Really? It's FEBRUARY?

I'm shocked to find that the last blog post was on December 31st. I've been thinking about writing every single day in January and each night has either been crazy packed or I'm super tired and can't get to it. Even tonight I'm fried but I have to write because I just took another big step in my Les Mills journey.

Yep. After days and days of thinking, debating, asking questions, second guessing......I've signed up for AIM2. This is the Advanced Instructor Module 2, the second level to the AIM1 that I took in November. This one is being held just outside of Seattle, and I've never been, but I know better than to think I'll have time to sightsee. I'll fly in Friday night, have the workshop Saturday and Sunday and fly back Sunday night. I may stay till Monday but it's the last week of school before spring break and I shouldn't take any days off. Especially because I'm thinking of taking another certification at a fitness conference in Burlingame that Thursday......maybe. That's another big decision to make.

I'm excited about AIM2. I'll know NO ONE. Which in the near past would hold me back from doing this. But I'm part of a big tribe of instructors and I'm confident I'll make friends that weekend. I have the generous offer to stay with an instructor who lives 15 minutes from the gym. I met Ingrid in Texas last year and we've become friends since then. She is an amazing instructor, of high caliber, who is working her way to trainer status and I'm just excited to see her again. She's not part of the workshop as she's already gone through it but to have a friendly face will be nice. I'll work hard that weekend, presenting four times to world class trainers that I've only seen at quarterly events from afar. It will not be easy, but I'm not afraid of hard work and according to Alex, this training is simply amazing. I can't wait.

I am having a bit of a freak out moment because when I printed the ticket, I noticed that I'll be presenting on the next release, BP81, which I won't receive until the end of February. It just means I'll have to start practicing early to be fully ready as I won't know what tracks I'll have to present. The good thing is I didn't hyperventilate once I pressed the purchase button. So it must be the right decision :)

I've got a busy, expensive couple of months coming up. I just registered for a CPR/AED class on February 13. I need that to complete my AFAA certification (I received news that I passed the test, missed only 7 out of 100! But without my current CPR/AED card I'm not official, which I need to be in order to earn my CEC units for these workshops I'll be attending. I still have to register all four of my family members for the Modesto half marathon/5K on March 18. I just registered for AIM2, but need to book flights. The SCW Mania fitness convention is at the end of March and I'm already signed up for the Les Mills Quarterly on April 1st but I'm kicking around the idea of another certification, one I can take there in one day. I'm going to hold off for a week or so and see how the dust settles from all this first :)

Classes have been going amazingly well. My Sunday class has been like a Tuesday class for the last three weeks, with all the bars gone and a packed room. I am consistently getting new members and last night was a pretty amazing night. Two co-workers from school came, our office manager whose daughter is in my class, and the secretary in our Family Center. Both have been saying they'll come but they actually did, with one sister who has taken my class once before. Today they were walking funny because they were so sore but they were excited about the class and are committed to coming back. I love it when I hear that new participants enjoyed BodyPump and will return. I was able to talk to two new ladies I didn't recognize, and they said they had tried the class once and were excited to come back. Another girl said she normally goes to San Mateo but tried my class once and said she liked it so much she wanted to come back again. And Jessica came, it's been a few weeks and I've missed her seeing her so it was great to have her back!

I had planned to stay for yoga afterward with Amanda and my son decided he wanted to come. As a soccer player and athlete, he is the most inflexible person I've ever seen! He has done yoga with me before so I was happy he wanted to join us. Well, he and Frankln came to the gym and watched from outside the room from biceps till the end, smiling through the windows like a couple of stalkers :). Of course my son made fun of me later. What was great is Franklin has not seen me teach since my very first class over a year ago and I was curious to hear what he thought. He came in after class was over, gave me a big hug and a kiss and told me how proud he was of me. It wasn't until we got home after yoga that he took me in his arms and hugged me tight, and when he pulled away he had tears in his eyes, which puzzled me. He told me he had no idea how good I was and he was so incredibly proud of me for how far I've come. He is now 100% on board for me to do additional certifications, more trainings, etc. - not that he wasn't supportive before, he really was, but for some reason, actually seeing me in action made him respect what I'm doing even more. Seeing how passionate I am about this new journey, instructing in front of a large group of people, seeing me interact with them after class. He's always asking me how class went but to see it in person is different. I'm super excited he was able to come see me teach.

Sigh. I'll need a bunch of subs to get through the month of March, like 3 Sunday's in March/April in a row :-/ not ideal but necessary. I'd better put them on the swap board and keep my fingers crossed!

Off to bed. It's been a long week and I have fitness on the brain instead of education......time to focus....