Day 4: Stop Sign Kicked My Ass But I Kicked It Back!

Day 4:

6:00AM: Total Body Conditioning (optional)
7:00AM: Breakfast
8:00AM: Hike
11:15AM: Pool or Gym Class
12:15PM: Lunch
1:15PM: Lecture: Cooking Demo
2:30PM: Pool
3:30PM: Ball Works
4:30PM: Treading
5:15PM: Dinner
6:15PM: Increasing Your Income
7:00PM: Jewelry Expo

I woke up this morning exhausted, drained and feeling like I was totally out of gas. I know most people say that Wednesday is their hump day and the most difficult day but today was MY hump day. I could barely wake up and I was just wiped out. But I dragged my fat @ss out of bed and got dressed and ready.

Breakfast was good today: It was a wheat English muffin with egg whites and facon on it. (Fake Bacon) There was also some salsa that you could put on top of everything. I did and it was great. Not spicy, just flavorful. The facon was kinda hard to chew though... especially with my braces, lol.

So of course, today when I felt like I was exhausted and done for, it's announced that my group was headed towards the Stop Sign Hike!!!! Holy hell. I was NOT looking forward to it and didn't know if I'd be able to do it. This is the Stop Sign Hike in a nutshell:

Pure TORTURE!!

Nah, I'm kidding... no I'm not! lol. It's worse than you can imagine. The hike is a paved hike clocking in at around 4.3 miles one way. That's not bad at all, right? What's bad is the inclines!!It's pretty intense with many many inclines for the first 3 miles or so but the worst comes later. The last 1.3 mile feels like a freaking stairway to heaven or hell, depending on how you look at it. It was STRAIGHT UP. What?! I managed to make it but I did have to take frequent breaks. When you take these breaks, make sure to drink water and breathe deeply. Most of all, turn around. It blows your mind how high up and how beautiful the scenery behind you is. So I made it up to Stop Sign in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Only 5 people out of my group were able to make it up to the top. John, my guide (The older, spry, mountain goat gentleman), who is absolutely
great, love the guy, said to me once I was done that in 4 weeks, he wants to see me do the Stop Sign Hike at under an hour. I'll try my best John!!

I didn't manage to take any pictures during the hike, I was too busy trying to breathe and psyche myself up, but I did take some video of us riding in the van on our way down that I'll post this weekend.

So after this grueling hike, we still had other classes to go to!! Can you believe it?!? I got back to the room and changed for my pool class, which I was looking forward to after the hike. However, today the water was COLD! I was miserable and shaking during the entire class. I tried my best to keep up during class in an attempt to stay warm but to no avail.

I hopped into the hot tub after class (and let me tell you, running from the pool to grab the robe and my nametag/schedule was like an ice dip in the winter. The hot tub felt great but it really made me extra sleepy.

Lunch was a broccoli and potato soup, quite good (you can't go wrong with the soups here it seems) and a tomato & basil/veggie sandwich. It was good but I kept thinking... where's the meat? After lunch was the cooking demo but someone told me that since I was here for multiple weeks, I could always go next week if I was super tired, which I was. I went back to my room and took a much needed nap.

So I missed my first class today. I know I know!! I really feel horrible and oh so guilty. It was the second pool class of the day and after freezing my arse off in the first class, I really could not do it. I was exhausted and could barely stay awake during lunch and the thought of being really cold and having to change again and all the effects of just getting my period was just not workable. My body and mind were telling me that I needed a break. I'm not going to get my t-shirt anymore :(  which I'm really really upset about but I will say this. I felt a lot better after my nap. I mean lookit. My brain is functioning right now and I actually caught up on my blogs! After this, I think I may even clean up my room just a bit before bed. I really needed that 1 hour nap.

Ballworks. I think my arms are too short for it. lol. The ball is huge and the class is harder than you'd expect. We swing the ball around, do weights on it, do pushups, stuff like that. It was intense but because I have pretty crappy balance, I didn't enjoy it that much.

Treading just blew my mind. I think I dreaded this class the most out of every single class I had heard about. It's basically this: 5 minutes at the highest intensity and level you can possibly handle. 5 minutes cool down, 4 minutes at the highest intensity and level and then a 4 minute cool down, etc; all the way down to one minute. Just when you think you're done, she has a 'surprise.' An extra 1 minute and 25 seconds. Yeah yeah, I know it doesn't sound like much but trust me, it's INSANE. Our trainer Robin (Robyn?) was just amazing. She played some fabulous music to keep us going (I was particularly excited to hear Zombie Kernkraft 400 and Scooter's Fire, which I've never EVER heard played in this country) and she ran around the room checking on all of us to pump us up and push us even harder. I was on this neat machine that's like a seated elliptical, loved it, but I made sure to give it everything I got. I really truly felt AMAZING after class.. and I totally
did not expect that.

Wow, just when you think you've had the best meal here, Chef Cameron up and surprises you! Dinner tonight was so good. It was a chicken breast on top of a potato salad made of all different kinds of potatoes (I even saw a purple one in there!), 4 asparagus spears and some other greens. Filling and delicious and the chicken was very juicy! I normally don't like Chicken Breasts because they always come out so dry.. but it was just right. The dessert however... blech. lol. I had one bite and that was it. It was a berry crumble type dessert that was very tart. Some people were adding truvia to it and loving it but since I'm not really a mushy, warm, cooked fruit kind of girl, it didn't appeal to me.

After dinner we had a really great lecture given by Sharon (one of the trainers) and Jen. (a life coach here) It was very inspirational actually. The lecture was supposed to be regarding food intake and exercise but it lapsed into a discussion about personal discovery, boundaries and the importance of taking time for yourself. If you don't take care of yourself well, you can't take care of others properly. Very true.

Later on for a few short minutes, I moseyed on over to the lobby to take a look at the Jewelry Expo that they have every week here. A lovely lady who designs her own jewelry has a table set up with creations that she designed herself that are inspired by local culture, antiques and her own personal background. Very pretty stuff, she has a great eye. The prices ranged from $40 and up. I might get something before I leave but I'm trying to watch my pennies while I'm here because I want to partake in some of the services that they offer here before I leave. She had a gorgeous bracelet with a little gecko on it (there's lots of geckos running around on our hikes) that would be a great reminder of my trip here but I balked a bit at the price tag. I believe it was $95.00.

I feel great about today. When before there were lots of things that I wanted to try like dance classes, Zumba, water aerobics, etc; and was too afraid to try, I now know that I can do all of it if I want to. Maybe not well but at least that I'll be able to handle it. I know you guys will follow my adventure in trying all sorts of new things in the future as well. ;)

I accomplished things today that I didn't think that I'd be able to do. For months I read about the Stop Sign Hike and I didn't think that I'd be able to finish it on my first try.. AND I FR*EAKING DID! I read about that treading class and I was dreadin' treadin'... but afterwards, I felt fabulous, like I could do anything. I'm thinking back now to what I said in my earlier posts about keeping it real and saying that I doubted all those amazing things that other people had said in the past. I know I haven't hit my wall yet (and Sharon says everyone will eventually hit a wall and I believe it!) but I really am starting to believe what others have said. My parents have also said how proud they are of me and how surprised they are that I'm doing so well and haven't quit because they thought I'd be crying, whining and moaning.. so that felt great as well. :)

So today was an amazing day. Even though I feel guilty about skipping my second pool class, I'm glad I did. I'm coherent enough now to catch up on my blogging, I'm a bit less sore and I just feel refreshed. I'm sad about the t-shirt but when it comes down to it, would I really wear it? Maybe just around the house... and as my friend 'H' said, "You can buy your own d*amn t-shirt, they sell it in the gift shop." :)

Tips:

*If you are exhausted and need to take a break, you just have to do it. Your health is most important and the trainers are understanding. If it's the difference of missing one class and your sanity? Choose sanity. Really. T-shirts and jackets, etc; with the Biggest Loser logo and Fitness Ridge logo can be purchased in the gift shop. ;)

* The Stop Sign Hike is physical but mostly mental. You CAN do it if you take frequent breaks. Talk yourself into walking until the next bush before you take a break but just keep moving. Don't stop for too long otherwise your body will want to give up. Have some great music on your ipod with a fast beat and remember to hydrate. If you can't make it up your first time, you may make it up your second or third.

*If you feel yourself breathing extra heavy during your hikes, try this trick that John taught us: Breathe in deeply and exhale everything out of your lungs twice. The third time, only exhale out halfway. This way you expell all of the carbon dioxide out of your lungs and get some oxygen in. You'll need it. Trust me!

* Update with video!

Stop Sign Hike: We Did It!