Had another good but tiring day. We started off with a trip to Venice City Beach with the assignment of running or walking to the Pier and back within a certain amount of time. Well, as there is no sports bra strong enough to keep me from giving myself a black-eye, I walked (and it’s only Day Two, after all). I learned that it’s about 1.25 miles from where we parked to the pier. I gave myself 20 minutes and then I would turn around. At 20 minutes, I ALmost made it to the pier, but as I didn’t want to keep everyone waiting, I turned. Well, here comes Marco, one of the trainers, and he said, “C’mon, you’re almost there, let’s do it.” So he picked up my pace a bit and got me to the pier. Made it back to the others and Marco said that most people don’t make it all the way on their first attempt, so I was very pleased with my effort. I actually do love walking, and walking along the beach, seeing the waves and birds and footprints in the sand made me think of Bermuda – Except that there are mountains in the distance (beautiful!). It’s not quite as pretty as Bermuda’s beaches (brown, fine sand and dark water – it all looks kind of dirty at first glance) but since I love love love being near the water it felt good to do the walk.
Back at the facility I had a nutrition “class” with the nutritionist, Karen, who is a hoot and very well informed. I had to give her a basic history of my eating habits – thankfully I’m not into junk food or sodas but I love savory foods. And I’m a recreational eater…I like to eat for entertainment, not for stress or comfort. Karen explained why the meals that are prepared for us (and each person gets a menu tailored for him or her). I am impressed with how tasty the meals are and how I’m not feeling hungry or having any cravings (although walking past the McDonalds on the way to and from the apartment cannot be avoided and is therefore cruel and unusual punishment), nor am I feeling sleepy like I usually did in the afternoon.
Next was Abs/Core workout….and this is KILLING me. I swear it is harder than everything else that I do, and it seems to take the least amount of effort! So, all you Pilates people…you’re amazing to be keeping that up!
Then we went swimming! I think there were 6 of us who travelled to the Santa Monica College pool which has plenty of lanes for people of all levels. I, of course, stayed clear of the fast swimmers…they do have lanes for people like me. I’m an OK swimmer; I need work on my freestyle technique, but I did do freestyle for at least 4 lengths – I found that it raised my heart rate very quickly. Besides those 4 lengths I did 30 lengths using one of those boards. Let me tell you…when I exited the pool my legs felts 50 lbs heavier! It was sunny but breezy and cool; the pool was slightly heated but the second I was out of the water I was miserable in the cold! I think we were there about 90 minutes altogether.
Now back at the office, I was scheduled for “Meeting with Claire.” I hadn’t met Claire yet and I didn’t know what this session was. Well, she’s a counselor who helps the clients deal with the psychological issues that lead to overeating. I spoke with her for about an hour and found it very helpful. All the clients at the camp see her once a week, I think. I’m happy with that, too.
Next…VOLLEYBALL! I love to play volleyball but hadn’t done it in years. So back to the beach – this is why it was like being back in Bermuda today…walking & volleyball at the beach and swimming, too. We didn’t play a match but did various volleyball drills. Eric, the trainer, is also a semi-professional beach volleyball player. He had us do various exercises and my heart rate was way up there! You can TELL that it has been a long time since I had played beach volleyball. I can still bump and serve the ball in good form, but running around in the sand was near impossible. I had to stop twice to catch my breath, but I have to say I loved hitting the ball again after so long. One of my goals at the end of this is to take up a physical activity, and I had been thinking volleyball would be it.
Day Two is nearly over, but I still have to work on my Posture Exercises – again, killer stuff! After that, the final workout was Cardio & A Movie with Eric. They have a big movie screen in the gym and all the cardio equipment faces it. So we all grabbed one of them (treadmill for me!), and while we’re watching a movie (tonight was “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”). I walked for an hour and was done by then. It had been a long and productive day so after the hour of walking it was OK to leave, so myself and Felleng, a lawyer from Johannesburg, South Africa, walked back to our apartments.
I haven’t mentioned that yet…there are currently about 21 clients. Most are Americans, but there are also women from Kuwait, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, and Canada. I think but am not certain that all the men are American. And the women outnumber the men. Some of the women seem fit to me; I haven’t been able to socialize with them yet to learn what their goals are. I guess I expected that all the people here would be quite large with lots of weight to lose, but obviously I was wrong!
The weather is still too chilly for me…but remember, anything under 80 degrees is too cold for me! It is humid here, which I love. I think I read that it won’t get much above 70 degrees the whole time I’m here. Today was a clear but cool day. I understand that’s pretty typical for this area.
Friday is a shorter day…starts at the same time but ends around 3pm. The experienced clients are going to “The Dunes.” That sounds scary to me for now, and the trainers didn’t put me on the schedule for that (YAAAAAY, I’m not ready for that!). Instead, myself and Felleng, the S.A. woman, are doing yoga (cannot wait!) and BOXING! Woohoo! It’ll almost be like doing Tae Kwon Do which I did and loved so long ago (gawd, it has been 19 years!). Marco, the trainer, recently left the Oscar De La Hoya training programme as one of their trainers….so he knows what he’s doing. And I get my first MASSAGE!!! Yaaaay! There’s also a group nutrition class, another Cardio Hour, and a training session with Amber…she’s the one who does the core/abs/posture stuff. I’m gonna need a drink after that session but we are not allowed to have any alcohol. Dang….on days like this I would love to go out with my fellow clients and get to know them over some beers/wine/cocktails. But I have a feeling we’ll all just pass out as soon as we get home.
So as I finish up it’s time for my last meal of the day…I think it’s garlic chicken with couscous and vegetables. And I’m waiting for my Friday and Saturday meals to be delivered -- oh wait…maybe I pick them up tomorrow at the facility – I can’t remember. I’m just ready to get to bed as soon as possible!
Have a great day, and once again, thanks for all your encouragement.
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