Category Archives: Experiences

Boot Camp – Experience So Far

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We’ve had three boot camp sessions nowID-10019845, and we’re getting into the swing of things.

It’s sweaty, it hurts, and I love it. 

After the first session of fitness testing, we’ve moved on to the good stuff!

So far, each session has started with boxing drills.  Pairing up, we get to take our frustration at the 6am start out on our partner’s thick hand-held pads.

Jab, cross, jab jab, cross. 

I’m itching to bounce on the spot just thinking about it.

Last Thursday, we built on the boxing drills with some circuit strength training.

Planking!
Shoulder presses!
Mountain climbers!
Oh my!

Oh, can’t forget the push-ups.  They were in the mix, too.  By the end of this, I’ll be better.

Today, we focused on upping the cardio.  Running up stairs, sprints, speedy step-ups, and a new kind of hell – fast jumping squats.  Oh, and I can’t forget the wall sits, and lengthy squats.

Boy my legs were feeling it this morning!

I’m really glad I signed up for the group training.  I’m getting much better workouts than I ever did at the gym.  Having others in the group, and a trainer encouraging us, really helps with pushing through pre-conceived limits.

Looking forward to keeping it up!

Thirteen New Experiences for 2013: Update

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We’re almost two whole months through 2013 already. The year is flying by, and I’m really enjoying it so far. A lot has happened!

And there’s steady progress being made with the ‘Thirteen New Experiences for 2013‘ I set out for myself last year. Two down, 11 to go.

  1. Run my first race
  2. Try a mixed martial arts class
  3. Try a pole fitness class
  4. Try a spin class
  5. Go skydiving
  6. Try a beginners/intro crossfit course
  7. Try a yoga class
  8. Try a pilates class
  9. Go bungy jumping
  10. Try indoor rock climbing
  11. Buy a bike
  12. Sign up for boot-camp style group training
  13. Try an aqua/pool-based fitness class

“1. Run my first race”

Completed this last Sunday with a 7km run ‘Round the Bays’ with a friend of mine from work. Our official time was 50:32 – not fantastic, but we’re happy with it! And we had fun which is the main thing.

As ‘Nev’ from never2late4 puts it, I’ve caught ‘the bug‘ and I’ll definitely be doing more races.

Another friend and I are signed up for the Round the Vines race next month (the day after the dragonboating competition…so it might be another slow one). Our packs arrived in the post yesterday.

And the Wellington Marathon is coming up in June – I’ll be signing up for the 10km run once our work team entries open.

“8. Try a pilates class”

I did this one a little while ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, I haven’t been back since despite raving after the class that I would.

It was a well-paced beginners class held at the gym and I felt that I took a lot away from it.

And I certainly felt it in my core for the next couple of days – Pilates: It’s not for chumps!

So… What next?

Plans are in place to hit up a spin class next week (my legs are already crying), and I’m currently investigating bikes to buy (though I won’t be getting anything too fancy until I learn how to ride one!).

Bungy jumping is currently in the pipelines for May, and I’m waiting to hear back about possible dates for sky-diving.

I’ll make sure to keep y’all updated!

How are your goals progressing?
What have you got lined up for the next month or so? Anything exciting?

Embracing New Experiences

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I’m all set up for my first dragonboating training tomorrow. I’ve got my clothes packed neatly in my gym bag, and I’m starting to mentally prepare myself for what’s to come. Gah! What is to come?

I have new boat shoes – which are hideous, and surprisingly chunky, but at least they were cheap.

I have a bright pink shirt for good weather, and a bright orange long-sleeve shirt if it’s wet, so the coach won’t need to learn my name in order to yell constructive feedback at me when I’m doing it all wrong.

I have never even tried dragonboating before.
And I haven’t participated in team sports since high school (and even then it was a ‘social’ team, so winning was never a realistic goal).

I’m so close to messing myself it’s not funny.
(Did I mention that I’m trying to swear less, too?)

But regardless of the fear – the unknown – I’m excited. The kind of excited you get when you’re about to discover something for the first time.

Will I love it, or will I hate it?
Who knows. But I’m committed to this season and I’m totally in this thing 100%.

Thirteen New Experiences for 2013

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ID-10094542Is it too early to be setting my goals for 2013?  They’re effectively new year’s resolutions – but we’re only half way through December.

Too bad if it is – I’m flying out out the country in a week and I don’t think I’ll be paying much attention to my fitness goals in the week leading up to 1 Jan.  So, ladies and gentlemen, I present you with my thirteen new (endorphin-seeking) experiences for 2013:

  1. Run my first race
  2. Try a mixed martial arts class
  3. Try a pole fitness class
  4. Try a spin class
  5. Go skydiving
  6. Try a beginners/intro crossfit course
  7. Try a yoga class
  8. Try a pilates class
  9. Go bungy jumping
  10. Try indoor rock climbing
  11. Buy a bike
  12. Sign up for boot-camp style group training
  13. Try an aqua/pool-based fitness class

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As you can see, it’s a bit of a taster plate of things to try.  A sampler of fitness activities, if you will.

It highlights just how limited my fitness experiences have been to date – I feel like the only woman in the city who hasn’t at least taken a pilates class!

ID-10035243(3)How can I really decide what I like, and what drives me if I haven’t tried much?

Don’t get me wrong, I like running – but how do I know I won’t love something more without trying more?

What are your plans or goals?  Are there any new experiences on your 2013 to-do list?

Busy With R&R

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20121028-194925.jpgIt’s been a busy weekend. Kind of. I’ve been busy relaxing, out of the city.

But with the A&P show in Clareville this weekend, my weekend of relaxing wasn’t spent lazing about in the sun on my parents’ lawn. It was spent swanning around the show grounds, petting donkeys [insert ass joke here], and traipsing through poop. There was a lot of poop.
20121028-194940.jpg20121028-194947.jpg20121028-194954.jpgThere was also an extremely cute, hyperactive goat that butted the phone every time I tried to take a photo. I stood out like a real city-girl. But then I got the uncontrollable giggles and even the goat pretended not to see. Win.

My family also took me out to dinner at one of the restaurants in Masterton where we proceeded to stuff our faces full of tasty, tasty food. Weight loss fail. And my lil’ bro took the challenge of a garlic bread starter, a porterhouse steak with fries and a plate of BBQ pork ribs for the main course, and another garlic bread for dessert. There were no leftovers. Doggie bag unused. The wait staff checked in continuously. It’s probably safe to say someone won some cash on a little under the table wager.20121028-200656.jpgAnd as it I hadn’t pushed my luck enough this weekend, I went shopping for new jeans this morning. And found a pair. One size smaller than the last pair. Butt shot!
20121028-201250.jpg Now I’m back in Wellington (shot from the train above) nursing a food-hangover and a face of sugar-triggered pimples.

I’m going to go for a run tomorrow morning and nothing short of a natural disaster is going to stop me.

What’d you get up to this weekend?

Private Confessional

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Forgive me Jeans, for I have sinned.
I have a confession to make. 

Yesterday I made the most of a very tasty, pretty, [insert adjective here] all-you-can-eat chocolate buffet.

Sorry, I’ll repeat that for you Jeans, in case you didn’t quite catch that.  All-you-can-eat chocolate buffet.  Oh, you did catch that?  What was that, Jeans?  You’re well aware of my enthusiasm for the platters and platters of sugary goodness?

I am sorry, I swear.

Okay, maybe not that sorry – you only live once, right?
I’d totally do it again.

(Yeah, the rum balls were totally the best part).