Last summer, I did bootcamp. Five mornings a week for two months. Wait. Saying "mornings" puts it too mildly. I was up at 5am to be in Mission for 6 am. Rain or shine. After an hour of beating our chunky, lethargic, bodies into submission, I typically went for a 2 - 6 km walk. By September, I started running-- shocking, I know. Running was never optional for me. Run to the bus. Run away from the scary man with the knife. Run in my nylons. But for the first time in my life, I ENJOYED it. I had the pumping tunes on my ipod, new running shoes, bladder backpack... I was rolling. Running. Pounding that pavement. I lost about 15 inches during that season, and I felt and looked great! We all know the rest of the story.... Now, I DID lose about 10 lbs in the hospital, but I won't endorse that diet. Regardless, I had to find a new outlet for activity.My physiotherapist was all about how biking would be great for me, and to that, I snort. How boring. I don't care much for biking. Besides, I need to expand my social horizon. The Orchid Society of Fort Langley sounded interesting, but I needed to sweat. My once svelte body was suffering from the lack of athletic beatings. I needed to challenge myself-- and quick! So my dear friend, Krista (who gets the credit for the photo above) suggested that I join dragon boating. Kudos to Krista! I am once again challenged but now in a non-impact, not-as-early, kind of way.
Twice a week, I congregate with my fellow teamates and we move some murky Fraser River water. We usually wear a lot of it by the time we head to the pub for burgers and brew after practice. On our last stretch, we collectively salivate and chant: ICE! COLD! BEER! Then we change out of our soggy clothes and drag our smelly waterlogged arses to the where the beers and meat pattys are.
Endurance has been the biggest challenge for me and when we do this brutal anaerobic excersise set, I have typically pulled my paddle out a few times near the end out of shear exhaustion. 20 reps at 100% strength, 20 at 75%, 20 at 50%, rinse, and repeat eight times. SO... last practice I did two of these endurance sets (one on each side of the boat) without pulling my paddle out even once. My coach congratulated me on my achievement-- I threw up over the side of the boat.
5 comments:
Hey Karen,
I congratulate your efforts and am proud of you for getting wet and puking over the side....that, my dear D-I-L, is the stuff that makes for a svelte, bodacious woman. I applaud you from my wing chair...which makes for my "hugely" curvaceous bod, one that identifies with the "Dragon" in Dragon boating :)
HA! Karen, you rock. This totally made me crack up!
Good Job!
I would have to say, darling..that you are one up on me! I have yet to have my first dragon boat puke! Hope you were sitting at the back of the boat..woulda sucked to be sittin' in the engine house and have to watch your puke float by! lol
I was sitting 2nd seat... so no. Everyone got a glimpse. Enh, I have to admit, I didn't throw up copious amounts... it was a small little pukelet.
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