Hump Day

Can you believe I had another great day at the FRidge? It's true! I had had some weird dreams just before waking up about falling off of Stair Mistriss (from yesterday), and so I was a little nervous about the hike. Today was our second time to do the Stop Sign hike. It's almost better to not know anything about the hike before we begin, because I really was not looking forward to Stop Sign again so soon after I had just done it. And then hopping out of the van and starting up the long path. . .  Well, I just put one foot in front of the other and away we went. 

Trista (left) and I have become good hiking buddies. 

Today I focused on truckin' up that hill and giving it my best effort. I only stopped twice to catch my breath a little, unlike Friday when I stopped pretty often. I'm happy to report that today I reached that stop sign (remember? 4.3 miles up and an 800 ft elevation change) in 1:32 today. (That's nearly 15 minutes off of Friday's time of 1:45! In less than a week!!) I am very happy with that number.

Trista, Tina and I walked most of the way together. When we turned onto the road for that final ascent, we split up a little. We said we would wait for each other at the top so that we could all get our picture together. It was great to share this little victory with them. The other woman is Dora, and she walked with us for quite a way, too. She reached the stop sign first, and then she went further down the road to the overlook before coming back down.

Trista, Me, Tina and Dora. At THE Stop Sign

Another great thing about today's hike is that on the way back down I made it 3/4 of the way back to the beginning before time ran out. So, around 7 miles total (give or take)? Another small victory!

When we got back for breakfast I was feeling very worn out and hungry.

This was like thick oatmeal. Pretty tasty. I would've been happy with more craisins! :)

Isn't that sweet?! I wasn't sure about this beet soup, but it was pretty good!

I added some tomatoes to this, and it was great!

This was yummy! It had very tender, deliciously seasoned chicken strips hidden under the lettuce. Very yummy!

I was so looking forward to the Mango Sorbet. And they put Banana Sorbet in front of me. 

I did eat it, and it was tasty. . . but my tastebuds were all set for Mango. 

After breakfast this morning I had an Open Gym on my schedule. What that means (if I haven't already explained it) is that we have free choice workout/activity. Today I decided I wanted to try the Street Striders they are always advertising on The Biggest Loser (remember? The love-child of an elliptical and a bicycle).

This is as I'm heading back from my trip around the parking lot.

Let me tell you, this thing got my heart rate going very quickly. Since I am not fond of the elliptical (and I don't have a good rhythm when using it) using this Strider was quite awkward. You have to use arms and legs, like on an elliptical machine, and then lean to one side or the other in order to steer the thing. One time around the parking lot was all I could handle. At least I experimented a bit with it, and it was fun! (Just not for a long workout. I'd rather be on a bike!) For the remainder of my Open Gym I walked on the treadmill.

After Open Gym I had Stretch, which is always welcome after the Hike (next to a pool class, that is).

I was still feeling a little wiped after lunch, so for my second Open Gym I hemmed and hawed about what to do. One of the instructors was offering a Spin Class, but I just couldn't handle another strong leg workout when I knew I had Mountain and Kickboxing later. So, I opted to do some Yoga by myself in the Aerobics room (no other classes were in there at that time). It was just what I needed! I was ready for Mountain when the time came, as well as the rest of my classes. And before I knew it, Wednesday was done! Well, the exercise portion, anyway.

Tonight I treated myself to another Hot Stone Massage, and it was even better than the last time! The stones were a little bit hotter, but they cooled off quickly. She also put little hot stones in between my toes! It was actually quite relaxing. I could totally get used to having a massage once (or twice!) a week.

I'm on the downhill side of my stay. I miss my family and friends, and I am looking forward to going home. But it is bittersweet, because I am feeling so much stronger than when I first arrived, and I want to keep up the momentum when I get home. The food is so delicious and healthy, I worry if I can keep it up at home, as well. After all, I'm not just feeding myself, but Aidan and Patsy have to eat it, too!

I came here expecting some major weight loss, and I know that I've lost some weight. It is nothing like the results from The Biggest Loser, though. So, for my test-out they will weigh me and take my measurements again. I will post the results when I get them. (I am curious to see what I am starting to feel!)

Thanks again for all of you support!

Goodnight

Another Sweaty Tuesday

What a difference a week makes! Last Tuesday I was dragging and wondering, "What in the Hell have I gotten myself into?!" And this week, I am noticing that I am walking a little faster between classes (i.e. I am not so stiff and sore that I "waddle" between classes); I have more energy during the classes, and I can push it a little further; when I'm on the hike I am taking fewer rest stops (and keeping close to the middle-front of the group); and that I am sweating a whole lot more! We're talking dripping down my face and hitting the ground kind of sweat! I don't think I've ever sweat like that before. (I just view it as the fat melting off my body!)

Today for Open Gym I finally bit the bullet and rode a bike over to the park for a little tennis with Tina. It was "only" 103 today, so I figured it was a good day to do it. Not to mention the fact that I had a pool class right after Open Gym, so it was perfect! We had a great time. Makes me want to play more tennis!

I took a ton of pictures on the hike today. Today's hike was White Rocks, which is a 6 mile hike up and over several rock formations (only the last little bit are actually white rocks), sand in the beginning and at the end, and overall there is about an 800 ft change in elevation. It is incredibly scenic. Here are just a few of the pics:

Starting out through the sand at the trailhead.

Just in case you didn't believe me!

A little bit of relief from the sand. 

A welcome respite in front of the cave. 

Had to get the moon in at least one shot today.

Of course we are going up there!

Close-up of the terrain. Nearly there!

Some people who were behind us. See them way down there? Yeah, I walked up that rock!

Next we are walking right into the sun! 

This is called Piano Rock. Amazing views from up here.

Our first summit of the day.

Heading over to that "sliver" of red rock in the upper right corner.

We have arrived, and we are going up!

Here are Trista and me at the top. Second summit of the day! You can see our next destination, 

the white rocks just to the left (my right) in the picture.

The white rocks just beyond that sea of green. Don't be fooled! It isn't as soft and friendly as it looks.

What goes up, must come down!

One small leap. . . Good thing I'm not afraid of heights!

A lava tube along the way (there were several).

This sand is very soft, and very difficult to walk in (especially 2 miles of it, going uphill!)

Made it over the White Rocks hump—the last summit! (I guess I was too excited to be so close to the end, 

I forgot to take a pic of the bottom angle.)

More sand!!! At least there were lots of cute little lizard tracks to look at.

A welcome sign. Cool cloths await in the van!

After that hike, I was very hungry! Ready for another day of delicious food.

We get a fruit plate every day at breakfast, which usually consists of a mixture of watermelon, cantaloupe,  and honeydew. Sometimes we get sliced strawberries or grapes. Today we were treated to blackberries, raspberries and sliced banana. A nice change. (And, yes, I actually ate the banana!)

Can you say, "Yum"?! It was served warm, and it was very good! 

Another delicious soup!

I almost didn't get this today (not a tuna fan). But, I'm in a "Go For It" state of mind, so I did get it. Not too bad. I just ate slowly. And I saved those potatoes for last. Yummo!

A very yummy veggie/ground turkey lasagna (and partially cooked carrots)

Just about everyone's favorite dessert. Look at the size of the one on the right! 

Keep those comments rolling as I push through my last few days here! Thank you so much for all of your support. I love reading the comments, and I will definitely be calling those who want to go on hikes when I return. The hikes are my favorite part of the day: I like getting up early and getting in a good hike.

Goodnight!

Monday, Monday

This is how my day starts every day here at the FRidge. It is just barely light out as I make my way across the pool deck to fill up my Camelbak with ice and water for the day's hike. The moon was just lovely this morning. It was sort of the theme for my hike today.

The moon at dawn today.

Today's hike was called Anasazi Ridge. It is located behind the FRidge, and if you've ever Googled a satellite map of Ivins, Utah, where the FRidge is located, you will see some incredible land formations. We hiked along, what I'm presuming, is the eastern rim of this ridge. Another splendid hike.

The moon followed me to the trailhead!

Here is the group starting out together.

This picture is a little fuzzy (it's hard to shoot pictures while hiking). You can see 

a little bit of the drop-offs we will be hiking alongside. 

Moon and cliff.  Stunning.

An even better shot of the moon.

Many petroglyphs can be found along this hike. Archaeologists have dated these at about 1000 years old!

Beautiful example of a petroglyph, nearly ruined by graffiti. :(

Lots of these spirals can be found along these rocks. One of our guides said that they signify "journey." 

Funny, I've always had a thing for spirals.

Spectacular valley.

We're going down there next?!

Just kidding. We're heading back.

We took more of a direct route coming back down. (See the tiny person at the top?)

Why did the tortoise cross the road? Our guide said that this is a very rare sight! Don't I feel lucky?! :)

A great hike today, and not too technical, so I had nothing to worry about! I was put into the same intermediate group for this week, and I can't wait to see where we go. (I know that Stop Sign is on Wednesday, so we'll see how my time improves!)

On to the food:

If you think this thing looks massive, you'd be right. That fresh avocado on top was the best!

I was a little skeptical of this carrot soup, but it was fabulous!

This did not disappoint. 

Yes, that is a salmon burger, and I ate it all! It was huge. (And tasty!)

They said the flower is edible. I took one bite. It didn't add any flavor, so I didn't eat it all.

Since I am now a "stay-over guest" I did not have to attend the lectures after lunch and dinner tonight. The expectation, though, is that after lunch, stay-over guests attend one extra exercise class each day. My roommate, Tina, and I had talked about riding bikes to the park and playing tennis. It was so hot today! (108) So, we opted for the pick-up dance class, instead. THAT was fun! You know how I love to dance. I would do that every day, if I could.

My goal for today was to enjoy Step & Pump. And I really did! I did not quit, I did everything with enthusiasm, and I just sort of zoned out when I had to hold certain poses with my arms above my head holding weights. Ugh!

The two pool classes today were fantastic. In general, I'm feeling like I have more energy and I don't feel as sore! I mean, it is still daylight here and I'm done updating for today. Hip hip hooray!

I also did some work with Jen, the Life Coach here at the FRidge, on some emotional issues. The focus here at the FRidge is for people to get healthy—physically and mentally. Everyone on staff seems to be the best of the best, from the cleaning crew to the fitness instructors to the wait staff to the spa service personnel to the nutritionists, etc. So, I am taking advantage of all the resources I can tap while I am here, so that when I get home, I will have a good, solid plan of action to keep pushing myself and progressing. I can't wait to see what my stats are at the end of this week. I feel so good, right now!

Onward and upward :)
Goodnight