Chariots of Fire

As I progress through camp, it just seems to get better and better. I love Adventure Boot Camp for so many reasons. I need the structure and accountability, and I need the expertise and discipline I receive from it. But more than anything, I need the inspiration it infuses in my spirit. Today was no different.

Though we worked on various balance & cardio exercises, the toughest of all the circuits and exercises at Camp for me, the highlight was definitely the chariot run. It forced us to go full speed and work mighty. It was the most intense aerobic activity to date that we've done indoors. It cranked up the heart rate and got our blood pumping. No time to be fat in this camp!

I worked full throttle as my partner "Sweet Buttercup" and I competed against the other teams. It reminded me of those "Rocky" movies when he goes into the elements to train amongst nature. Such an inspiring movie! The best part for us was that we we had like minded fellow campers trying to push themselves at full throttle, too. The energy was infectious. The inspiration was overflowing.

Being in the midst of this camaraderie, loyalty, friendly competition, and high spirits, it made me realize that inspiration can move mountains. Inspiration can change lives. So even when you think you can't take another step, inspiration will give you the power to keep stepping.

The camp was robust with the cheering and excitement of taking on this challenge. In a sense we were all chariots ablazed with fire.

In the movie, "Chariots of Fire", there were two protagonist runners who competed in the 1926 Olympics. One was running for the glory of God. The other one was running for the elimination of prejudice. They ran not so much for the sake of running but to prove something to the world.

We may all have our own reasons for "running", but surely one of those reasons is to prove something to ourselves. We are here to prove we can be whatever we choose to be, and accomplish whatever our burning desires drive within us.

We may run as a group, we may run in solitude. But there is much going on beneath the surface within us that incites the passion of the human spirit. This intangible continues to propel us even when our spirits meet the darkness and we think we are out of hope. We are not.

And so, with all of us working as mighty as we could running the chariot runs, we were surrounded by the infectious energy of our friends. The Star, Little Rocket, Amazing Grace, Sweet Buttercup, Mighty M, Sleek&Chic, Blazing B, and many others propelling each other to keep aspiring towards our goals of being the persons we want to be....the persons we deserve to be.

When I pull back the layers of an activity like our chariot runs and contemplate the significance of such an innocent act, the depth of its persuasion is monumental. We need only to let it fill our spirits. It is "Inspiration" moving us.

The chariot runs in Adventure Boot Camp set my heart on fire! I looked around, and if ever I thought I couldn't go another step, I was reminded of the truth running all around me. Just one more example of how powerful Adventure Boot Camp is, even outside of the realm of exercise. Every day there is a new lesson to be learned, or one that needs to be revisited.

If there is one thing I have learned from my trainer, coach, my fitness comrades and supporters at Adventure, it is that all of this is a mind/body experience. And Adventure Boot Camp is very much a minuscule of the World we live in.

Ohhh! Let us celebrate every day at Adventure BC, comrades, and realize the possibilities! It is truly ours for the taking! It is "Our Adventure, Our Body, our Life"!

This is the pinK tiger........

......for the love of Adventure Boot Camp.....for the love of life.....for the fire it inspires in all of us.

Where's the Beef?

I must say, Brian was wired for rare form when he constructed our workouts for the week. "Mind Blowing"! And always "Body Blowing"!Its just a matter of time before he transforms me from a cute pot of beefaroni into a heavenly cup of tenderoni! Sweet!

After our grueling workouts last week and "Brian's Designer Death Camp" yesterday, I just knew we had hit the hump and now we could settle in for some smooth sailing at least for the rest of the week. Although every single Adventure Camp class titillates and challenges our mindsets and physical stamina, I was looking forward to experiencing that sweet spot.....the "Ahhh" moment when I could delight in conquering the learning curve, and feel masterful over my exercise.

Not! No time to rest on our laurels! Its always the time to push on, and its later than you think.

Never underestimate The Brian coach when he decides to tweak the program for the phenomenal finale! And baby, our Brian did not disappoint!

This day consisted of Plyometrics. It was Double Duty Heavy Steel "Hard"! This was an all body workout using nothing but our own body weight for resistance. Sounds simple enough, unless you got some serious weight to heft.Its simple math folks. The more weight you got, the more resistance you gotta heft! And Brian's little trick bag full of contorted positions laid it out with utter royalty. This day had to be the "Queen Mary" of all camps!

One of my favorites was the tricep dip performed from the floor. It was a killer, as we all grunted and groaned in unison, including moi! I know Brian served that one up just for me as my Christmas present! ;) He's gonna make sure I get my Michelle Obama arms yet.

Other tasty morsels Brian served up for our upper body included a variety party bag of push-ups. (Yeah, its always a party at Adventure!)

One type required us lifting each leg in the air alternately while performing it. Oh my God! That's like rubbing my tummy and patting my head, navigating strength and balance simultaneously.

This little turkish delight has got to win the best multi-tasking exercise of the year! As I see it, I'm strengthening my chest muscles, firming my glutes, and playing Princess Balance all at the same time! What a little gem. I sure hope this will get better with time and practice, what do you think, comrades?! Oiy!

The other pushup involved rotating the hand positions. I do enjoy this exercise because I don't have time to think how brutal this could be if I was on my toes instead of my knees. Still, its working all the chest muscles and is so divinely perfect for enhancing an uplifted feminine torso. I'm game for that. ;)

Killer Mode really took hold when we worked our lower body. Gotta say, Brian pressed the button on the intensity as he incorporated butt-kicking moves like the one legged squats, one legged deadlifts, pulsing bridges, lunges, and my very favorite like the "King of Pop", the Deep Squat a la Brian! Whooh! What a repertoire for one day!

All of these are killer, but the deep squats got my vote. Listen to this: We performed 5 deep squats and then held for 5 seconds. Then.....Repeat! Repeat! Repeat! My thighs were screaming at me. They also had a few words for our fav trainer if you know what I mean. ;)

Yowzy! I was cryin' "Mama Mia" before it was all over! Another little death camp back to back. ;)

Brian rounded out our program today by using some exercise "toys". We got to do staggered push-ups on a step, side hurdles and ladder agilities, and then the very Best of Show were the exercise bands.

Oh, baby! We were working our legs and glutes real tough with those bands. Red bands, blue bands, black bands, they were putting a fire on our buns! That night I saw them flashing before my eyes, coming for the "fat attack"!

I can only imagine that with such glorious pain and torture, we all will earn those prized killer quads similar to the ones the Velvet Hammer sports! That will be the 1st prize! Go Velvet! ;)

And the 2nd prize will guarantee nearly full extermination of all saddle bags, droopy booties, and jiggly around the knees. Hey hey! Bring it on, Sir Brian!

Today was simply an incredible workout. It was so challenging, I had to whisper to our coach, "You are kickin' our ass today! Do you know that?"

"You think so?", Brian smiled with a twinkle in his eye and the innocence of an angel. Well with a face like that, I could have put wings on him. :) Even if my muscles are scorching mad at him, gotta love this angel. Hee-hee!

So did I really think his workout was all that? Oh yeah! I did, and so did my comrades around me. We all agreed this was one of our coach's finest surprises. Who would have ever thought that this camp of plyometrics was a workout for Ironman!

"This is hard", I heard one camper sigh under her breath. Indeed it was!

Yet, could we really expect anything less? This was just another average, creative, incredible day at Adventure Boot Camp conjured up by that mysterious mischievous angel!

With the way that angel has been hacking the machete at our storage sites, I will soon be looking at myself in the mirror and asking, "Where's the Beef?!" ;)

And baby, for that day, I can't wait!

The pinK tiger.......

....gettin' lean & mean!

Death Camp by Brian

It was another day at Adventure, but little did I know this morning I would be blitzed by a near death experience I've never known before. For the first time ever, I would be walking through the doors of a Death Camp fashioned by our "Top Gun", Brian. ;)

Yes! Did you hear what I said? A fitness Death Camp that was like "death by design!" This was a cardio/ ab workout day. How can one fitness director be so colorful and creative in his torture drills? Oh my, he really can! (lol) ;) Just listen! :)

We started with drills on the ladder and cones. This was suppose to be a warm-up, but it was a full-blown workout for me this morning. He kept us hopping, and there was no time for loitering or strolling between sets! We were moving at a speedy enough clip that I could hardly catch my breath. This was interval training at its best. Somehow, it seems like the intervals are a little longer these days. What do you think?!

Giddy-up! Yep, I found myself working at full power to keep up. I guess I was still trying to catch up from being torched by Brian's "All-American Tough Love" workouts last week! Yeah! My resiliency for recovery likes to take its sweet time, so I was waiting for my body to catch up with my mind and spirit! (lol)

Yet, even though Brian bombed us with some very mighty workouts through the week, the "Velvet Hammer" came along on Friday and inspired herself to put the final touches on these masterful workouts. Umm, like whip cream on top of the sundae? Like I said in my prior blog, I thought I saw a vampire, and she squeezed a little more blood out of that turnip! :)

By Saturday, she simply couldn't resist sweetening the deal with just a little more hard core fantasia! There came the cherry and nuts to finish the deal. Wow! :) What a team player, huh?! (lol)

By last Saturday, I felt like an exhausted duck ready to hobble back to my nest.

So today, I could only wonder, "Brian, where's the love?" (lol)

"Show us some love!" He wasn't gonna hear any of that silly stuff! It was "tough love" for today, baby! (lol) And he held his ground!

I had to assume.........we were ready to turn the corner on this last month of Transformation, and he knew we were contending with all the temptations of the holidays. Of course he's gonna ramp it up! All for our own good! ;)

Aw, Brian you are so special! :)

So "Death by Brian" was imposed and strictly enforced for our benefit. When you have the propensity to gain weight, it doesn't take much. So the best way to handle this is to "start depositing money in the bank early, so when you need to make a few unexpected withdrawals, you aren't gonna go bankrupt".

Of course I am talking about pre-burning future calories so we never have to face a gain of more than 2-5 lbs at any point in time, even when we eat more than we should on a holiday or at a party. Its called planning for success. And this is what our lead trainer was helping us do for ourselves.

However, our trainer has told us in more than one email, sometimes we are winning if we can just sustain. Hold ground for a minute, then continue forward on our journey. This is not defeat. This is winning long-term.

Why is it so imperative to adopt such an attitude? Because many people can lose weight with the excitement of outside stimuli, rewards,when things are new, and the compliments and attention of many embellish us. But one day that will end. As people get used to seeing you at your new weight, it will no longer draw the attention and excitement as it does in the beginning.

Then it will be day by day monotony, and maintaining will come from the rewards of fitness, internal affirmations, and personal self-esteem. It will come from the habits we have developed for a long term healthful lifestyle. You ain't gonna keep that fantastic figure without being able to pace yourself and maintain reasonable expectations.

Maybe this is the time of year where for sure, we can continue to lose weight and inches, and make strides , but maintaining is not a failure either. We got to look long term. This is a process, not a quick fix race. Fitness and healthiness is a life long endeavor. Sometimes we can miss the forest for the trees.

So Brian ramped it up to give us that little extra winning edge! He gave us a chance to deposit a few extra bucks in the bank to protect us for the future. He is teaching us what we need to do around holidays to avoid our pitfalls. God bless that Brian! A death camp to die for. :) Heh-heh!

As for me? I think "Death by Chocolate" sounds like a better idea! (lol) What you think?!

Enough about the chocolate! Let's get back to business. After our little "warm-up", we started on our ab work. One of our ab exercises included planks....regular and plank twists. I have found my abs getting stronger and looking toner with the fantastic ab work we do. It is a process that has required time and much patience, but more than anything else, it requires faith. Trust the process! Now my abs are beginning to wake up and whisper to me.

Other ab work we did consisted of chop squats, penguins, ab rotations with the weights, and some exercise band work. One of these was the side torso, and we also did crunches with our partners holding the bands taut above our heads. This was a new one, and it was incredible. Trying to get my shoulders up from the floor was a feat!

However, the parts that took me to the gas chamber were his aerobic choices. Oh baby, The Brian did not leave anything out today that had the capacity to kill! :) We did variations of speed skater, wall taps, and jump squats. There was spit hops, step ups on the blocks, jumping over the orange cones, and running between cones, and even side line hops over the cones! We were also blazed with some mountain climbers to really get the metabolism blowin'!

To make sure there was certain death, we campers were presented with a treat of knee highs alternating with speed squats. The minutes felt like hours as I tried to stay alive going full throttle. I don't remember how many alternating cycles we did, but they were blastin' the fat! Brian took me to my threshold!

His workout was so noteworthy, that some of the campers wailed, others mumbled, some whimpered and groaned, and still more laughed as they tried to pick up their crumpled, dying selves from the floor! Heh-heh! What a sight to see! Most of us were all in this together, struggling to survive this work camp!

I laughed and teased some of my comrades to work a little harder to get there! "Come on, Amazing Grace, move it on out!"

"Hey, "Sweet Little Buttercup", step it up!"

Yes, the spirits were high and we all were elevating ourselves to meet the standards and expectations of our trainer. It seems we really can do more than we think we can.

Our trainers and coaches are our motivating forces of nature in our fitness world. Even more, they are like our angels, reminding us to be mindful of our choices and encouraging us to do what we know we are suppose to do.

I know I was uttering to myself that this was a death camp that was unmatched! But then "Sweet Little Buttercup" passed me going to one of the exercises, and then I heard it:

"Uhhh, (sigh) this is a death camp", she proclaimed incredibly as she curled and crumpled her mouth in disbelief, before rolling her eyes and breaking into a chuckle!"

"You got that right," I laughed!

Ha! I knew I couldn't be imagining this all myself! That was too rare and hilarious! Whether she had heard me talking to myself or she came up with it herself, for certain, I was not the only one that knew in my heart of hearts, this was "Death Camp by Brian" and he held us prisoners for one hour with no escape hatch. (lol)

Yup. Probably the best and healthiest imprisonment I've ever had!

And what can we all learn from our experience with our lead trainer? Get ready for more! As we enter into the last week of Transformation Contest, our loyal coach is gonna turn up the heat! The fire is gonna be a'blazin! :)

Be prepared for more exciting adventures in Death Valley led by our commander in chief and his fitness team!

the pinK tiger..........

.....looking forward to more "sudden death" experiences in "Death Valley"............:)

Pulsing Ourselves Into Glam Babes!

I always look forward to Brian's "All Body" workouts, because they rock! And today was no different. It simply exhilarated all my body and senses.

Kicking off the intensity blitz was everyone's favorite walkout pushups. For me, this is a killer for the shoulders when I have to navigate my clumsiness and extra body weight in this awkward position. I'm always hearing a lot of groaning when Brian includes this in his repertoire! I am probably at the head of the class. :)

Some other pleasures that were included for the upper body were bicep curls, military presses, triceps, and planks. We did a variety of planks, one of my favorite being the spider planks.

We included some bicycle crunches for a little zip. And on one of the circuits we did lateral raises with the exercise bands.

Look at the muscle groups we hit today! Awesome! I always marvel at the well-rounded components of any camp that Brian constructs. At Adventure, under our "construction manager's" tutelage, we are learning to rebuild and construct our bodies, brick by brick, into our own personal masterpieces. Watch it now! We all are gonna become glam babe magnets! ;)

We also did some multi-function movements, like the dumb bell lunge rotations that worked both the abs and legs. I especially like this exercise because it gives my abs a great workout when I focus on my stomach muscles and not let momentum do the work.

Its also fabulous because it is a 2 for 1, and lunges have historically been challenging for me. In the past with other trainers, I always injured my quads or hamstrings that took over a year to heal when I did multi-body exercises. Attaining the ability to do this without injury is definitely a winning feat for me.

This is just another reason for me to acknowledge how much stronger and fitter I am becoming from Adventure! This camp is simply "the place to be" for women who want to adopt the lifestyle of fitness, and reap the results from doing the work. All the work!

Now, as good as the upper body workouts are, they can't compare to the brutality of the lower body combinations, especially when many of the leg exercises are comprised of an aerobic component as well.

And for a Monday morning workout..........Ohhhh, what were you thinking, Brian?! O-M-G! LoL! ;)

I notice he never pussyfoots around on Mondays, but I wouldn't be mad at him if he did. It takes me a little longer to start up my engines than some of these younger puppies playfully frisking about! ;) (LoL) I need "ease-in" time, baby! Oh, Lordy! It ain't easy getting older! (lol) Whew!

Well, Brian did not spare us any slack, but I was up for the challenge. He may often come into the camp with a warm smile and friendly greeting, but I never mistake his personal charm with a charming workout! His workouts are never charming; they are unequivocal monsters!! His charm just makes them more palatable.

How can such an engaging person create such monster workouts, I ask myself?! Heh-Heh! This is the mystery and dichotomy of Brian Schiff! The man doesn't play when he he's out to accomplish a goal. Beware of this master in disguise! :) He will literally work your butt off in the studio. I can testify for that! :) Yup, the inches are melting off, one by one.

'Course, I know all you other fellow campers working with Brian's other team trainers are feelin' me too. The activity plan comes from our "Main Man" so we all get the same crucifying treatment, but I can't testify for anyone else's charm factor. I have had the delight of working with the Velvet Hammer. She likes to come in with her sledgehammer and break bodies with one clean swipe! Yikes! Hee-hee!

Ahhh.....that "Velvet" is no fuzzy, wuzzy!

'Nuff said. With the lower body exercises, we did everything from wall sits, wall runs, side squat raises, and burpees with jumping jacks. Ouch! Those burpees are a blood bath! They are the authentic boot camp warfare, military style! What do you think?!

What else did our trainer beckon our bodies with? How 'bout squat jumps, one-legged squat jumps, single squat raises,and one-legged wall sits for those who really want something to cry about?!

Oh "Mary, Mother of God", the class was dying' with those one legged wall sits! "Star", attempted to do one of them with a crossed leg because she likes to challenge herself. However, Brian pointed towards some of the fit elitists, and he admitted the tougher version entails holding a leg straight out and maintaining the position.

What!! Are you kidding???! (lol) My legs are getting bombed just holding the position deep and low!

This one-legged stuff really ups the ante! We did lots of that today. It is something I am coming to gleefully anticipate because as tough as they are, they are so awesome for balance and working all your muscles, especially the stabilizing muscles. I have observed that 95% of us need help with rounding our total fitness with better balance. Me included.

And of course, there is never a workout that doesn't include our coach's all favorite "pulsing".

I looked over to Amazing Grace and whispered, "Brian really gets in to that pulsing action, doesn't he?"

"Oh, yes......he LOVES to watch us pulse", she laughed.

Ahhhhhh.........its all about the pulsing! Pulsing squats, pulsing lunges, pulsing triceps, pulsing biceps, and even pulsing wall sits! Imagine that! LoL! They dance in my nightmares at night! (lol)

Folks, its all in the pulsing as Brian offers no mercy in tearing down the old and building the new. Soon, we are all gonna pulse ourselves into being glam-babes! ;) Just sit back and enjoy the burn, as he chisels us with his torch!

We were all blabbering with those pulsing wall sits. Hope we will be alive long enough to enjoy our chiseled figures! :)

Finally, as the workout came to an end, I had a chance to talk with a couple of my buddies and check in on what some of us are doing outside of boot camp.

A few of us are doing an extra boot camp on Saturdays to give us a little edge. I try to do this once or twice a month. And it will kick butt when you do 6 days a week!

Others seem to be doing a good bit of running on their own time outside of class. "Star" is one of them racking up miles almost daily, yet admits its much harder in the cold. She has advised it requires being more prepared!

The "Little Rocket" has stated that she has taken it inside on the treadmill. She's one of the BiG Dogs and training for races is a familiar activity for her. She will do several short runs encompassing 5 miles or less, and one day a week will do an 8-10 mile run.

Some profess they are going as much as 5 -8 miles a day. Wow-wee! That's a hefty schedule for beginners and whether beginner or advanced, you deserve many accolades for having the stamina, dedication, and resilience to muster such a consistent schedule!

I, too, have been doing a little running, but must admit the cold weather does not entice me to do something that I am still finding my way to love......especially when it is cold, wet, dark, and dreary. I think when my breathing problems resolve themselves and I can let go of my anxieties, it will be a new day for me and my running. I often work on the elliptical trainer for my extra cardio time.

However, I find this running phenomenon utterly fascinating and perplexing, because I have been to many exercise groups and classes and never have I seen so many new people decide they want to take up running. Perhaps its the magic of exercise and the group camaraderie at Adventure that drives us to a new level!

That's all for today folks! Thanks for kickin' it with the pinK tiger. We got a new day comin' tomorrow, so keep the energy torched!

the pinK tiger

I Think I Saw a Vampire

Good Morning World!

Wow! Brian left us something to remember him by, when he designed today's workout. He created a routine that included the shoulders, legs, abs, and cardio. My shoulders were still cryin' from Tues, and my abs, hips, and legs were moaning from Wed. My legs felt like they had worked out every day this week with 50 lb. weights. I was really tired. It took all my discipline to come in today, and I fell asleep twice on the snooze button.

But as always, unless I have no way to get to camp, I am compelled to come and fulfill my promise to myself, and maintain accountability to Adventure. I can't stand it when I miss my boot camp.

Now today's workout was even deeper. Brian decided to floor it! Naturally Brian's partner in crime, the Velvet Hammer, was put in charge to decimate our enemy Mr. Fats. This was gonna be an outright war, folks! Something about her told me she was out for blood.

I knew I was in trouble as soon as I walked through the door. Her eyes were shiny and gleaming; she looked like she was a cat that just finished gulping a mouse for dinner when she caught my glance. :)

She appeared to be such a sweet little thing! Yet I saw something deep in her eyes that warned me that this human/ creature was craving blood as her eyes danced with mischief! Yikes! What the heck have I got myself in to??

I had to rub my eyes several times as I imagined fangs growing from the sides of her mouth as she smiled and tossed her head back, laughing. Huh?! In fact, I think I saw a vampire peering at me from behind those bright black eyes!

It was! It was! It was a vampire I saw hiding under her golden blonde hair and fair skin. I swear!

At that moment, I decided I better get a move on before she sank her fangs in me and got a taste for my blood! ;) As far as I could tell, the Velvet Hammer was going to suck a little blood from all of us before it was all over.

We started off on the ladder as a warm-up and then did circuits that included lots of intense work, including some deadlifts and cardio.

Some of the things we did for our shoulders included the shoulder push up, reverse lunges with shoulder raises, and doing the exercise bands to work the trapeze muscles in the shoulders.

The shoulder push up is always a goodie, and most of the time you're gonna hear a lot of huffing and puffing, groaning and mumbling cause they are so tough! Our routine was strenuous, and highly effective.

But you know what, warriors? Actually I am thrilled. I have begun to notice in the mirror that my deltoids are beginning to rock! Ever so slightly, they are shaping into some really nice mounded curves. My transformation is beginning to take form. Wow-wee!

For the abs, there was no reprieve! We did spider planks, penguins, russian twists, chops, ab crossovers, and a pose typically used in yoga. We also had the opportunity to choose our ab exercises at least a few times. I usually like to do the bicycle crunches best, or some form of the plank.

This had tremendous variety, and I felt all my muscles working to failure. Think about how svelte we are gonna get! Look at that repertoire! What a premier ab routine!

This is another area in which I am beginning to see some changes. I still have a layer of padding to burn off, but my upper abs are getting toner, and I notice this when I get dressed in the morning. Whoo-hoo! When I take off another 15 lbs, I am gonna have some glam-abs and feel like a rockstar!

Then of course, there was a generous amount of cardio that required us to work our legs. And work we did! This was when I really believed our vampire was circulating the floor for blood! We did everything from wall taps, to squat jumps, knee highs, and wall runs. We did lunges that nearly killed me. I focused on every muscle group, making each rep count. The best in the batch was the squat sits. I even held a weight to make it that much better, and it was lethal!

As a last encore, the Velvet Hammer treated us to a "quad burnout". You know she loves those treats!! Yep, and this was serious, folks. We did each of the exercises in this group on one leg. Awesome for balance, but extraordinary for taxing the muscles that had to stabilize our weight.

Both my quads and glutes were blowing up after our sergeant buried us with that one. But I would give a million dollars for a set of quads like the Velvet Hammer! ;)

This workout had me psyched. The Velvet Hammer didn't disappoint. It was an extraordinary workout, and the combination cardio and leg sets were the bomb! They set my muscles on fire!

Finally near the end of our camp, I shook myself out of my vivid daydream, rubbed my eyes again, and realized that I was physically intact. I had not transformed in a walking zombie. No blood could be found at the camp. Wow! Everyone else appeared normal too.

As much as I anticipated the Hammer's fangs to pierce my skin and draw blood, I later realized it was simply a figment of my dazzling imagination.

When I woke up from my daydream, it was just our hard core drill sergeant deadpanning with glee. No fangs! I guess she really was not that vampire creature out to collect blood. Whew! Thank Goodness!

Still, the Velvet Hammer did squeeze the blood from our workouts........fangs or no fangs! Gonna have to watch her folks.

After getting such a premium workout, I was psyched enough to run 1.5 miles after class on Friday. Little by little, I am trying to increase my distance and stamina. And I am succeeding.

Tomorrow is Saturday. I missed our Monday workout, so I owe myself one. I guess I will come in tomorrow for more blood curdling action via the Velvet Hammer! Hope you'll be there! Nothing like getting "Hammered" on the weekend! ;)

the pinK tiger..........

.....gonna get "velvet" hammered..........

p.s. And I did! I was "velvet hammered". She tanked me! (L0L)

Deciphering the Silver Lining in Our Journey

Hello Friends!

Did you survive our best friend, Dirty Harry yesterday? Heh-heh! He came in with an encore, didn't he?! Ole' Mr. Fats didn't have a chance against our champion lawman on his quest to obliterate the bloat! Heh-heh! Sure glad I'm on his team.

We are approaching the end of our 2nd week, though it seems like we just started this month. I guess time flies when you're having fun and beginning to see your own transformation take shape, however slightly or dramatically.

Today was the last workout with The Brian until next week. We are going to lose him for tomorrow because of a convention he needs to attend in Las Vegas. As much as I miss Brian on those rare occasions he is gone, I think its absolutely fabulous that he is going to learn more up to date stuff regarding physical therapy & fitness that all of us will benefit from. It is vital that a leader in fitness and physical body training maintain continuing education to stay current and thrive on the cutting edge. And besides, there is nothing better than a smart coach!

I must say I was still extremely sore and tired from yesterday's workout! It was a monster, but I worked it as hard and intense as I could. Brian has mentioned in some of his emails and blogs the importance of recovery and knowing your body's threshold. I believe I am working up to that edge, but not getting stupid about it. Sometimes we can be addictive about exercise and not know when to back off. That's when injuries, feeling burned out, and even feeling a little melancholy can begin to surface.

However, I am delighted to realize some of the results from my hard work. My legs are one of my weakest body parts, so to be able to increase my weights and maintain my form is very satisfying. I am able to do things I could not do when I started at Adventure. However slow my results are coming, I can actually do full lunges, squats, jump, and do bunny hops that were totally impossible when I was a newcomer at Adventure BC.

Today Brian had us work on our chest, back, and arms. I always enjoy working my chest, and especially my back. Its time to annihilate those little pockets of flab that have suddenly redistributed above my bra strap! Arrrh! Things start changing as you get older, and I never know what I'll find when I wake up the next morning. Its not exactly a treasure hunt, friends, but its always a surprise when its something you've never seen before!

Some of the exercises we did to carve into some of that extra cushioning were figure 8's, line stepovers, pushups with our partner, and chest presses with the bands. Even though this was not a cardio day, we do a little just to keep the blood flowing. ;)

We did a nice variety of arm exercises, too, that included concentrated curls, cross-over curls, regular curls, and the all favorite tricep exercise with the bands. Brian helped me a couple of times to get my form correctly, and I always appreciate that immensely.

Though the triceps still remain elusive for upping my weights, my biceps continue to get stronger and stronger. I have gone from 5 lbs to 8 lbs, and now use 10 lbs. On part of the sets, I am able to handle 12 lbs weights.

Isn't that awesome? These are just more quantifiable measurements that prove to me that Adventure Boot Camp works!! Not only that, but I have had a few people come up to me and say I look like I've lost weight. Oh, it is so mighty nice to hear that! All I got to do is keep it up!

Although we are in the midst of a contest, I have not personally embraced this experience as a race. For some, it gives them an adrenaline rush. For me, I like to compete against my own record. I am quite content at making consistent, permanent, progressive strides towards improvement. I do not feel defeated in the least that my pace and weight loss changes are not as dramatic as my neighbor's or any other camper thus far. I need to stay focused on my own journey. Inch by inch, step by step, the pink tiger is winning with herself and making her own dreams come true!

How did I learn such patience and acceptance? Age and maturity, my dears! I have found that our expectations can be the root of our misery, resentment, unhappiness, and anger if they are not in keeping with you and the situation at hand. I have learned as I've grown older that there are things you have to accept, and some of them are the speed in which your body will change, able to exert itself, and recover. Our resiliency may slow as Mother Nature winds us down. The important thing is to fight back and stay on top of the mountain! This is no time to lose ground.

My body's ability to process changes has vastly changed since I was in my twenties and thirties. It has changed even more since I passed 52. Whether I like it or not, this is where I am, so I might as well enjoy the ride.

Expectations, whether positive or detrimental, can be our grace or undoing. I intend to keep my expectations high, but reasonable and appropriate. What you can accomplish in a month when you are 25 is way different than what you can achieve in a month when you are 55.

I hope all my friendly competitors and warriors out there will find their own understanding and silver lining in their experiential journey too!

Tomorrow we will be enchanted by the delectable Velvet Hammer! I know it will be a gritty workout, so get ready for the slaughter! Brian has worked up a routine for our shoulders, legs, and abs that should be awesome, and push me to my edge and threshold that much closer!

Regarding shoulders, our last shoulder routine on Tuesday was smoking! I'm still fatigued from that workout. And we did a lower body circuit on Wednesday that took me over the moon! Doing shoulders and legs in the same monster workout with a bunch of planks and crunches will certainly get my freak on! Bring it on!

I know the Velvet Hammer will delegate for Brian in a big way and make him proud. Are you up for the challenge? You know Brian doesn't say goodbye without a going away present! ;)

The pink tiger will be checkin' you out. Be there!

the pinK tiger......

....gonna get ready for the "Hammer".....

Dirty Harry Returns for Retaliation

Hello World!

Things are heating up at the Adventure Boot Camp! Today we had the most awesome routine there could ever be to gain that svelte, toned body. We did a mix of circuits that worked our lower body, abs, and of course, we got a generous dose of cardio that was out to blast that fat away!

Not only that, but our Dirty Harry returned to retaliate against the fat that makes us miserable! He wasn't playin' around. As experienced today, there was nothing he wouldn't do to get even with the enemy! :)

We did an intense variety of squats and lunges as the main features. Lots and lots of pulsing, folks! Yeeh-hah! You know what that does to your muscles and bum? My legs and glutes didn't forgive me OR Dirty Harry for about 5 days! Couldn't walk or even bend over, but I was lovin' it. I'm gonna trade these Big Mac buns for a pair of sweet babycakes! Just watch the transformation.

Some of the squats that were ordered to obliterate the enemy were squat jumps, one legged squats, sit squats (against the wall), and our all favorite pulsing squats. Was this Squat Heaven or what? Think about that. That's a lot of solid work that was ramping up the fat burn before the holidays.

I think as Brian once again morphed into our favorite vigilante against the enemy, he decided to announce to our unwanted guest "Ole Fats," that he was no longer welcome to inhabit any of the Adventure campers. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the enemy, real cold blooded like. If you know Dirty Harry you know he was itchin' for the opportunity to say those three little words! If Ole' Fats knows whats good for him, he better get out of Dodge now. Pronto! LoL!

Wasn't a pretty picture, folks. Do you think this valiant fat fighter was taking the shot gun approach? Yeah, baby. Poor Mr. Fats didn't stand a chance against The Brian! He was gonna get blown away on this day!

I'd say this was a hostile takeover.

In addition to the squats, Mr. Fats was eradicated with a full circuit of lunges, step ups, jumping over cones, and other cardio and leg exercises. To make certain that our detested visitor was not welcome, our crusader bombarded all that jiggly stuff in the middle with great ab work like side planks, push downs, and side bends. It was awesome!

By the time our hard core lawman blew the smoke from his gun, nodded, and drew a slow smile as he called it a day, I felt like I had The Special Reinforcement Unit from the Rangers surrounding all the pockets of jiggly that didn't stand a chance on this day!

I had chosen to up my intensity and picked up my higher weights, alternating between 8 & 10 lbs. Oh, baby! 3 hours later and through the rest of the week, I was sore, achin', and incapsulated in majestic pain! It hurt so good. I swear, it must have been Dr. Feelgood that left me his calling card.

Now, because the energy was high, the endorphins were kickin' in, The Star and I decided to run the mile for practice. As you know, Star has been running quite regularly, but I was grateful that she offered to run with me now, because, friends, it really does make a difference!

She set her watch and we leisurely ran the distance to complete in 9:34 minutes! Is that right? It just keeps getting better and better! Now all I got to do is hire someone to run with me when Brian times us for our final Mile Run! Hee-hee!

So this was my glorious day on this Wednesday, feeling confident that inch by inch, I was gonna make my way to the top. Nothing gonna stop this pink tiger! As long as I had plenty of patience, determination, support, and reinforcement from my allies, I was gonna win this war against Ole' Fats.

And with Dirty Harry on my side? It wasn't gonna be a pretty sight. Oh, not at all World. Before he swaggered out the door, he just crumpled up his mouth, pulled out his shotgun and mumbled under his breath with squinted eyes, "Go ahead....make my day!"

Ole' Mr. Fats should have known better. ;)

Until next time, this is............

......the pinK tiger...........

......gettin' ready to blow smoke from her gun, too!