from this day on, hopefully

finally, finally, finally! i mustered enough will power to go back to gym. last time i set foot there was when i crammed my training for our mount kinabalu climb. that was exactly one year and one month ago. i have been wanting to go back but there have been just so many reasons not to. excuses, i mean. too hectic a schedule in the mornings. too early to leave the house. too much hospital work to do. too many patients to round.

i actually did not pre-plan to go back to gym today. i did not even have my gym bag ready the night before. but as soon as i woke up, i just felt the urge to do so. it was pretty weird. i headed straight to the bathroom for my morning ritual and changed not to hospital work clothes but gym clothes! my husband was still half asleep, and didn't even notice i did. otherwise, he would have wondered if he woke up on a wednesday (my semi-off personal day) instead of busy, busy monday. i felt proud of myself. i figured half the battle was won after getting dressed and being on my way to the gym.

i was late for the 7:30 am step/hi-lo class. my classmates were 15 minutes into the session already and building up speed. i decided not to join them. i felt i needed practice after being away for so long. i'd probably get my legs entangled trying to catch up with the then fast-paced routine, and worse, fall flat on my face. i decided to get on the rowing machine and people-watch as i sweated it out. the former 80's ramp model, some young working girls, a few fulltime housewives living charmed lives, a couple of matrons in body-hugging garb... those were my former classmates. it was incredible to watch the same people, directed by still the same teacher, sieg, and still aerobicizing religiously with gusto to the same music. talk about staying power. i gotta hand it to them all!

one of them approached me wide-eyed, astonished,
"doktora, wow, you're back!"
i smiled back at her, "oo nga, finally."
"what happened to you?" she asked.
and just to see her eyes widen all the more, i was tempted to retort,
"nanganak lang naman ako."
and then silently to myself, "mwa-ha-ha!!"

it was fun today. i almost forgot just how an early morning gym workout energized me before starting my work day. giving me an extra oomph, and bounce in my stride as i walked to the hospital from the gym. hopefully, tomorrow again. and the next day after that. and the next...