Zone 5 Heart Rate Training

I had a bit of an adventure this morning. I usually start work at 6 a.m. at the gym, but I had a client that had cancelled so I didn't have to be there until 7:30. Well, I had already had coffee and about 20 oz. of water so needless to say, I needed to make a pit stop before I started work. The bathroom in is the common hallway shared by the businesses in the building. The past 3 mornings I've tried to get into the bathroom and it's been locked - at 6 a.m.! No one else is in the building that early in the morning besides the fact that the door automatically unlocks when you turn the handle. It's almost impossible to lock yourself out of the bathroom, but nothing is totally foolproof. Amy had told me a couple of weeks ago that there was a way to unlock the door if it ever happened. Again the door was locked so I once again used the men's bathroom. I walked back into the gym and asked Amy the magic door opening trick. Of course it involved an Allen wrench; I should have known. I go back out into the hall and proceed to unlock the door. I thought it was weird that it was fully locked so I knocked before I opened it. No answer so I turned the knob and started to push on the door. I was having a hard time getting it open - I was really having to push hard. I looked up and thought maybe the hinge at the top of the door was stiff from the door being locked for that long. When I looked down on the floor there was a soda can and at the same time the door gave suddenly. I saw someone move behind the door and the lights were out! I felt all of the blood rush out of my extremities and I was sure that everyone could hear the pounding of my heart. I released the door and walked back into the gym probably as white as a ghost. I looked at Amy and said, "I think there is a person sleeping in the bathroom". Amy's client looked at me and said, "I can see your heart beating", they were about 10 feet away from me. It turns out that Amy has had her suspicion about this homeless woman using the bathroom to at least clean up. I guess since it's gotten colder outside she must be using it as a hotel room as well. After I could feel my toes and fingers again, I started trying to find the humor in the situation to further calm myself. I said, "Well, she didn't have the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob. How was I supposed to know she hadn't checked out yet?". A client I relayed the story to later in the day said, "Well she must have forgotten to set her clock back and she's over sleeping.". I mean I know homelessness is a terrible and serious thing, but with the recent events (Ann Presley) everyone is on high alert and afraid. I'm just glad that it was a live person on the other side of that door. I refuse to be terrified and tortured by all of the horrible things that go on in this world today. As long as people are living in fear, the bad guys win. Don't get me wrong, I am not invicible or untouchable and if something happens to me I know it was meant to be. It will have nothing to do with what I was wearing or that I invited it in anyway. The only pain and torture I invite are the pain and torture I inflict upon myself in doing crazy events where I push my body to the limit. My friend David has a t-shirt that reads "Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body". If that's the case, I'm pretty darn strong and I know I can and will get a lot stronger!