The last 3 camps have been exceptional. Exceptional.......meaning challenging, exciting, novel, and kick ass "mad" fun! I have hardly recovered from the "Friday, Saturday, Pumpkin Workout Trifecta", and now Tuesday comes and we are doing cardio and abs. Not for the faint hearted! This is tough, folks, getting tougher!:) My body is screaming for a break, but I am compelled to keep pushing it. Why? Because I want to feel proud of my physique in the worst way. It will be freedom in the grandest sense as I continue to reach my goals and finally get to a place where I can look in the mirror and say, "Eh......Look at that! Not bad for an old lady!" :)
For me, it will be like walking out of an invisible self imposed prison of frustration and shame, and reveling in my authentic self and its subsequent joys. I will be free to be me! Because who I see in the mirror is not the woman I want to present to myself, or to the world. I have a much happier memory of myself and how I felt in my own skin. This is not the real me, and I don't choose to accept less than my best self.
Therefore, when I don't feel good about myself, I begin to hide and build walls. It primarily manifests itself on an emotional basis, but it often takes place on a physical plane as well....I sometimes will isolate.
Yes, friends, when I try on 2 or 3 pairs of jeans and can't get them up my thick thighs because I wore them 20 lbs. ago, I am not inclined to hit the social scene. Hee-hee! :( Even if I can wiggle up in them to the final test......ah, the zipper.......but I look like a sardine crammed in a can, it ain't gonna make me feel very confident! And I love feeling fit and pretty! :) Come on girls........isn't it the bomb??!!! :) Nothin' better in the world than feeling like you are at your best and you can hold your own! Nothin! :)
So as difficult as it may be to keep up the pace, I find so much strength in my fellow campers (and quite a few of them too) for different reasons that keep me centered. The Little Rocket will keep me running and positively inspired. She won't even let me say aloud "I can't". And "Sleek & Chic" will totally get me to crank it out when we do figure 8 runs or sprints! :) Dang, that girl is Bionic Woman! (hee-hee!)
Watching the veteran "Blazing B" handle her workout with A+ form, stamina, and grace, propels me to try the toughest options available, keeping my form solid and tight, and looking forward to a time when my overall workout and effort at camp will resemble hers! She is a phenomenal role model that is steady as she goes.
And then there is the "Gold Star" who's determination and discipline is very contagious. She approaches all the tough stuff with a sense of humor but is very exact in her strategy to win The Transformation Contest. She makes me aware of how every little choice I make in my day, whether activity or food, needs to be counted for. No freebies here, unless lettuce or celery! :)
I must say, she is keepin' this little chickadee on the move with all that youthful energy. She reminds me of how hungry and driven I was in my younger years to achieve my goals. And if I had it once, I can get it again. No way I'm gonna wuss out on a competitor of this style when keeping pace with her keeps me on target! :) You gotta say to yourself, "if she can do it, I can too!"
So many others have left an impact on me as well. As I continue to blog, I will mention all the different gifts I get from other Adventure Campers, too! With that said, I hope the above examples will get you to think about all the inspiration and lessons around you. One of them might be the lucky charm that unlocks the mystery and instills the solution for a problem area you might have been struggling with that keeps you from winning your game.
Yup, cardio is always a tough day for me, but when it becomes incorporated with an abundance of squats and leg work, then I know I am working at full throttle. As sore as I was, I hung on! Brian treated us with some pulsing squats, speed squats, and sit squats. God Bless him! :) He's another one that makes me laugh and smile inside, so at least the pain is palatable! :)
Ohhhhh.........it hurts just to think about that medley of squats! Talk about a double whammy! Doing the leg work as part of the cardio work hits 2 birds with 1 stone and I get to double dip the results! Whoo-hoo! And as odd as this may sound, it is one of the classes I love the most, 'cause I know I wouldn't possibly do it on my own with the consistency that Adventure gives me. Being in a group environment, you gotta rise up to the occasion no matter how tired or sore you are!
While I was struggling with my sore legs, a few others around me were glowing in the ab work. Hee-hee! Moans, groans, giggles, and good natured grumbles! Oh, did we have a workout for our abs! We did it all from planks, bicycle crunches, throw downs, and Russian twists. Brian ordered us everything off the menu! :)
Brian has always incorporated "diversified", his version of Asset Allocation for the Body! :) So interspersed within a variety of ab circuits and legwork was some ladder work. The ladder footwork was great because it gets my heart rate up to speed, and it teaches me agility and sharpens my reflexes. As I've gotten older, this is essential to keep up!
We also jumped over hurdles and cones. What can I say? Is this not an incredibly well balanced workout that hits all the high marks? I couldn't have put it together better myself, Brian! :) ha-ha!
End of the day, I kept kickin' it up! I ended the camp with a 2 mile walk/jog. From there I went to the gym and did another 25 minutes on the Cross Trainer.
Don't think I would have been inspired to work that hard without the camaraderie and inspiration of Adventure and my camper friends. The Transformation of the pinK tiger is working its way from the inside out. Its like Magic! :)
Comin' up............more Adventure BootCamp that only gets better! :)
the pinK tiger ........
.....ready to pounce to the next level.......:)
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