Four forty-five.

That's what time my alarm goes off every day (except for Monday).  4:45 AM. 

It's such an icky time of day.  I should really still be sleeping.

I mean the moon is still out, every one of my neighbors are still sleeping, my dog doesn't even like having the lights on that early.  But I do it.  (Most of the time.)  Some days it's really, really  hard to get out of bed.  Like when it's freezing cold out, or when it's raining.  But I make myself do it. 

I get up that early to go to the gym.  Most of the morning classes that I go to are either boxing or kickboxing and I get to wear my pretty pink gloves when I go.


They, however, are really only pretty when they are new or before class.  After class is a different story.  The stench that comes out of these puppies is something else.  Like whoa.  BAD.  A few of my friends have attended a couple of classes with me and while they love it and sometimes feel like barfing afterwards, their hands reek for hours, sometimes days. 


I mean even if you typically sweat zero when you work out (which is totally me, I don't sweat at all...), your hands are still going to smell like rotten butt.  No joke. 


There have been occasions where I'll leave my gloves and wraps in my car after class and on a really hot day the smell engulfs my entire vehicle. 


Regardless of the stench, most of the classes are some of the hardest workouts I've done in a looooooong time, and I've been going to this gym for over a year.  Most of them take me back to high school sports and doing those workouts that leave you gasping for air like sprinting, wall sits, running suicides, planks, pushups until your arms want to fall off, and crunches.  Not to mention the crazy stuff that we sometimes have to do in the weightroom. 

The boxing and kickboxing classes really make me feel like I could beat the crap out of someone if I had to.  Apparently I get this look on my face when I'm hitting the bag like I'm envisioning taking someone's head off.  I'm not.  I swear.  But I could.  Watch yourself.



This is not me, but we could pretend that it is.  She's wearing pink gloves, has long dark hair, she looks focused and she looks buff.  It could totally be me....