Farming + "Woo" Girls

As many of you know, I grew up in a place called "Nokesville." The name pretty much says it all. Think cow fields, corn stalks and farm land. We drove on unlined back roads to a high school that was surrounded by livestock. Get the picture?

Because of this, I know more about farming than the average 20-something.

One of the things I know about is crop rotation. The basic premise is this: farmers will plant a certain crop in a field one year, then they will rotate another crop into that field the next year. The idea here is that different crops take different nutrients from the soil, so rotating what is planted extends the fertility time for that area.

Every few years, farmers will let their fields return to nature so they can "restock" the nutrition of the soil. You essentially don't plant anything or do any work on the field, you just let it be. It's called letting your field "fallow."

And this is exactly what I've done with my body since the wedding. I've let it fallow.  

Don't be fooled. Those bigger plates are only
5 pounds each. They just look impressive.

As with any field that's been returned to nature, it takes some hard work to get it back into shape. I got started this week.

Three spin classes and a Body Pump (BP) class later, I'm having trouble walking, my back is killing me, and I have never been more hydrated. I also have more energy and my clothes are starting to get to a place where we could possibly say they're starting to "fit" again.

Yesterday was my first day back to BP since I went into the gym in early June and found my usual early class cancelled. Knowing my muscles were mush, I used super light weights and took it a little easy. But my legs are still on fire.

This morning I took my third spin class this week, and Alyssa -- my peppy instructor -- had us do weights on the bike. Seeing as to how I'm already so sore, I had no problem picking up 3-pound hand weights and carrying them to my bike like a boss.

The great thing about Alyssa is that class is fun. Like really fun. Like party-on-your-bike fun. She has great music and tells us little anecdotes about her life. It's a blast, and I laugh almost every class. I call her a "woo" girl, because that's what Alyssa says about 20 times a class -- and because I'm a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother. Today, I wrote down a few quotes after class because I wanted to start remembering them to share with you all:

Alyssa: You know, "woo" is pretty much the right response in any situation.

 And another one...

Spinner at a random point in the class: "WOO!"
Alyssa: That's what I was thinking!