Day 6 - Laundry

So, today is Saturday, which around here means only half day of exercise.

I will just say chocolate...Yum!

Today I was able to hike and I did West Canyon hike which is relatively even terrain (for Utah standards).

It was a great hike, I was able to put my ipod on, listen to worship music while enjoying the majestic beauty I was surrounded by that only He could have created.

After the hike enjoyed a fun game of water volleyball followed by lunch and doing laundry.
Now, do you remember that ipod I was listening to on that beautiful hike, well it was in my jacket pocket, the same one that I washed today. It went through the wash and about 10 minutes of the dryer before I realized it was missing.

So, here is my poor ipod dead to the world right now.  I have it sitting in a bag of uncooked rice hoping that will dry it out.
In the afternoon I managed to have an hour nap, it was wonderful and needed.
After supper we had graduation for the guests who are leaving along with watching a dvd of the week activities, which everyone gets a copy.
This evening activity was a night out bowling which was a lot of fun and lots of laughs.  Tomorrow is a full day of rest with the new guests coming in and I know exactly how they feel.

Day 5 - Get Comfortable with being Uncomfortable

Well, as a few of you may have noticed I didn't do my Friday blog (a friend already gave me heck about that), so I will write this in the perspective of it still being Friday.

Supper was really good and the Parfait was very good!!

Well, today was not a very good day for me.  I tweaked my knee running on the treadmill in class yesterday, so I did not go on the hike which I really enjoying doing. Now don't think I was able to lounge around, no instead I was in the gym for the 2 hours working on the recumbent bike and doing upper body, not really that much fun.
So, I had an emotional day because I couldn't work out to my fullest and I think I was a bit overwhelmed by the fact that the week was almost over I questioned if I had done enough and also by the fact that I still have 3 more weeks here.
I did have some Acupuncture done on my knee and she followed it up with some kinesio taping. She also said no treadmill or steep inclines and declines for a couple days, but I could go on the hike I had planned to go on as it is gravel and not too many hills, so that made me happy.
Since I did not go on a hike today I do not have any pictures of that, but what I do have is a picture of my leg when I fell on Tuesday that was taken the next day. I warn you know it is not pretty.

Well, only half day of working out tomorrow and then I am free until the beatings begin again on Monday morning.

Day 4 - Treading

Well, good news I am feeling better today than I did yesterday, I wasn't as sore or tired as yesterday and I actually felt pretty strong (under the circumstances).

The breakfast was the best so far!

Today the hike I did I don't remember the name of it, but it involved a river bed, very nice.  As for pictures I ended up only taking 1 on the hike because I forgot my memory card in my computer.

Me holding up the rock, it was going to fall...haha!

Today I went back into the pool, as my leg is healing over. It felt great to be back into the pool, but don't be thinking that pool classes are a piece of cake, they make you work hard no matter what class you are in.

So , "Treading Class" is in the gym, you pick a cardio machine and after the warm up you have to go all out for 5 minutes, then 5 minutes of recovery, then 4 minutes...etc. Yeah, definitely made you sweat , and that was my last class of the day, so it was hard.

 It is so weird to think that tomorrow is Friday already and the week is almost over. Saturday is only half day of butt kicking and is done at lunch and Sunday is a day of rest.  I no longer feel like the scared, nervous newbie I did on Sunday.  Now don't think it will get any easier for me because when you are in your 2nd or more week they expect more from you in class and also expect you to work out an extra hour in the gym when the first weekers are having their lectures.

Day 3 - Climbing a Mountain

So, at dinner Sunday evening after I arrived and got unpacked, some of the stay-over guests (guests who have been here at least 1 week), were saying how wednesday is the worst day.  You are the most sore and exhausted, well they were right, today was brutal!  Even after the massage I had last night I felt like the walking wounded this morning.

Dinner was good!

Yummy...I think I took 10 minutes to eat them, enjoying every last bit of chocolate! 

Today my hike was Temple Quarry, it was nice, different than yesterday and I managed to stay on both my feet.

City of St. George in the background bellow with the Red Mountains.

After lunch my first class was kick-boxing with the trainer Sharon...luved that class, definitely burned some calories in that one.  Now the next class was called Mountain,  this one did me in.You pick a cardio machine (I picked the treadmill ) and start at an easy pace, then every 3 minutes or whatever the trainer decides you increase you speed  and /or incline for a total of 10 increases, so the name mountain.  Well, I have to say by the end everyone is giving it their all and pushing their max.  The last interval was 5 minutes and it had me running on treadmill, I was done when I finished at the top of my mountain!
Well, I am told that thursday we are suppose to feel better and stronger...I hope they are right.

Day 2 - Rock Rash

Ok, so it is late and I just came from my 80 minute massage...it was fabulous and I am sure it will help with my sore muscles.
As for the title for today i did fall on the hike, didn't hurt myself, but I did get a nasty scrape on my calf that is keeping me out of the pool for a couple days. (oh yeah, don't tell my mom, she will probably freak out).

The pizza was sooo good!

Few hiking pics from our hike in Snow Canyon to Piano rock

Well, that's it for today, my bed is calling.

Day 1 - Survived

So, I did manage to get some sleep last night.  I was still tired from travelling and information overload.
It is pretty amazing how fast you can get ready in the morning when your first class is at 6am  and you want to stay in bed as long as possible.
So this morning started with gym machine orientation, since it has been a bit since I have used them I thought it was best I attend.

Menu for today

So, that may not look like a lot of food, but actually I had a hard time finishing lunch and supper, but ,maybe that had something to do with my exhaustion level.
The morning hike was beautiful, it was a 2 hour hike and I think we covered around 5 miles.

Some of the awesome scenery I saw on the hike
 

The rest of the day really kicked my butt, I think I felt the most exhausted when I sat down to lunch and supper.

Well, for tomorrow I have booked myself a massage at the end of the day and I am really looking forward to that since I think when I wake up tomorrow I will be more than a little bit sore after all they have put us thru. 

Leaving Las Vegas and Day 0-Checking In

Spent Saturday night in Vegas, staying at Paris, nice hotel.
I did a wee bit of gambling....yeah don't worry I will be coming back to work as I left Vegas with my pockets a little bit lighter.

Not the first time I stood under the Eiffel Tower, but I didn't have to go to France this time to do it.

I left this morning on the shuttle to come to Fitness Ridge, the scenery is beautiful, especially the Red Mountains.  There was someone on my shuttle who has been here before, so she put my mind at ease (well at least she tried too).

Beautiful Red Mountains

Checked in and was given this information package and here is my schedule for tomorrow.
I know looks like a piece of cake....not!  They did the whole weighing in and measurements and I will have them repeated when I leave.
So, I have met people who are continuing there stay here and everyone is very nice and telling me not to worry everything will be good and I will have fun.
Well, morning will be coming soon enough and I need all the sleep I can get.

Last Chance Workout

So, I know I am not the only fan of the tv show Biggest Loser.  Trying to decide who would I want as a trainer Bob or Jillian (I think my choice would be to have Jillian kick my butt and yelling in my ear).

Well, since it seems that the Biggest Loser does not seem like it will be coming to Canada anytime soon I decided to take matters into my own hands and this is what I found. 

No, I will not be on tv or have Bob and Jillian kicking my butt, but what I am doing is spending 4 weeks in Ivins, Utah at the Biggest Loser Fitness Ridge getting my butt kicked and hiking in the beautiful Red Mountains of Utah.

I am hoping to keep this blog of my journey to show people a bit of what I will be experiencing while I am away and follow me on my road to a healthier me.

So, I am leaving in the morning my bags are packed and yes I did get my "Last Chance Workout " in with my trainer Dan (thanks Dan for everything).