No more schools, no more books...

A song I sang as I walked across the stage to crazy yells from my friends and family in August of 2001, under the assumption I would never return to formal education again. More the fool I for thinking so!

After a dozen years off I have thrown myself back in the educational pool! My thought was that an online course would be a nice reintroduction into the student lifestyle. No set times, no travel, no social distractions, easy right? BAH! This "little certification" class is no joke, and I will be hitting the books something fierce to get it done by the 6 month deadline. There will be a flurry of flash cards, a covey of charts and a veritable herd of notes. Four pages of notes in a 20 min lecture. Time for me to relearn how to study and nail down my time management skills.

"Have I bitten off more than I can chew?" When this little gem rolls through my mind I just recall that the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. It may not be pretty, or quick, but it will get done.

I drank the Kool-Aid

 
To say that I am hesitant to write about my latest “gym” experience on this particular site is a wild understatement, but it happened, so here it is. As part of my holiday gifts and festivities I ended up with a short term membership to a local CrossFit. Being an open minded kid, I thought, it can’t be as bad as the press it gets from the strength community, so I will give it a shot.

After a few classes I can say I get the appeal to the masses. The attitude is one of acceptance, and as positive as a muppet covered in rainbows. The class times work with my schedule most days. The format is simple enough to follow, and instructors/trainers are thick on the ground to help with any questions. This particular location offers oly lifting twice a week, and the instructor has some cred. (Caleb Ward) One of the other trainers has done voice work as both Batman and Superman, lemme say that can be a bit of a laugh during workouts. The folks that attend are friendly, welcoming and helpful, for the majority. We all know every gym has a fair share of jerks, but they are the exception not the rule.

Like all workouts, you get out of it what you put into it. Trust me when I say, I get a sweat going and am fully winded by the end of the sessions. The drawback to that is simply that the sessions are too short for me to feel like I have done a full workout.

With all that in mind, why won’t I be sticking around for all the kipping and WODs I can stand? The limitations of the facility and the workouts. I need more lifting time in a week than they offer to make my goals this season. Not to mention the cost, 250 a month at this box, and that is without one-on-one training or the oly classes. It is Resolutionist Season, and they place is packed, so learning names and faces is tough on the staff, I get it. However, after a few weeks I am DONE explaining to these folks that “No, as a matter of fact, that isn’t too heavy for me to start with.” There isn’t a slam ball in the facility that is too heavy for me to get through the whole WOD, so hush darling, mama is working here.

Would I do it again? You bet, it was fun! I always left with a smile on my face.

Would I let it be the only method I used to get to my particular goals? Not a chance.

Will I steal whole-sale some of the WODs and use them as warm-ups or replacement cardio? Regularly.

Would I recommend it to others? Depends on their end goals.

Post Holiday Ramp Up

The holidays with all the travel, and maddness are past! This year's festive season was a roller coaster that saw this section of Clan Boswell very unable to find our holiday mood. We were brushed by a sudden death, and a seemingly unending stream of family events. With all the highs and lows past, it is time to move forward.

That means tucking away all the bright baubles and shiney lights, and getting the nest in order, so that feathers long ruffled can be smoothed. Souther Girl Rule #1 - don't brave the world before you put on your face, and arm yourself with your best pearls.  Time to do just that!

The dawn of the new year sees me attending "school" again. A test run with on line education to see if  I can handle being a student again after a baker's dozen worth of years away from it. The plan is to get this first course complete by May, so that I can try to bring it bear over the summer months.  Hooray!

As ever, I am back on track with gym work and food. It is a never ending battle, but this year I intend to find the end of this war with my weight come Hell, highwater or hair-lipping the Pope. Now, if that comes in the form of finally getting to a reasonable weight, or turning this giggle into rock, I don't care, but change is coming. The fight isn't in the gym, it is in the kitchen. War will be waged on poor planning and easy choices.

So, that's whats new in the land of B. More to come...