I Conquered the BEAST!!!

Ok...

This morning, I pulled myself out of bed, and went to the gym to do my cardio. Masya-Allah, my little daughter now is our alarm clock, where she would get up at around 6 a.m. to "pester" me and my wife for some attention... that we pleasurably give of course :P

Anyway, went to the gym, reached the parking lot of Equatorial Hotel (Bangi) at about 7 a.m. Was beaten by a Selva (whose name I found out later on the gym attendance list whilst signing in) who managed to lead the way into the gym. Didn't have a chance to speak with him though... seemed to bee very into what he was doing.

Got there, greeted by Sufian the gym attendant... got my keys, put all my stuff in the locker... and went straight to the treadmill area.

Alhamdulillah!

One of the working treadmills were idle! So I had a chance to start my cardio workout... RUNNING! Usually, I had to wait for someone to finish... so I had to do the stationary bike first. Not today though... Today was TREADMILL day!!! And I was ready for a BATTLE with that dark-grey machine with level-buttons as the drill seargant.

Started out with a light stretching session. Next time I think I'll stretch harder. So that I could start with looser and more flexible joints :)

Started out with a slow walk, which laster for about 10 seconds. Then I just told the drill seargant... GIMME MORE MAN! IS THAT ALL YA GOT? I increased the speed to 9.5 km/hour. This was gonna be the speed for my first minute of easy Interval Training Cardio :)

The first minute seemded fine. Hey, I could do this? This ain't that hard after all. A grin of victory creeped upon my face, for I beleived that the drill seargant wasn't to drilling after all. The first minute went by like a breeze, as I was starting to breathe a bit heavier... but still I could see Selva and Seinfeld on TV :)

The second minute came, and the drill seargant gave me 10.5 km/hour. This speed was still ok for me. Even though it did require some effort, but I was game for it. Bring it on you lifeless contraption!!!

The thrid minute came... but this time, I least expected its arrival. It came a bit too fast! Not like the second... the thrid came like an intruder! Ininvited! Almost unwelcomed... and of course an almost Unsunged!!! But never the less... I had to be game. 11.0 was the speed that was set for the 3rd minute. I was breathing heavier now. Heavier than I expected. Come on jawatroxion AT Gmail DOT com. Mesti boleh punya. ALL YOU NEED IS WITHIN YOU NOW!!! Learnt that from Anthony Robbins. :P

The fourth minute was rather gruelling. But still... I had lots of energy to spare. My shins were still ok... my calves we not yet toast... and I could still listen and admire the jokes laid down by Seinfeld and co. Managed to get a glimpse of a white chick also... :P Who just game in to do the bike.

The fifth minute was 11.5 km/hour. Cheated a bit on the fourth minute where I just raised the speed a teeny weeny but. But 11.5 was showing to be a challenge! But as my energy deposits were still high, I went thru with little problem :)

The first five minutes were over... and I slowed down the pace to jogging speed at around 6/0 km/hour. Was already sweating... Even though not running at speeds equivalent to Father of Pipot, I think i was doing ok :)

Started my second five minutes. Man... This time it was a challenge. The second and thrid minutes came like Australian-summer-time bush fire!!! A bit TOO FAST! Speeds were 10.5 and 11.0 respectively. Fourth minute was also pain, as my legs started to feel the burns of acid accumulating in my muscles... ARGH!!! Come on... One More Minute Before the BREAK!!!... The fifth minute was rather harsh. No chance was given by the drill seargant. He gave me a 12.0!!! Are you crazy!!! 1 minute of 12.0!!! Then he backed down... maybe due to 1st time experience... gave a 30 secs of 11.5 and 30 secs of 12.0. Still... at the ned of minute five... I was sweating like Amat Sharil Karipap, and my lower body was murdering me! I mean... this was only the second part???!!! I had two more FIVE minute sessions to go through.

Long story short... the third cycle was almost hell... Which got me ready for the final cycle.

Now, the first minute was supposed to be the 'relaxing' minute. But... even at 6.5 km/hour, the seconds seemed to tick sooo fast! The second minute was coming too soon! Argh! I went on... NO GIVING UP! I've been thru the three cycles... NO POINT GIVING UP AT THE LAST!...

The second minute came like a Tsunami! Hitting me in all parts of my body... ravaging all of the energy my body had to give... Well... almost that is. Now, as this was not a relaxing minute... it seemed rather long. Even Seindfeld inaudible at the time. I heard the jokes... but could not make sense of what he was uttering. This was heavy... This meant that my body was experiencing extreme stress... extreme pressure... its extreme limit... I was about to falter... I was ready to stop.

But suddenly I remembered... I saw my face in the glass door in front of me... Man! How many times are you gonna fail? Until at one point you and other people are just gonna label you a loser!!!! LOSER! LOSER!!!

Whoa.. dat's a big word in my book... Loser... Hmmmm... Let's stop to think about it... BUT HEY! NO TIME TO THINK! JUST DECIDE TO HATE THE TERM! YOU... I!!! WE ARE NOT LOSERS!!!! JUST GET YOUR BUT BACK INTO THE RACE!!!!

With newly injected enthusiasm... I continued what seemd to be and endless HIGH SPEED TRUDGE! A run... that was like a trudge. HAH! What ever... It seemed to be the right choice of words for what I was experiencing....

The third minute came... lasted like agessss... and finally ended with the fouth. Now... the drill seargant put me to the test now... He wanted to test my limits... How much of a man I have become based on the last three cycles I've gone thru...

12.5!!! 12.5 km/hour.

DARN! 1 WHOLE MINUTE OF 12.5!!! This was indeed gonna be a challenge... This was gonna decide wheter I LIVE OR DIE! Whether I deserve to NOT deserve the title LOSER!

I started to take short breaths in between steps. Man... each rapid step was like trying to lift 50 pound bricks of the FLOOR! And those bricks were indeed my feet!
Argh!!! LOSER I WILL NOT BE!!!

I struggled into the last minute... 10 seconds seemed like 10 minutes... In the final 10 seconds... I realized that this was more of a mental challenge instead of physical. I mean.. Come on... if indeed I couldn't GO... I would be DEAD by now! Man... this is just the tip of the ice berg! I CAN GIVE MORE! HAHAHAHA!!!!

With a huge inhallation of Oxygen... I ran as though I was sprinting.... Seemed to be a sprint to the end... but its actually not factually a sprint as I was still on the 12.5 km/mark... the same speed I started the Ending minute with :)

Anyway... I did not care... as the final second came... I sighed a sigh of EXTREME RELIEF!!!! ALHAMDULILLAH!!!!
I had managed to finish the whole 20 minutes!!! THE WHOLE 20 MINUTES!!!

LOSER? Mana adaaaa? Winner??? Insya-Allah!!! IN THE MAKING!!!!

I lowered the speed to 8.1km/hour... Had to cool down. Don't want my blood pressure to burst would I... Not after, what I describe as a successful event :) ....
After a few seconds... slowed it down some more to about 6... then went down to rapid walking speed... and finally stopped the traedmill... Took my towel, and started walking around the gym to catch my breath.... went out to the pool area to enjoy the view, plus to get more fresh air. My LUNGS need some more of this... GOD's invisible wonder, who scientists have coined up the name Oxygen for :)

GOt back in...... after about 5 minutes outside.... :)

Before taking my morning shower... I poindered upon what just happenned...
Man... the limits I can push myself to.... I mean.. They're virtually limitless!!!
Limited by what God has set of course... But i think, I've just looked at the tip of the ice berg here. There's still more ... a WHOLE LOT more that needs discovering. And for that, I will put my faith in Allah to show me the way... PLUS! I will need to work to achieive that unseen and unforseen advantage... that's just waiting to be brought to life!!!!

But in all... Masya-Allah! I was victorious today. I managed to conquer the beast that's been within me since day 1 of my life... The beast that has always forced me towards mediocrity... The beast that has always made me elude my true destiny.....

This beast ladies and gentlemen... is no other than ... myself.

Thanks for reading :)