Summer Reflections

I went back to work today. Officially. Sat in a staff training the entire day, and while it wasn't horrible, it wasn't fun sitting all day. One more Looooong meeting tomorrow, then I get Friday to work in my classroom. One day to set it up and be ready for Monday. Paid, at least. I can put in as much time as I want on the weekend.....but I don't. I have 3, maybe 4 classes to teach at the gym (if I sub for Deb) and I don't want to be in the classroom in between. Thankfully Janet is coming Friday and one of my former parent volunteers, whose daughter is playing soccer with Cassie, offered to come help too so I will have 2 amazing people helping me unpack. I just may finish on Friday :)

Yesterday was a nice ending to the summer. We spent the early part of the day taking Cassie, Alexander, Amanda and her family out to Año Nuevo to see the elephant seals. It was a 2 mile hike to the beach each way, total of 4 miles. I didn't remember it being so far when we took Alex as a cub scout, but I was game. The girls were troopers and it was a beautiful crisp day. After the seals, we stopped at a beach up highway 1 and played for a bit. We had to rush back to Redwood City because Alex had to work at school; as BOSA Secretary he is already putting in a lot of hours working student registrations, planning for assemblies they are running, etc.  I needed to go home and ice and get ready to teach my first Triple Tuesday at San Mateo Super Sport!

I was seriously nervous about my new schedule of classes. I have never taught 3 classes back to back and even though two of them were 30 minutes, I was still teaching 2 hours straight. I was looking forward to it; to teach all three of my formats in one fell swoop? HEAVEN!!

I arrived early to see if I could use my wireless mic in their stereo.....nope. It needs to have the same setup with a splitter that I have in San Carlos, so I will have to see about how I can get that accomplished. I am so accustomed to using my own mic that I really don't like using the club's mic anymore. I was very worried about how many people would actually come to a 4:30 BodyPump class, followed by a 5:00 CXWORX class. I figured 5:30 was a decent hour to come for BodyFlow. I am used to my participants being more of the working set and 6:30 being a challenge to arrive to on time, but I was pleasantly surprised to have 20 for BP! Lots of male members, relatively speaking, and I was able to have them all grab their resistance tubes for CX to save set up time. I explained they would have to put away all BP equipment quickly so we could stay on schedule and not cut any of the 5 tracks I was teaching. Two of my regulars from San Carlos came, as they live in Half Moon Bay and come all the way to SC just for my class. This is closer and they got to try CX.

BP went well, they seemed to enjoy the class and then a few more came in for CX while we were putting away the equipment. About 25 for CX. This was a tough class, as only 2 had come to our launch on Saturday (more later on that). At the end of CX, though, there were smiles through the sweat. Lots of comments from people about how hard it was but how they loved it! Some people left and more came in for flow, and I had close to 30 for that class! There was no time to even go to change or go to the bathroom, because I needed to keep things moving and on schedule. Many people didn't know to bring a yoga mat so I took a few minutes in the beginning introducing the format, explaining about the mat, etc.

Now I had fun teaching BP and CX. But BodyFlow? I am in HEAVEN. I truly love this format. Several men stayed for this class, and a couple had stayed from the beginning of pump. To teach this after two other classes; I knew it would be challenging physically, but it wasn't as hard as I thought. I think doing the 4 mile hike first was what made my legs feel like jello! At the end of class, before relaxation, half the class got up and left and when the Zumba people came in as I was packing up, both instructors thanked me for flow (they were in the back) and told me not to take offense at how many people left early - they had to get their Zumba shoes on! Which was fine, they left at the best possible time.

The best part of flow? During track 4, the balance track, people started giggling. Now I strive to teach in the essence of all my programs - this is the most calm, most serene, most focused of tracks because we are balancing on one leg through the entire track. Most people struggled with this and as they started to topple over, they started giggling, and as one giggled, more fell over and joined in. This, of course, made me smile, and it lightened the mood and actually bonded us as a class - to have them feel like yes, it is a serious track, but everyone moves at their own skill level and pace, and it was OK for them to not be able to balance. It's hard to explain, but it just made it more fun. It was natural and I explained later that we are all learning together, we are all going to get stronger together and it will be wonderful to see them progress as time goes on. Many came up to me after and told me they loved the class. So do I.

I was pretty beat when I arrived home; it was a lot of physical activity in a day for me but I was excited and hopeful for my new classes in San Mateo. I look forward to meeting new people, teaching my new formats, and still being able to see my regulars in San Carlos.

Last Saturday, we launched all these programs in a big event in the basketball court. I got to team teach BodyPump with Kimi and Tina, and we chose our favorite tracks. It was amazingly fun to teach with these two women! We had about 70, and a TON of my regulars from San Carlos! It was so great to have them. I also had several friends who don't belong to the gym come, from school, and soccer. Then I taught BodyFlow with Kimi and Jocelyn, and it went great. Kimi then taught Combat with Tina and she had brought out my FAVORITE from BC43 - The Black Pearl. I did the track right before that, and then went up to the front of the room as a participant model for the moves. It was so much fun but with my heel and my knee, it was definitely felt at the end of the day :-/

Kimi and Jocelyn and I taught CXWORX after that, and then had a break. Karin and I taught another CX, and then I was D.O.N.E. Home to shower and off to a soccer game. It was a great fitness day.

As I finished my three classes last night, I realized something: I began my summer vacation with the Sunnyvale launch, an amazing day of fitness. Teaching BodyPump with Steven Renata. I finished my summer with another amazing few days. The launch at my new club, and the first round of classes, introducing these formats to new members.  How lucky am I?

I also realized something else. For the very first time, probably EVER, I don't regret how fast the summer went by. Yes, I was not ready to go back to work today. I am STILL not ready to start the school year. No, I didn't get everything done that I wanted to do. But I have no regrets. Seriously.

I spent the summer focused on some very important things to me. Spent time with my kids, my husband. Trained for and passed a new program, my new passion, BodyFlow. Participated in two amazing club launches, and pushed myself physically and mentally. Asked for and was given an almost perfect Group X schedule - 4 BP, 2 BF and a CX. I cleaned some, organized some, had a yard sale for my mom. Donated a ton, and let other things go. I enter this school year rested, both in body and mind, and am determined not to let myself get caught up in things that I can't control. We will see how that goes. I know full well it is going to be challenging, handling school responsibilities, learning and teaching 3 formats (just received the next round in the mail so by the end of September, I will need to know them all) and teaching 7 classes a week.

My son is officially a senior. I have 9 months to prepare mentally for this. I cried this morning. I am so flipping proud of him. Cassie begins 2nd grade on Monday. Sigh. Time goes too fast.

Take a deep breath. The ride has begun.

Bittersweet.......

Summer is almost over, I go back to work for a day on Thursday, and then for real next Wednesday. This summer, for the first time ever, I was able to turn in my keys and not think about school the entire time. Seriously. I have been so busy with BodyFlow training, practicing, family, cleaning, sleeping in, watching the Olympics....just anything but worrying about school and it has been....heaven. Everyone I see this week keeps asking me when I go back to school and I just plug my ears. I am not thinking about it until after this weekend, this big weekend, when I get to work the 24 Hour Fitness' San Mateo Super Sport Premier Launch! I am teaching 4 classes.....Team teaching BodyPump at 7:45 am, then BodyFlow, and 2 CXWORX classes. I am beyond excited to begin this part of my journey...the one that has me actively teaching 3 formats.

Tomorrow, however, is going to be so bittersweet. It is my last Tuesday class in San Carlos. Every class is special in its own way to me; I've written about it before. This class, though, is my largest, with regularly now 50+ people each class. Twice I've filled the room to capacity at 60. The energy is amazing and I dread announcing tomorrow that it is my last class with them. I was unable to give them any notice because we needed corporate to approval the new schedule, so after launch, I am in San Mateo on Tuesdays. I will be teaching all three formats: a 30 minute BodyPump, 30 minute CX, and then an hour of BodyFlow. My ideal line up. 2 hours. Beginning earlier, at 4:30, so there is concern on my part about how many people will make it that early. The room is half the size of San Carlos, maybe 30 can fit.  I cannot wait.....but I know I will be so sad to leave my Tuesday group. I will still be there on Thursdays, so it's not like I am leaving for good, but each class has its own energy, its own group of members. It will be different. I will miss them.

I wanted to change up my playlist for them as a farewell; now, at midnight, it came to me. I am going to leave them as I came to them - with my training release, 76. Reviewing it now, I barely have to go over the choreography. It is permanently ingrained in my head, I taught it so many times, filmed it so many times. It brings back so many memories for me; the journey as I began it, to become a BP instructor, is wrapped up in this release. To leave my beloved crew with this, just really feels RIGHT. And so it is.

My Sunday schedule is changing as well. I will be remaining in San Carlos, but in order to keep my class, it had to move 2 hours earlier, to 9:00 am. I also have to announce this. This is so I can have a second BodyFlow class, but in San Mateo, at 11:00am. I hope that my participants will be pleased that I am staying, even though the class will be early. I am also sad about this; my Sunday class was the one that was relaxed, not sandwiched between classes, a time when I was always able to work with people who had technique questions, or just to chat freely without rushing out of the room. The upside? I get to teach BodyFlow, twice a week, and that just makes it all better. Two different clubs, but I have an hour to get there and I couldn't be more excited.

Although I wish I were teaching one more CX, I am happy with my new classes, and the next leg of my journey. Launch should be a blast; teaching BP, BF and CX with Kimi, Jocelyn and Karin, again in the basketball court, up on stage. I hope to get more people to sign up and fill the room.

My line up is now: 2 full BodyPumps, 1 30 minute BP, CX, and 2 BodyFlows each week.

YIPEE!!!!!