My Insanity Workout With Shaun T

I received the following e-mail from a co-worker and friend about Shaun T coming to my city a few years ago:

Hey all you insane peeps,

Shaun is making a special appearance at the downtown YMCA on 3/15. We have the opportunity to work out with him for only $20 per person! RSVP by 3/1 if you want to go. We can talk about car-pooling later.

-B

Holy Shit! Shaun T? I have been doing his work out 3 times a week for 30 minutes….well 20-25-ish minutes in the company workout room with other co-workers. I was in the best shape of my life and I was so ready to be a bad ass.

I hurried up and RSVP’ed as I was used to seeing hoards of people like the image below and didn’t want to miss my opportunity.

For anyone that has ever done Insanity workouts, you’ll know it’s rigorous and tough. I would find a complete workout in the warm up alone and would lay on the floor between sets to give myself healing time. There were days I couldn’t move after the workout. I encouraged everyone to do it by ensuring them that I do the best I can (lie) and take it at my own pace.

The blessed event came and I carpooled with 2 other co-workers. We were going to meet the other 3 co-workers there. It was a Sunday and the Y was empty. I was waiting to see the Village People around the corner but it never happened. We were 15 minutes early and got there before Shaun.

We were the only ones there until 2 more women walked in. We politely smiled and made small talk. A few minutes later, in walks Shaun T. He was ripped and exactly the way he is in the videos.

A few more participants rolled in but 5 minutes later, I came to the realization that this was it! The combined total participants amounted to 17. How was my plan to hide behind hoards of people going to work if there were just 17 people? I get exhausted after the warm up. This was not going as planned.

Shaun started the music and the rigorous warm up began.

I thought all the yelling normally reserved for the video, remained on the video. This was not the case. He was walking around yelling motivations and to “dig deeper”.  2 minutes into it, I thought ‘wow, this really sucks’.

3 minutes into this I thought ‘fuck, this is not manageable’. At 5 minutes the room began to get white and it wasn’t because of all the participants. I was about to pass out after 5 minutes. After debating on which was worse- retreating or passing out, I sheepishly put my head down and made a b line to the women’s locker room.

The locker room looked like a powder room you would find in a department store of 1963. It was empty and quiet except for the quiet humming of the fluorescent lights. The locker room was carpeted and included a living room, coffee table and magazines. I looked around and thought ‘fuck it’, sat down, uncapped my water and drank it on the comfy sofa. I looked over the coffee table and to my delight, there was a magazine I’ve been wanting to read for some time now. I thought to myself ‘you know what? I am in the best shape of my life so far. Why am I doing this to myself? I’m chillin’. For the rest of the workout I laid on the sofa and read while my co-workers killed themselves.

After about 40 minutes I felt rejuvenated and stress free. This had been the most amazing workout ever. I walked back to the gym and peered through the window in one of the doors to see if the workout was over. Everyone was sitting in a circle around Shaun T. for what I took as the question and answering session.  I quietly creeped in and took a seat on the outside of the circle. I nodded my head to a few people that acknowledged my return. No one dared asked me what happened as it would be met with either “got sick” or “lady problems”. My friend Stacey mouthed over to me ‘are you ok’? I gave her a reassuring nod while mouthing ‘I’ll tell you later’ wanting her to focus back on Shaun T.

Thirty minutes later we were off to dinner. I was a little disappointed that my Bucca di Beppo nomination was outvoted by some organic/ vegan restaurant but whatevs. Over my veggie burger and wine I came clean about where I had spent the past 40 minutes and my motivation behind it. No one batted an eyelash at my reasoning.