My previous life (the last 12 years of it anyway) always included running – even little bits – because of our outdoor boot camp program. It was part of my “job”. The lesson for me is: don’t stop moving across the planet! I took my job for granted and the awesome feeling “running” gave me is returning.
My Trainer encouraged me to just run OUT for 1 mile and then walk back to the start. Excellent advice for me (you might consider it for yourself if you are like me…just getting back to moving across the planet).
Today’s route was along a river (very peaceful) with spring colors popping out like Christmas lights along the way. I ran alone along this asphalt path thinking about the people in my life that are joining me on this little adventure of #ThursdayMile
I hope everyone that wanted to commit can make it happen and post a comment of at least ONE of the mile times they had (or an average).
Remember: this is just for you to improve yourself and NOT a competition with anyone else.
This week I had to stop myself from running SAVING it for my Thursday Mile. I was anxious to accomplish my mile today (so I think that worked out well). I did go to the gym inbetween but that’s not the same at all.
Journal Info…
4/5/18 10:43, no poop pick up
3/29/18 11:34, 1 poop pick up
When you run a mile today, please share that you did it and if you want to include your time that’s up to you. Also, if you have any positive words to add that would be amazing.
I’m already excited to run next week!
Anonymous poll:
BIKE RIDE 13 MILES
My friends Bill and Peter would include me in their trail bike adventures on a regular basis. Then Tracey started joining in and eventually we had a BIKER GANG I called The Little Rascals.
Randy and I spent one of the sunny days here on a long ride down the Jordan/Provo River on our mountain bikes (on a paved path) to explore what things looked like from our house all the way to Provo Lake! The path itself is covered with naked trees (which we expect will be exploding soon in color!) and there were plenty of people taking walks and running. I couldn’t take any pics of that or I would crash and land on people or in the river. Next time, maybe. The end is wide open where the airport (I wondered where it was!) is and a long dirt road. We rode it almost to the end. I caught video while there of the MILLIONS of toads croaking. It was magical!!
It was so pretty and I was thinking about my friends wishing they were with me enjoying it too.
So, on that note: HI GANG! I took these pics for you! I miss you all tons!!
Homes are being renovated beautifully here in Provo!
Ha…had to stop and take a pic.
Right near the lake.
Interesting place…not sure what it is.
A signage collection.
History!
The bike path leads to the lake…the airport is between the path and the city.
I have not actually RUN across the planet in almost 10 months.
Today I “ran” a mile non-stop. If you were watching me you might think it wasn’t RUNNING. But it was. I scooted along at my best possible pace without feeling like throwing up.
It’s only a mile, I know.
But when you run on the planet (not on a treadmill) a mile you get to see how LONG it really is.
I’m sure I will be paying for it tomorrow.
My blistering pace was 11:34. It does include one time I had to physically STOP while Kona pooped and I picked it up. According to my Garmin that took about one minute (and I needed it because I was sucking air any my heart rate was at 180).
WHAT GRAVITY FEELS LIKE
I have been doing kettlebells, yoga, pilates, aqua zumba (by the way, I cut my big toe on the bottom of the pool and didn’t see it was infected! Blah-blah-blah as my workout time.
This does not compare to running mentally or physically.
My body felt HEAVY and SLUGGISH and GIGGLY.
AM I ALONE?
Do I run or blow it off?
Are there any other people dealing with this sort of thing today?
You WANT to run but just can’t find the motivation? You let every excuse come up and accept it?
That was me until about 30 minutes ago.
As I’m writing this I can feel my left hip flexor twitching…and I’m happy about it!
PLEASE JOIN ME
I’m going to commit to posting my Mile Time every Thursday. If I run more than one time this week then I’ll post my best run time.
This is all to get me to do it.
Would you please join me? PLEASE? I need at least one other person to commit and we can run “virtually” at least 1 day a week.
Today was my final Zumba Class attempt. Aqua Zumba.
I just basically suck at all forms of Zumba so I have to break up with it and find something else. It’s definitely me, not you (Zumba).
I believe there is another planet out there called Zumba and lots of humans populate it.
They are upbeat, coordinated and love loud Latin-style music.
They’ve got incredible rotation in their hips and zero concern about their boobies flapping in ALL directions…north, south, east, west, up, down, in and out.
I’d completed two classes and before I realized why the dialed-in girls wear flannels or light long-sleeve shirts around their hips. Those are flags of courage and mental freedom to just LET GO of any conservative feelings. Initially I thought it was the reason I wore shirts tied around my waist: to cover my backside (or hindquarters as Randy refers to them as).
<<<Insert horse neighing sounds.>>>
WHAT IS ZUMBA
I’ve asked a few of the FRONT ROW participants. No one has a clear and straight answer.
From attending two classes (Zumba Step and Zumba Gold) I’m just gonna say that it is the 1980’s boxed up in steps, shakes and wiggles. The music is loud and exciting (as are the instructors) and it’s freaking FUN.
I got choked up in my second class I was so excited to be amongst such amazing dancers. Chorus Line was and is one of my most favorite musicals. Tits and Ass!! Yeah baby!!
I think Zumba has different music tracks that piece together randomly (but perfectly) to take you on a dancing adventure you would not go on yourself. You need a Leader for this one and Zumba Instructors are excellent leaders!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THREE ZUMBA CLASSES?
Zumba Step is fast paced dancing waving your arms, hips and moving all about your step. The routines seem to be “known” by everyone (except me). Since I do not know the routines I have to watch the Instructor as close as possible. They give you hints of when things will change (hand signals) and most everything follows the rhythm of the music. In Step Zumba you could actually trip and kill yourself on your neighbor’s step.
The Instructor seemed to know most of the people and didn’t make any announcements at the start – the music began and IT WAS LOUD (I have hearing issues already). I moved away from being directly in front of a speaker. She started dancing instantly and so did the entire class. I felt swept up in the fun – people were having a BLAST! I was just modestly embarrassed that I couldn’t get the steps and arm movements colliding with people around me (apologizing a LOT).
20 minutes into the class I realized it was not the right thing for me to do. The lateral movements are FAST PACED and my knees started to ache and stitches of pain shot up and down my leg. Thankfully the class had 60 people in it so I could slip out undetected to the restroom to check my knees to check for broken knee joints (it really hurt that bad).
Zumba Gold is for people brand new to Zumba or OLD people with limited movements. Since I fit both, I figured I’d be able to keep up in the gOLD class. It was in a smaller classroom and no steps were involved.
Getting there early to get a spot in the back was crucial. The back row was filled so I was forced to be in row 3 space 8. I began to panic instantly. 7 people on my left and 3 on my right.
I turned to the woman next to me and mentioned this was my first class. BIG mistake. She was so excited to make sure I LOVED my experience. Next she wanted to know my name and much more. Isn’t it funny when you WANT to be solo and invisible and that backfires? Well she was sweet and older than me so I let my guard down answering her questions as fast as she was firing them at me.
Then the Zumba Instructor flew in and the music (again so loud it distorted) began! Like a wave at a Dodger’s game…the room began to move, sway, bob and weave. It swept me up and I began to sort of enjoy it.
I glanced at my older next door neighbor who was KILLING IT with every single step, hip pop and snap. I glued my eyes on the swishing torso of our Fearless Excited Zumba Instructor keeping my arms up and elbows bent while I attempted to connect my feet to the beat. No dice. I sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!
I stared at my own feet pissed that they couldn’t get with the program and that’s when the Instructor popped up DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME shimmying and shaking her chest, hips and arms and smiling the HAPPIEST exhilarated smile I’d seen in the entire gym since we started attending.
She was a larger breasted woman and I was taller than her. Her girls and her shoulders were DANCING. She looked me straight in the eyes – like DIRECTLY – and I got the message: SHAKE MY GIRLS (AND SHOULDERS) LIKE THEY’RE ON FIRE!! DO IT!!! SHE WASN’T GOING TO MOVE UNTIL I DID IT. I guess I complied enough (or she realized I wasn’t very good at this wild type of motion) because she moved back to the front of the classroom.
For the record: Gold only has ‘old’ in it because you can’t say GOLD without old. The people in this class might have been ‘old’ and all shapes, sizes, weights and heights but THEY WERE AH-MAZ-ING. I was in awe as the hour progressed.
My knees felt the same pain as they did in Step Zumba but I knew I had to gut it out. I’d already been “made” and there would be no escaping my spot in the Chorus Line.
I watched the clock a lot (hoping the Instructor wouldn’t catch me) wishing time would HURRY UP. My “girls” were tired and so was my brain (and my knees).
I don’t like the type of music they play because it brings back bad memories PLUS it’s way too loud for my sensitive hearing.
Tapo Canyon Trail in Simi Valley California
If there were a place that was on the dynamic OPPOSITE side of what I was standing in it would be the Tapo Canyon Trail (pictured). I have spent HOURS on this trail alone with the sound of bird wings and bees buzzing.
Finally…FINALLY we were done. The room emptied quickly and I hurried to leave too.
My neighbor RUSHED up to me as I gathered my sweat shirt to leave. She was BEAMING with happiness and dripping sweat. I was just sort of glistening because I really couldn’t keep up with the class.
“How did you like it!?!”
“It was great! You are an amazing dancer!!!”
“I love this class! You should come to the one tomorrow and on Saturday too!! There is also Zumba upstairs in the big fitness studio!!”
“Oh ya! I went to Step Zumba but it really hurt my knees. I came to Gold Zumba to see if I could manage but my knees are screaming right now. I don’t think Zumba is my thing unfortunately.”
“You just have to build up to it! Once you know all of the dance moves it becomes a different experience!!!!”
“Yes I bet you are completely right about that!”
I was maintaining my smile and excitement and ignoring my knees which were PISSED OFF.
“Well I better go, thank you for all of your encouragement. I needed it!”
I HURRIED out before the Instructor pinned me down too.
The distance from the studio to my ride home was about 3 blocks – this place is huge. I hobbled pointing my toes in different directions to take the strain off of my knees. I was really mad at myself for doing the entire class and knew I would be paying for it tomorrow.
MONTHS LATER…
Randy and I have been attending the gym doing our own workouts. I am SO GRATEFUL he has 12 years of exercise plans already built!
My favorite is kettle bells so I’ve enjoyed those but do a 20 minute “run” on a Life Fitness cross-trainer.
There is a giant row of these machines overlooking the pool area and that’s where I’ve spied the Aqua Zumba class and considered MAYBE I could give Zumba another chance.
So, today I signed up for and attended my first Aqua Zumba class.
Aqua Zumba is, obviously, in the water. Same music and same moves just TONS of resistance moving through the water. We are in a giant pool and the water is rib-high.
I wore the only swimming outfit I have: board shorts and a bikini top with lots of straps to ensure no “slippage”.
I got to the pool and stepped in. There were three elderly people taking laps and I got in their way so they gave me the stink-eye. Rather than let that get under my skin I cheerily wished them a Good Morning (to which they smugly looked away) and continued their walking.
We had 7 minutes until start time and this elderly couple HAD to walk near me again (the pool isn’t that large).
“Are you going to do the Aqua Zumba class too?”
Scowling at me, “Oh for God’s Sake NO WAY!!!”
“Yikes well ok then…”
Interrupting me…
“I’m all done here and I’ve been here since the pool opened at 5:00am!!!”
She was CLEARLY bothered by me and my pesky invasive questioning.
I watched her and her companion walk to the far end of the pool.
The Zumba Instructor arrived with her awesome boom-box speaker and introduced herself and asked my name. She was SO NICE!!!
She told me to just do what I can and not worry about the moves too much – just get accustomed to what was happening.
She stayed on the pool deck and led us using two chairs as “seats” for the parts where we were to lift our feet off the ground and hold our legs up while paddling with our hands or arms.
The music was not as loud but it was the same type (bummer but what did I expect!?).
We began! I couldn’t keep up.
The moves were much faster than I could do and moving in water gives you lots of resistance.
But she carried on with the class and had the greatest attitude ever. It was the thing that kept me trying to execute the dance routines.
You know, a good leader can get you do to ANYTHING sometimes. Most times.
There I was, in my bikini shaking my girls (beneath the water – no one could see) along with my Instructor. I got through 12 minutes and I was TIRED. WHAT!?!
Resistance!
Then we began lateral movements. I was ignorantly pushing myself left and right along the pool bottom when my right knee popped out of joint. That feeling is beyond explanation I think. The bone was OUT of the joint and the pain was covering my body to my fingertips.
Since we were ALL swishing around in the water no one noticed me wince and “fall”. I’d already been completely off of the routine by about 8 beats.
From an outsider looking in one might have thought I was sort of drowning in place.
I grabbed my knee and pressed on both sides as I extended my foot. It popped back in but the pain sort of lingered for the remainder of the class. I was suddenly really bummed out.
Here I thought being in the water would be a good idea and it backfired.
The bottoms of my feet were also being scraped repeatedly and I felt blisters forming from it. I adjusted by standing on my heels and did ZERO lateral movements with my legs straight (like a side lunge).
The music goes in spurts and routines that follow it. I think they are 6-9 minutes long and we go through 8 of them? I’m guessing.
At this point I had 15 minutes to survive and FINALLY a tune came on that I absolutely love: Imagine Dragons: Believer.
Have you ever paid attention to lyrics of songs?
My favorite part of this song is the chorus:
“PAIN! YOU MAKE ME A BELIEVER!”
It was slower and I was finally SEMI-able to keep up with my Instructor and the moves that accompanied this excellent tune. It took my mind off of the pain bouncing up and down between my ankle, knee and hip.
Lastly we had a cool down stretch which I was grateful of. I was SWEATING and it was dripping into my eyes and itchy.
I liked this Zumba class because it reminded me of being a kid and playing in the pool all day then being so exhausted I would fall asleep at the dinner table while my mom cooked.
If you have the opportunity to try Aqua Zumba I suggest you do it. My only advice would be to wear aqua-shoes because I now have giant blisters on the balls of my feet.
REFLECTING
I am super happy I tried all of these classes.
With any sort of group fitness activity you can see and feel the energy build up to a fun level depending on the Instructors. Each of these Instructors had their own positive and fun energy and I appreciated it – and I respect it having taught groups myself.
This gym has a lot more for me to try.
With the arrival of Spring both Randy and I are anxious to get up into the mountains and onto the trails!
We also want to ride up the Jordan/Provo River on the bike path and have lunch near Bridal Falls.
There is plenty to enjoy here and not enough time to do it: just like everyone else I guess.
What a hypocrite. I should NEVER have said I would “NEVER join a gym.”
I did it and today was Day 1 and I LOVED it.
I’m on a 30-Day Challenge with a good friend who doesn’t belong to a fitness group (and doesn’t want to). She used to be one of our clients when we opened 805 Boot Camp and revealed to me how little she has worked out since we closed our doors.
We built our business over the years and here is one person I’d call a dear friend for the rest of my life, practically a sister. When she couldn’t come to camp, we hiked and talked for hours about what was happening in our lives. I guess this is what you could call a bitch-session. We gave each other ideas, comfort and understanding.
Right now we need each other to get through this challenge.
STRUCTURE AND DISCIPLINE (OH AND FRIENDS)
I thought I was alone being lazy about working out. I would jump on social media and see all of my past customers and my friends working out every day. Having a structured plan or program is worth GOLD. Filling it with people you love to see everyday is worth even more (what’s better than gold?).
We’ve had friends visiting every single weekend filling us in on how things are going.
There are random texts, emails and letters packed with all of the exercising everyone I know is doing!
So, I figured I was alone on the Island Of Lazy.
Everyday I justified how much work we were physically doing as a “workout”. Sure, we are going for 6 hours every day minimum doing yard work or cleaning bathrooms and buildings.
Recently, when it was 18 degrees out, I had to put layers of underwear on just to stay warm while working outside. As I sucked in my stomach to fasten my belt I realized I must have gained a lot of weight and I got pissed. At myself.
There are also eating habits I should admit aren’t helping on top of my age (I’ll be 50 in a few weeks!).
The bottom line is that I am NOT running, hiking, biking and/or working out on a regular basis and when I do I feel SO GOOD!
WILL YOU BE MY WORKOUT PARTNER?
So, at the risk of being judged, I sent a text to my friend with my fingers crossed that she would join me in this 30-Day Workout Challenge.
She said, “YES!”
That little text reply kept me on that awful treadmill for the 30 minutes I’d said I would run, albeit SLOWLY, for.
It kept me trying harder to get through the plank rows despite my left wrist nagging me.
I am excited to have a workout partner – even though she is so far far away – to commiserate with and encourage each other when things are tough – and we know they will get tough.
MORE ABOUT THAT TREADMILL EXPERIENCE
I last ran on a treadmill over 12 years ago. My how technology has changed…and my vision too.
The photo above is basically how things looked while I ran. I did not have music. I did not play the TV. I just watched the blurred numbers and squinted to see what I was doing. My goal was 30 minutes walk/running. I also haven’t RUN any sort of distance in a month when we ran at Lake George to Horseshoe Lake at 9,000 elevation (totally different experience than 7,500′).
After my bike crash I was pretty limited. Boo-hoo (excuses Randy couldn’t argue with!)
My mind began to wander and I realized that’s exactly how people face-plant on these machines. Gotta keep my mind and focus on the machine and my feet. I finished my 30 minutes without falling off.
DOUBLE EAGLE RESORT AND SPA
My membership here rocks.
They have EVERYTHING you might need to workout and it is very good condition. The place is spotless clean and the BONUS is I have a steam room to relax in after then hot showers and a Powder Room too. I feel like I visited a Burke Williams Mountain Retreat!
The weather and work schedule is forcing us to come up with a solution and I’m super happy that this place has a monthly membership option. From now on I will be looking for Spa/Resorts along our route and hope they will be this nice.
MY GOAL
Right now my goal is just to show up and work hard EVERY day of my membership NO EXCUSES. I’m tinkering with making nutritional changes (as I sip my glass of wine!!) but I’m not there yet.
I’m 163 lbs of jiggly, wiggly and cottage cheesy woman gasping for air after ¾ of a mile RUN at 11-Minute pace. Let’s see where this goes.
Join me!!!
Cheers to all of you men and women that are not part of a group and trying to keep exercise in their lives despite the so many challenges that come up.
TODAY’S WORKOUT, DAY 1
30 Minutes
Run/Walk Briskly
10 Minute Circuit
Plank Row with 8lb weights 5x
Flutter Kicks 5x
Squat/Press Up with 8lb weights 5x
(Repeat until 10 minutes is up)
10 Minute Yoga stretching
5 Minute Deep Breathing
I think I started off on a low enough gradient so I won’t give up but will feel the work.
PHOTOS:
This poster was on the wall at the gym I was part of: Total Woman in Glendale California. This is where I met my running coach Gudrun Armanski…who taught me how to NOT HATE running and began personal training life. I studied this poster because I love this sort of stuff to begin with. Look at all of the ideas it gives PLUS the machines or equipment is right here!
Traffic came to a standstill today when a gang of deer needed to cross our path to nibble on the brush this morning.
We waited patiently as they pranced past cautiously. There are 30 deer wandering and we have spotted the older and wiser as well as the brand new fawns. The antlers range from 1 point to 3 on each and BOY do they look sharp. They mostly travel in 5 or 8 and I’m beginning to recognize them.
Today I had a lightbulb moment connecting up some dots.
Even before becoming vegan I loved animals. A lot. I remember how my heart broke seeing them in cages in the zoos wondering how anyone (or any living creature) could possibly WANT to live in a box, cell or behind windows. We put people that are bad in jail to serve time in a cage removed from life as they knew it. To protect us from their bad behavior (and sometimes protect them from themselves).
I don’t know very many humans that call themselves a HUNTER. Most people I know live in cities with plenty of grocery stores to provide the many dietary needs they require. In other words: a Hunter hunts for the exciting feeling they get killing another living creature. That, in my opinion, is unacceptable.
There was this hunter who tried to convince me that the deer population needed to be “handled”. The deer were overwhelming a town eating the gardens meant for the human to consume (in hindsight this must have been vegetables). According to this person the deer were taking over the entire town! Humans were starving to death. It was a very grave situation. Hunting was helping when the population exploded and that is why “Hunting Season” was so “important”. I call bullshit.
This reply is just a way to make murdering innocent animals look gallant and stretching it…American.
I heard two stories (yes, only two…but still… read on and you be the judge) of hunters paying over $5,000 to a guide to take them out into the wilderness to kill deer. They were PISSED when they returned empty handed after a WEEK of attempting, suffering in the cold, waiting…and paying so much. If there are so many deer, why couldn’t even ONE be located and murdered? The other person had a similar fish boating story.
Oh, and when I found out the lakes are stocked with farmed fish I almost spit out my drink. To hear people going ga-ga over the size of the fish that they caught was ridiculous. Go to the next carnival or State Fair and throw your dime on a dish, pick up a duck with a number on it or try to get the ping pong ball to land on the lilly pad. Your prize will be a giant stuffed animal that you can leave on your couch for everyone to oooh and ahhh over when they visit.
When was the last time you heard about a “deer invasion” happening?
The only other deer invasion I could locate had to do with a 2009 blog post (pretty entertaining and excellent writing) asking the citizens of Bountiful Utah if they would allow a sharp shooter onto their property to help contain the mule-deer problem. IN 2009.
This is a manufactured bullshit problem and I’m not sure who is profiting by it.
I just know it pisses me off that there are actual people, with access to plenty of food (and probably they consume way more than they should for their own health) who get excited at the thought of killing something.
There are so many places that energy could be used to help a friend, neighbor, homeless person…the list goes on.
RANT OVER – BACK TO MY OWN WAY OF LIFE
I’m vegan which may be why these issues affect me deeper than someone that is not.
I will never kill another living creature on purpose.
My choice to be vegan started when I was battling a virus that was invading my mouth, ear, nose and throat.
Pic: My mouth FILLED with blisters on every surface. This was a 6 out of 10 (I kept a record of every day of my life with these blisters gauging their severity in pain). I could not eat or drink anything at all when I was battling. This problem began in 2005 after I had gone a full month eating spinach salads with salmon or tuna on top (canned). No Western Medical Doctor I visited (and I went to ALL that were available to me) could figure out what was wrong. I went to an Eastern Medicine Doctor one of our boot campers recommended and he had treated three people with the same problem! I was in shock. He told me he would be getting rid of the blisters, not covering them up. He also let me know how bad my insides were doing. My liver was working overtime, my kidneys were going to give up and my immune system in general was just destroyed having spent from 2005-2012 battling this problem with ‘modern medicine’.
My doctor told me the next place for it to destroy were my eyes (my vision!). That scared the shit out of me enough to listen to what he said (he did not tell me to be vegan for the record). My immune system was shot and getting worse. I was spending $1,000 a MONTH at the Costco pharmacy (cheapest in town) pumping my body with pills, salves and liquids that weren’t working.
Along with following my doctor’s advice and consuming a gawd-awful herbal tea that our dog Kona (who eats poop off the trails) wouldn’t touch I switched out conventionally grown produce with organic THEN in 2012 thanks to Lisa Eidman’s advice to listen to a nutritionist named Julianna Hever. She was a “Plant Based Dietician” and I’d never heard of that before.
That was the beginning of huge and lasting improvements to my health.
– Sleep soundly
– Dandruff GONE
– Blisters GONE
– Energy UP
The biggest bummer is that I will eat EVERYTHING I can and love food even more now because I CAN EAT IT! I went for years eating barely anything and lost a lot of weight as a result.
I’m currently back to 163lbs which isn’t my highest but creeping in the wrong direction.
I got myself an InstantPot to make lots of dishes in but beyond that I love trying new things out.
Eating without meat is super easy for me now and clearly I’m not starving, that’s for sure.
Somehow I agreed to get up at 5:45am on Sunday to do a new workout Randy has been stewing over for about a week. I admit I don’t actually absorb everything he tells me and when he is excited the sentences seem to break and a new thought begins right I almost actually begin listening and understanding. Chances are this is a normal thing between spouses.
Most of you know that Randy is built for adventure. He can do almost every sport VERY WELL. I say almost every sport because I spanked him at air hockey and lawn bowling. He won’t technically “cheat” but he does know and use every rule to the very last edge always staying honest.
This desire to be active is built in his DNA and if it weren’t for him I know FOR SURE I would not get out and moving on this planet at the pace we are currently at.
So, last night as I sipped my greyhound using the last of the vodka I stared at the fire and my mind was on the bear (or bears) that were circling all of our campsites.
He yammered on about this and that, mostly concerned with getting his fish perfectly cooked with fresh herbs, spices and vegetables. Seems Craig in Site 13 “The Rock” has a few expert tricks up his sleeve and he brought a huge fish over that had to be prepared FAST.
My coach stuck around until I made it up the hill. Like I’d cheat a rep or something!?!
The sun was setting, the skies were pink and the trees darkened against it. It is seriously peaceful about 5:00pm here until 7:00am (that’s when the parking lot of the Day Use starts to fill up with fishermen (and women and kids). ALSO there are the guys and gals here for rock climbing – a TON of them. Like it or not, each of these groups have a personality that I’m observing and (in most cases) doing my best to avoid.
Back to the workout at 6:00am…on Sunday…
It wasn’t officially called The Blaire Witch Project but after the first lap I decided that is what worked best.
We are at the top of a long road up. At the bottom is an intersection to take you to Lake Mary. The workout was a TRX circuit that Randy said would be a lot of “upper body”.
NOTE: TRX is not the easiest to set up on a mountain side, by a lake or in a forest in general for much other than “upper body” really. We tried to do abdominal and it nearly cost us a rotator cuff and new front teeth.
The Lap was half a mile. 45% of it is uphill, the remaining 35% is an extreme uphill to the TRX tree. There isn’t a path when we climb the mountain and it is early which is perfect to run into a bear (or four) or an early riser serial killer.
Your mind sure does funny things when you are alone and watched too many scary movies as a teenager. For my own protection I kept my eyes darting everywhere in front, beside and behind me. I felt something there: Chupacabra, lurker, clowns, bears, mountain lions, Freddie Kruger…it kept me motivated to go, go go.
One Lap then 60 rows. Push-Ups at the top of the mountain.
One Lap then 24 tricep curls. Last set was super tough after the push-ups. Push-Ups at the top of the mountain.
I meekly tried running up on my third lap. I was alone (I hoped) with 300 trees, 16 boulders, 10 fallen trees, 50 tiny ground squirrels and 1,000,000,000,000,000 mosquitos.
One Lap, Push-Ups at the bottom of the mountain then up to the TRX for 24 curls (3 sets of 8…AND IT WAS FREAKING HARD).
One Lap, get the Push-Ups over with and last hike up to as many Flys as my arms would allow.
For the record I held between a 160 and 181 bmp for each ascent. Thanks mosquitos and fear!
We wrapped up the last circuit at the TRX and it was there I noticed the heart of stones. Well, it was a circle that I turned into a more defined heart. This is for you Meg and Bob.
BONUS!
One of our campers just happens to be a White Bull Trail Racer! The Monnet family is visiting and upon registration and the usual jaw-jacking we engage in we discovered Ted and his brother ran our races and then became inspired to keep running trail races! That was a special thing to hear.
Ted dropped by before lunch and asked us if we wanted to borrow his stand-up paddle boards. UH YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!
So, to finish being “active” for today I spent an hour paddle boarding across Lake George.
Courage, a bright (neon) blue fish about 10 inches long swimming beneath me and the gorgeous surroundings made a peaceful finish to a harrowing and crazy start my Husband Unit created for us.
Just wondering, does this blog make my butt look big?
PS I have discovered the Lynne’s Garden of Eat’n has one of the most delicious black bean burgers I’ve EVER had. ALSO, as a bonus my photos and blog are uploading 2x faster than the library and the Black Velvet Coffee place. Now I have an entire menu of food for “dining out” when the time comes. YAY!!
My burger:
Oh this sweet potato black bean burger is a vegan dream!
Well, I put my money were my mouth is today 4/5/18.
I have not actually RUN across the planet in almost 10 months.
Ahhh…I had to join a GYM.
Traffic came to a standstill today when a gang of deer needed to cross our path to nibble on the brush this morning.
