I am a Judgy Judgerson...

Don’t judge a book by its cover- I know my parents instilled this lesson into my brain over and over-- but it never took.

In my journey to get my last 18 pounds off by Christmas (I can do it, I can do it…) I have decided to venture out of my normal routine. How many times have we heard that when you hit a plateau to change it up. I like change as much as the next person- but if it means this last 18 pounds then bring on the change!

A while back I attended a boot camp class with my sister at a local community center- and I had an OH DURRR moment… I live in a community, and we have a center- three of them actually- SURELY they have a boot camp class at one of them. SURELY. So I went digging online and sure enough…

“EXTREME BOOT CAMP – SEE GREAT RESULTS AND GET WHOLE BODY BENEFITS FROM THIS FAST-PACED PROGRAM. CHOOSE YOUR METHOD EITHER HIGH OR LOW INTENSITY”

I maaaaaayyyyy have missed that first word, got overly excited about the affordable class, it’s right down the street (literally), and had time slots that I could make work (with some help) for childcare, that I didn't stop to think about what I was getting into! But I did this class awhile back… I would be FINE!

It was time to head to the class. After my sister kicked me off the phone so I could go in (I may have been stalling… maybe), I paid the nice old man at the counter and settled into this huge old gym. It was big enough for a basketball court and more, with two stories of stairs off to the side (who needs stairs in a gym??), and plenty of room to move around. While I was waiting for class to begin, I started to check out the other people trailing in. Okay, okay, I was judging the other people trailing in. And my confidence began to build. I was (by far) the youngest person in there. I think the next youngest in age was in their 60’s, followed by other women in their 80’s. I got this in the BAG! I mean, I am a half marathon runner, right??

The instructor came in, super fit and super nice, she walked right up to me (the new face in class) and explained to listen to the ole body, and only push as hard as I could- avoid injuring myself. Oh lady- I am an expert, I am an exerciser right here. She headed to her mat, began the wonderful workout music and the party was ready to begin.

As our warmup progressed, I was feeling pretty great- jogging and stretching is no problem! Nice and easy, breathing fine and still able to hold a conversation. I had a smile on my face and the world was a great place. Then it happened. My perfect little world began to crumble…

We went from pushups to squats to planks and then to jump squats in a matter of minutes. Burpees... As soon as the word left her mouth I wanted to throw up. Never stopping!

Did you need a drink? Oh well!

Did you need to stop? Suck it up buttercup and keep on going!

Do you know that 60 seconds can last for an ETERNITY when you are doing plank-jacks? AN ETERNITY. And just when I thought I had surely finished the 45 minute class, I look up and it had been five minutes. FIVE MINUTES.  As the workout continued the instructor would call out “keep your butt down”, “keep your arms straight”, and “don’t stop now” and as I looked around during those instructions, I realized, she was talking to me! Those elderly ladies were on top of their game. They smoked me in pushups, not to mention they can plank like there is no tomorrow! And then it happened I found out why those stairs were in the gym. I found out nine times. Well eighteen if you ask me, I feel like going up should be one and coming down should be two, but the instructor was not interested in my opinion. Sprints, bicep curls, stairs, planks, pushups in a form I haven’t even heard of before and more stairs. The longest 45 minutes of my life. You knew where I was stationed because there was sweat everywhere and at any given time you could see me lying flat on my back like a turtle trying to take in my last breath.

As class ended, my elderly comrades jumped right up and began talking about attending the next class. And by next I mean the very next class she was teaching next hour! All the while I was just trying to get from all fours into a standing position. For the first time since I bought my car I regretted buying a stick shift and wasn’t sure if I could work the pedals to get home. Getting out of the car once I arrived was even worse.

All that being said, I did it. I survived. I didn’t die and I am sore, but I am stronger. And I can’t wait to go back! I am excited to see how boot camp changes my body in the next few months (yes I signed up for more than one—crazy I know)! Moral of the story... maybe I need to work on my judging skills because in this case the cover was very deceiving! Those old ladies kicked my tail!

Try something new- you never know… you may just enjoy it! 

Much love and burned calories to you!
~K

I am a Maniac!

Well, we did it AND we lived to tell about it! I have never been so excited for an adventure before and let me tell you, WORTH EVERY PENNY!

The Rugged Maniac was a 3 mile course loaded with 25 obstacles. It was hosted at the local ski slopes, and the weather was perfect for it. When I pulled up to wait for my spot, I just started laughing and then I realized that when my sister arrived (who was NOT excited about this adventure) she might just strangle me. And although I don't know why I was surprised to see it, but the race failed to mention that we would in fact be running UP AND DOWN these ski slopes... more than once. I was STOKED!

I got to go on this adventure with my sister, my sister-in-law and a very good friend of mine. We met up prior to our 9:30 wave start time and realized to get to the start line you had to get over a straight 3 foot wall in front of the waiting crowd... That was a bad sign of what was to come!

The duck showed up again! AND he brought my parents and my brother in law.... We were ready to go!


The race began, and although we had decided we weren't going for a record time, we still attempted to make good time at first. And then we got half way up the muddy ski slope and i realized we were in for a long hall.

 Although I don't recall every obstacle by it's name-- I remember the moments that are worth sharing! Once we got to the top of the hill we had (3) 4 foot walls to scale, just in case you're wondering- this is not the point in time that you want to have boobs. They got in the way.... EVERY TIME! We had a few 15 foot "A Frames" to climb over, which were more about height than difficulty- but I realized at this point that having short legs was going to be hard in scaling over the tops of these obstacles and just hoping your foot catches the foot hold quick enough! From there we followed the path around the back of the slopes and went STRAIGHT DOWN a mud trail. This is where we decided that holding onto the nearest tree branch or bush was the way to do it! (No one would let me hold onto them... ridiculous... I know!) At the bottom of the hill we had to trudge through the SMELLIEST water pool I had ever smelled. It was stagnant and murky and there was no way around it. I decided that my sister was older than me and by birth right she could go first... and she did... turns out she also found a log in the stagnant water and down she went! All the way up to her chin and I did the sisterly thing... I  LAUGHED SO HARD I ALMOST PEED MY PANTS. And I couldn't move for a few minutes... so funny. But we continued on....

Although the order from here is fuzzy.... The adventure included the following moments...

There were a few 15 feet tall Jacob's Ladders and Cargo Nets that we had to climb up and then down. These weren't bad-- the problem was my short legs. Even though that doesn't seem high- your muddy and wet and teetering to the other side was about a 5 second panic moment!

Wading through a water pit that was about waste deep- yet you didn't know when it was going to hit that point. I was fine in the water pit but climbing out of the water on the mud hill I lost my footing and not only went right down on my butt but I then slid a few feet-- laughing hysterically the whole time! The next water pit was more like a river and had floating PVC pipes in hit that we had to get over to continue. Same thing on this one, the depth would change and you wouldn't know it-- but by then the water felt GOOOOOD!

We went up a teeter-totter and then back down enough times that I actually stopped crawling and walked like the rest of the adults! Amy and I helped each other balance on ladders across a mud pit, balanced through blown up bags while balancing on ladders and willingly jumped off into a big pit of (relatively clean water). We crawled through a few tunnels and went down quite a few muddy hills, mostly on our behinds! We helped each other over 15 foot flat walls and survived jumping over fire! We all attempted the swinging rings (grab one ring and swing to another, then another...) and by attempt I mean we at least tried to touch the ring before we just jumped in the water!

Turns out fire jumping while muddy and soaking wet is in fact NOT flattering... In case you need to know!

The worst of them all was the Pipe dream... This obstacle started with sliding (on your stomach) down a large pipe ending up in a mud pit under barb wire. From there you army crawled a good distance to the other pipe in which you had to grab a rope and with nothing but upper body strength pull yourself out. Did I mention that half way through the pit- you ran out of water and mud and got to crawl on sharp little rocks. So fun. And my exit from the tube looked like a terrible birthing video... Nothing about it was decent or pretty! Not to mention when we got to the top of the next hill we had to crawl through another mud pit covered in barb wire.... we were over it!

As we were running down the last hill- again mostly on our butts- I looked back and there was my sister-- flat on her back and not moving! When I walked over to her she just said "Leave me, I AM DONE!" After I was done laughing at her we hurried down the hill, fell at least (5) more times and rounded the corner to meet the one obstacle I was afraid of... The warped wall! (Dunnnn dunnnn duuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnn)

But we were going to try everything, once, and that was what I was determined to do. I would try it once. The bad thing about this was that as the racers were lining up for their turn, the spectators had gathered around to cheer each attempt... No pressure. Here was our attempt...

After my one attempt, we went up the side ladder, over the train cars on a cargo net and down the slide.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! I cannot write enough words to describe the adventure it was for me, not to mention the sense of accomplishment I felt afterwards. For our team, The Blood, Sweat and Beers... all in all we came back with four holes in my (very tight) spandex shorts, one case of poison ivy, multiple scrapes and bruises, a swollen ankle, blood was spilled and many many many laughs were shared!

I cant wait until the next one!




So I will leave you with this... I totally get being afraid of something in the physical activity world, of being to fat to finish (or even try), or being to scared that people will laugh at you or judge you before you even start. Do it anyways! Keep your head up! It will hurt, it will be hard and IT WILL BE WORTH IT! this was NEVER something a girl like me could do! I wasn't strong enough, light enough or good enough... But I threw that out the window and we CRUSHED IT!!!! I was afraid to fall, and afraid I wouldn't be able too... But I did it. And now I feel like I can conquer anything

Blood, sweat and beers to you all!

And until next time....

~K