Getting active again...it hurts!

A week after my miserable foray into tennis, I finally went to the gym for the first time in weeks...maybe a month. I'd been running a few times during that hiatus, but not since school had begun and I'd gotten sick. I was surprisingly able to pretty much do my same work out (pull-ups, sit-ups, back extensions, dips, squats), but running was harder...I only did about a mile and a half. So sad. Although I do still (even now) have this cough and so my lungs are still a bit sick... Anyway, went jogging the next day, did 2 miles, felt alright, posted an ok time. But I could feel it in my body the day after, Wednesday...muscle aches like I'd not had in a while. Ouch! My abs still hurt a bit today.

Yesterday, I went rock climbing! That was a lot of fun. I have only done it once, with my brother at an indoor gym in Hawaii about 10 years ago. Yesterday we went to an indoor gym in Osaka. My forearms started getting tired about 30 minutes in...it only got worse. Mine still feel exhausted today. Those pros must have forearms of steel. Anyway, I don't have any pictures of myself climbing, but when I get some from my friends, I'll post them. In the mean time, here's one of the group: King (nickname, student), Kote (student, but also works as my assistant in the kids' program), and Kelsey (colleague).



If you look at the picture, it might seem like there are a lot of holds, and there are...but you might also notice the colored tape next to holds: those mark "routes" that you take up the wall, using only holds with that color/shape marker. MUCH harder when you do this.

I loved it, though, and plan to continue doing it a few times a month...maybe then if I move to Colorado I can climb some real rock! :) Expect to hear more about climbing.