“The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom...for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough.”
- William Blake
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Day 1 -
7 brave new recruits arrived at Sheldon Park in Killingworth bright and early on Tuesday, June 26th...at 0630 hours to be exact (military time) to begin their training towards happier, stronger and healthier lives. Some were nervous...some anxious...others were just plain afraid. All met the challenges presented to them that first morning. They learned that day that fitness can be fun! They learned to cheer each other on. The camaraderie of the group seemed to make working out a bit easier. These women ran laps around the field, did burpees, chopped medicine balls, stepped over fencing and learned to push themselves further than they thought they could go. They should be proud of themselves. I am proud of them!
Day 2 -
On Thursday, June 28th - 8 recruits reported for FocusFit Boot Camp. Today was a day to work out with a partner. This day brought the women to the playground area of the park. A place where they could go back to their childhoods - rolling a ball across the ground, doing jumping jacks, hanging from the swing set and stepping up on the picnic table. I know it sounds easy...but, you may hear differently from the women who met the challenge. We wrapped up with a single-file run around the large soccer field, cheering on our teammates. No recruit was left behind on the field. We start as a team...we finish as a team. Great job ladies!
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| Week I - New Recruits |
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“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a different way to stand.”
-Oprah Winfrey
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Extra Day -
July 3rd was a pick up class not in the regularly scheduled session. Most of the gals were away on vacation but Eileen and Robin C. set their alarm clocks and headed out to Sheldon. The gates were locked...but that did not stop these determined women from the task at hand...a workout awaited them on the other side of the fence! I gave an overview of the circuit for the day and then we began warm ups. I had a chance today to join the women in some sweat and fun! After each circuit we ran down to the flag pole out at the far end of the field and back, in honor of our country's independence day tomorrow! What a great way to start the day! Have an awesome holiday!
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"The only true freedom each of has in life is the freedom to choose. The most important choice is who we will become."
- John C. Maxwell -
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Day 3 -
Tuesday, July 10th - back from a week off for most of our group. The recruits showed up moving slow...not quite awake yet...but, ready for the challenge of a new workout. We began with some stretching and a dynamic warm up that covered the entire field at Sheldon. A couple of sprints rounded out the warm up as we headed over to the circuit. There were 11 exercise stations in the circuit - 3 cardio! I decided to move the work time up to 40 seconds. Today they worked the circuit alone at their stations. There was little conversation...lots of sweat...lots of breathing...even some red faces shown as they rotated around from station to station. Every now and then you could here a person razzing another to "get moving"..."pump up the weight". The small group dynamic was evident. Only the myself and the birds were there to witness the moment.
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"In every pain there is tremendous opportunity for overwhelming gain! Use it to your advantage!"
- Brian Jett -
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Day 4 -
What a beautiful morning! No humidity...light breeze...partly sunny. We could not have asked for a better combination! 7 of our regular gals showed up ready to workout, as well as two visitors, Joey and Nancy, from the Fitness Connection. Nine women ready for the fitness challenge of the day. After stretching, we proceeded over to the big field for some running, duck walks and full bodyweight exercises. Our main goal - to get those hearts pumping blood and preparing those muscles for the workout ahead. I reminded the ladies that this was "just the warm up"! Off to the circuit area where we partnered up. Due to the odd number of gals today, one brave woman was willing to tackle the challenge alone...thanks Trish! There was laughter...sweat...and camaraderie on that field today. It was a joy to be out there with these women learning that fitness can be fun! Have a great weekend!
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| Week II |
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On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain; either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
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Day 5 -
8 women gathered today on the field of green under the old oak tree at Sheldon Park. They were ready to meet the challenge. As usual on Tuesdays...most looked still a bit tired upon arrival. It was my job to get those muscles moving and those hearts beating! We started with warm ups and then it was off to the partner relay. One member of each partner set sprinted to the cone, picked an exercise index card from the box and sprinted back to their partner. Together they would perform the exercises on the card. Back and forth they would take turns retrieving cards until all of the cards were gone. This was the dynamic warm up for the day! All of the recruits looked a bit more awake as we proceeded to the circuit area. The circuit today was an AB BUSTER. Most exercises focused on the core area of the body - both rectus abdominas and erector spinea (tummy and back!). We moved in partner teams around the circuit. Each station had two exercises - for a total of 12 different exercises. Today we were joined by two local trainers: Peggy V. and Joey M. Trainers need to train too! I hope they got the challenge they needed today. A job well done by ALL of the participants today! Keep up the great work!
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"If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results."
-Jack Dixon
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Day 6 -
Today was the last day of the first session of FocusFit Boot Camp for Women. Our code name for today's workout was "Fog Fitness". The dense fog sat over us today on the field...but that did not stop the determination of these women to meet the challenges of the morning. After stretching and a dynamic warm up of relay exercises, the gals headed over to the circuit area. Today there were 10 exercise stations set up - each station allowed for a partner workout. Due to our odd number today, Gail volunteered to meet the challenge alone. Great job Gail! With a few minutes to spare at the end, we worked some more abs and then moved on to our cool down. Everyone was hot, sweaty and dirty by the end of the hour - I mean really dirty! We managed to finish the workout without losing anyone out there. Thanks again for helping to pick up the equipment...your assistance is much appreciated! Great job today ladies! Enjoy your weekend. Hope to see you back again next week!
- "Get focused. Get fit."
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| Week III |
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