High-impact Cardio Torture Day about killed me

There are two kinds of training days with Jackie: strength-building days and high-impact cardio circuit training. (I'm actually not sure if that's how she would describe the latter, but that's the effect it has on my body.)
On Monday I was warned: "I spent some time writing new workouts this weekend," she said, "and on Wednesday I'm going to kick ... your ... butt."

The past two days my mind has wandered back to those words, including early this morning when I was sitting at home eating a banana before heading to the gym. My eyes flashed to my cell phone. "Maybe I could text her that my car won't start. It's 10 below, so it's a good excuse."

I didn't do that. I went to the gym. I faced the music. And, going with that metaphor, if one were to liken exercise to music, Mozart this was not. More like death metal. Korn maybe. Yes, this was a Korn workout today. I might have even been able to hit some of those throaty, screamy notes.

On strength days, most of the work is stationary. There are segments of cardio between the segments of lifting, but the majority of the emphasis is on the muscles to perform. It's still hard and very effective. And my heartrate goes up and stays up most of the time. But it's manageable.

High-impact cardio circuits like today, to me, are not manageable. I hug the concrete beams for support. I walk in circles trying to catch my breath. I sweat all over the Bosu. My heart beats out of my chest. Today, twice, I revisited my banana and warned Jackie that I might have to dart over to the garbage bin and yack. I was serious, too. My stomach was warning me: "Do one more burpee, I dare you. I'll spray banana all over this mutha."

How does Jackie achieve this affect? Cardio circuits that really aren't broken up by large amounts of strength-training. Meaning, I'll do 15 mountain climbers with the Bosu and then go right into lunges and then repeat three times. That might be followed by a segment involving burpees, or jumping squats or leg lifts.

It all sounds so innocent on paper, as does the tiny Bosu just laying there on the floor, like a toy you'd bounce around on when you were a kid. But I've learned that anything in the world can become an object of torture when involved in some sort of lifting, squatting, crunching or kicking-back and jumping scenario.

I drove home, showered and even a half an hour later, my face is still red. Today, Jackie meant business.

She did give me an idea that I really liked today, though. She suggested that I set up an awards system. I should set benchmarks along the way to my goal, and when I reach each, I get some sort of award, and I should set that award ahead of time so that I know what I'm working toward. That sounds really fun! Now I just have to think of prizes.

...How about when I hit 30 pounds, I get to CHOOSE whether the next training session with Jackie is strength-training or high-impact cardio torture? Think she'd go for that? : )