When you were a kid did the vision of yourself as an adult change as often as mine? I would make up these wild fantastical visions of my self as a ballerina, an actress, an astronaut, a teacher, and even a checkout lady at a grocery store. It's safe to say that I had a pretty vivid imagination, but we all do as humans. I still do that. I close my eyes and I picture who I could be and what I want to be. My sister calls it me putting on different hats. Each hat represents me trying on different identities (i.e. poet, rocker, athlete, prep, girly girl). That being said, as I type this blog one handed with my left hand, I am no athlete.
I am proud of myself because now I can do his exercise regimen and find enough breath to be encouraging to the other women as we go through the depths of hell together. All of this confidence started getting me pumped to try my first outdoor activity, disc golf. My first thought: Frisbee with an end game. My current thought: golf with a handicap. A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's potential ability. In my case no ability requires a sway in my favor. I bought a couple of disks to get myself through the game. I had no idea that 18 holes was an obscene amount of distance and would take so much time. My husband (who is enjoying this new adventure with me) and I only made it to hole 9 before we looked at each other and decided that was enough.
Here's how it all went down. We pulled up to play and immediately both became pumped. My husband and I are both very competitive. When we do something together that is head to head, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE! It's cut throat to say the least. Tensions were high as we began this new game. We stepped up to the cement marker at the beginning of hole 1. We stretched like we were professionals and even brought a carrying bag for our 3 whole frisbees. We didn't want to look like newbies. I have my husband go first so I can stakeout the competition. With no experience he just chucks it as hard as he can and of course throws it 50 feet. I step up to the plate thinking, "How hard can this be?" and whip around as hard as I can to match his distance. The disk skyrockets into the air and then plummets straight down. My natural reaction is of course the disk is broken. I pull out another disc. I wind up for the pitch and release. the wind takes the disc straight up and then slams it back down again. This was my entire driving game and no matter how I changed my position or angle of release this was pretty much how every throw turned out. So for every one of my husband's throws it took me two throws just to catch up. How embarrassing.
I tried EVERYTHING to throw like him. I even tried taking a skipping start to see if that would help and that just made my disk even more wonky from the leave. I won't say my whole game was trash. There was one redeeming shot at the very end that was beautiful. It went about 45 feet and I felt so good I jumped into my husband's arms and kissed him. I threw a parade like I had ended the problem of world hunger. So sad. It was pretty funny. This was yet another experience where I went in excited and left feeling defeated but only for the moment. If you've learned anything from this entry I'll be back, hungry to prove I can do anything with lots of diligence, determination and practice.
The Not So Good Parts:
1.) My right arm that I threw with feels like it's going to detach.
2.) Discs are expensive and I have no idea what kind will work for me.
3.) Working out in front of other people makes me feel like a potato.
4.)This goes without words...I lost at disc golf and will probably never beat my husband.
I had no idea how much exercise was involved in disc golf. Be prepared, it's a little hard on your dominant arm. There were some people that stopped to share a good laugh at my horrific lack of skill. While that was a little disheartening I found pleasure in being able to laugh at my self. Oh, PS, trees eat discs and don't throw over water either without practice. When I refer to myself as a potato I mean oddly dis-proportioned and awkward.
The Wonderful Take Aways:
1.) Exercise releases endorphins that make you happy.
2.) I feel so good when I know I am making healthy choices.
3.) The whole disc gold experience was pretty entertaining.
4.) The classes are free with my gym membership and force me to be held accountable.
Going to the gym every morning at 5:15 am is rough. But, it is so very rewarding. It is absolutely worth the sacrifice in sleep to be there. I also wasn't too proud of my figure before I went, but now that I go, I'm definitely starting to see some changes in my body for the better. Being confident in yourself is key to letting go of old habits, memories, or childish mindsets. I'm not saying not to love yourself because that is more important. By all means love who you are NOW. If you're not happy with something though, change it. You have the power to change anything happening in your life. I completely recommend getting a gym membership and taking classes. This will help you to connect with other adult women and will help you to start or end your day with good vibes. Disc golf is also a must try. You have to be okay with the fact that you are going to suck at first. The game is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it and thrive in your short comings. Today marks one month down! 11 more to go! Have a great weekend friends! Drop me a comment below of your first disc gold or gym experience.
My latest adult venture is diving into athleticism. I have been going to the gym every morning since the start of this week. I bought the right outfit, had the perfect water bottle, and even woke up ready to get in shape. Knowing myself well enough, I decided to take the classes provided at the gym. I don't have the gumption, experience, or know-how to workout until my body is close to its limit. Basically, I go too easy on myself. There were some good options for classes, Pilates, kickboxing, yoga, power hour...out of ALLLL of these choices what does my inexperienced, flabby, out of breath when I get up the stairs self choose? BOOTCAMP. Why??? It could have something to do with my availability and their choices during that time slot but I'll just sum it up by saying I am the type of person to be all in or not in at all.
My first day I walked in with enthusiasm and left limping, sore, and crushed. "How bad could it have been?!" you ask. Bad enough that the instructor stopped to check on me and make sure I wasn't going to pass out. Out of all the other women taking this class I am the only one who has to use the modifications (easy way out) and take breaks when we're not supposed to. But this wasn't enough to stop me, no! When things get tough I get tougher and more determined. I came in the next day and the next until it became routine and I didn't have to take one break during the unscheduled time any more. WOOHOO!! I'm not going to lie and say that I don't use any modifications because, let's face it, Arnold was't made in one week either. Not that I'm going for body builder as my next identity but I would like to see what athlete Gwen looks like. Plus, most activities on my list to try require stamina and strength (snowboarding, surfing, rock climbing). I figured if I wanted to do any strenuous activity then the gym is the best place to start.
Here's how it all went down. We pulled up to play and immediately both became pumped. My husband and I are both very competitive. When we do something together that is head to head, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE! It's cut throat to say the least. Tensions were high as we began this new game. We stepped up to the cement marker at the beginning of hole 1. We stretched like we were professionals and even brought a carrying bag for our 3 whole frisbees. We didn't want to look like newbies. I have my husband go first so I can stakeout the competition. With no experience he just chucks it as hard as he can and of course throws it 50 feet. I step up to the plate thinking, "How hard can this be?" and whip around as hard as I can to match his distance. The disk skyrockets into the air and then plummets straight down. My natural reaction is of course the disk is broken. I pull out another disc. I wind up for the pitch and release. the wind takes the disc straight up and then slams it back down again. This was my entire driving game and no matter how I changed my position or angle of release this was pretty much how every throw turned out. So for every one of my husband's throws it took me two throws just to catch up. How embarrassing.
I tried EVERYTHING to throw like him. I even tried taking a skipping start to see if that would help and that just made my disk even more wonky from the leave. I won't say my whole game was trash. There was one redeeming shot at the very end that was beautiful. It went about 45 feet and I felt so good I jumped into my husband's arms and kissed him. I threw a parade like I had ended the problem of world hunger. So sad. It was pretty funny. This was yet another experience where I went in excited and left feeling defeated but only for the moment. If you've learned anything from this entry I'll be back, hungry to prove I can do anything with lots of diligence, determination and practice.
The Not So Good Parts:
1.) My right arm that I threw with feels like it's going to detach.
2.) Discs are expensive and I have no idea what kind will work for me.
3.) Working out in front of other people makes me feel like a potato.
4.)This goes without words...I lost at disc golf and will probably never beat my husband.
I had no idea how much exercise was involved in disc golf. Be prepared, it's a little hard on your dominant arm. There were some people that stopped to share a good laugh at my horrific lack of skill. While that was a little disheartening I found pleasure in being able to laugh at my self. Oh, PS, trees eat discs and don't throw over water either without practice. When I refer to myself as a potato I mean oddly dis-proportioned and awkward.
The Wonderful Take Aways:
1.) Exercise releases endorphins that make you happy.
2.) I feel so good when I know I am making healthy choices.
3.) The whole disc gold experience was pretty entertaining.
4.) The classes are free with my gym membership and force me to be held accountable.
Going to the gym every morning at 5:15 am is rough. But, it is so very rewarding. It is absolutely worth the sacrifice in sleep to be there. I also wasn't too proud of my figure before I went, but now that I go, I'm definitely starting to see some changes in my body for the better. Being confident in yourself is key to letting go of old habits, memories, or childish mindsets. I'm not saying not to love yourself because that is more important. By all means love who you are NOW. If you're not happy with something though, change it. You have the power to change anything happening in your life. I completely recommend getting a gym membership and taking classes. This will help you to connect with other adult women and will help you to start or end your day with good vibes. Disc golf is also a must try. You have to be okay with the fact that you are going to suck at first. The game is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it and thrive in your short comings. Today marks one month down! 11 more to go! Have a great weekend friends! Drop me a comment below of your first disc gold or gym experience.
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