died at a pilates class

Yesterday, I tried something new - I went to my first ever Pilates [on the machine] class.  I saw a post on Facebook about a studio that was offering a free pilates/barre/bootcamp class yesterday evening, and I thought 'hey, that sounds kind of fun.'  So I went to their website to reserve a spot in the class. But it was full. So I joined the wait list instead.  I was number one on the list, so I figured I would end up getting in sometime before the class started.  Instead, the studio called me and offered for me to attend a regular pilates class that afternoon for free instead.  I was a little intimidated and almost didn't accept, but the girl on the phone told me that, even though I'd never used one of the machines before, I could come a few minutes early and she'd show me the ropes.  I did Bar Method classes for a few months earlier this year and had taken some mat pilates classes at my old gym, so I honestly thought I could totally handle this. 

I showed up at the studio a little early and got a quick run down of the machine. Within 20 seconds of her telling me all about it, I forgot everything she said.  Everything has a name and a color and moves and sometimes you face the front and sometimes you face the back and there's handles and bars everywhere.  The girl told me to just watch what everyone else was doing and I'd be okay.  Sure, sounds simple enough.

The class started and there were only four of us in there.  Out of 16 possible machines, just four.  So this is what she meant when she said they had "a few open spots in the afternoon class," I thought to myself.  Then we got started.  The instructor talked really fast and the music was really loud, so I pretty much relied on watching the girl next to me to figure it all out.  And this girl next to me, she was like a gazelle.  Tall, lean, slender, flexible, moving along the machine with such ease and never breaking a sweat.  Which, by the way, I was completely unprepared for - how much I sweat. And how thirsty I got. And how out of breath I was within oh... ten minutes of class starting.  During what I am pretty sure was a warm up?  But Gazelle never even flinched.  At one point we did lunges on the moving "carriage" of the machine and let me just tell you, it was pretty much physically impossible for me to a) lunge on a moving ground without falling over and b) lunge at all.  I was so dead.  My legs couldn't even more.  I seriously considered bailing about fifteen minutes in, but sheer embarrassment forced me to stay and at least pretend to do the moves (ie. stand in the general position and move my legs/arms/hips about .005 inches each rep). I just kept thinking during the class, no wonder Miley Cyrus looks so good!  She ain't kidding when she says she's lost all this weight and gotten in shape from Pilates!

It wasn't all bad though.  I did really like some leg lift stuff we did and it was hurting in a way that I knew I was doing it correctly and that it was good for my thighs/legs.  And after awhile, the class started to really fly by.  I would even probably go again, if I had the opportunity.  But it definitely takes some time and practice to work up to the skill level of Gazelle.  But hey, if Miley can do, so can I.  Right?