EVENT: ZUMBA - FAILED!!!!! EVENT # 8: TOTAL STRENGTH TRAINING at the YMCA (JUNE 29)

So what is your definition of a sport?  Does weight training count?  I have been supplementing my sports events with cardio workouts and resistance training on my off days but after my wife invited me to this class at the Y today, I am DEFINITELY counting this as an event!  Plus, the whole idea behind this challenge is to do different things and this was something beyond my normal 20 -30 minutes of lifting free weights and machines.  Today, my wife challenged me to join her in this total strength class at the Y.  It took a little convincing on her part because I knew it was a class of mostly women.  Guys don't typically take these classes but after today, I wonder why not.  I am sitting here at 8pm at night after participating in the class at 10 this morning and I am already sore and physically drained.  This has been my most demanding workout so far but it was not impossible.  The instructor has us doing over 100 air squats as well as adding in high repetitions of shoulder presses.  We did burpees with dumbbells and something where you had to start in a lying down position holding your weight straight out and then try to get to a kneeling position and finally to a standing position.  All of this multiple times.  I hung in there and probably did 75% of the instructors repetitions throughout the class.  Not too bad.  So thanks to my wife for introducing me to an event that will probably take me an hour to get out of bed in the morning!  And yes, my wife immediately asked me to stay for her Zumba Class afterwards.  I, of course, had to try it and folks, I was out of there in 30 seconds!  I just couldn't do it, even standing in the very back of the class because I know someone would have a video of that on you tube trying to shake my hips!

EVENT # 7 TENNIS (June 28)

So one of my rules is if someone calls me to play a game, I have to accept.  Kind of like the movie "Supersize Me" where the guy has to accept if McDonalds ask him to supersize the meal.  I was getting a little worried today because in order to complete this challenge by Labor Day, I have to participate in some type of sport at least every 3 days.  I had nothing lined up for today and was getting desperate until I got a call from my neighbor to play tennis at the park.  So of course, I accepted.  The game went well.  My neighbor seems to be a good match for me unless he was holding back.  I had not played a real game of tennis in years as indicated by the condition of my tennis racket in my garage.  The grip had melted to the point of staining my hand black when playing with it but it still worked.  My forehand was ok, my backhand was actually better, and my serves were not that great which is why I came up short in the two games we played.  We were told to leave the park after two games by the park ranger over his intercom in his car because of lightening.  I'm convinced I was just warming up and had a lot left in me.  We'll complete the set another time, but it counts as my number 7 event for the summer.

EVENT # 6 Kayaking (June 25)

Tonight I returned to one of my favorite hobbies, flatwater kayaking.  For those of you who don't know the differences, this is not the one where you are on rapids.  The risk for flipping over is low but one of my goals is to learn to whitewater kayak eventually.  The great thing about flatwater kayaking is the nature involved.  I again went to Col. Beatty Park in Charlotte and as I started out tonight, I noticed a small head sticking out of the water.  I have seen turtles before but this looked a little different.  It quickly dove under the water with a flip turn of sorts displaying a rather large back.  I slowed my kayak to a halt to wait for a return when I heard a "kurplunk" about 10 yards behind me.  My relaxed kayak trip was now getting my heart rate up.  I was imagining the Loc Ness Monster at this point.  It reappeared off to the right of me as I started paddling again poking it's head out of the water.  This time as it dove under the water, it decided to show off it's long tail and slapped the water as it went under.  Now, I was beginning to realize what this creature was under the water.  I looked it up when I arrived home and yes it was a lake otter having a little fun!

EVENT # 5 Stair Climbing (June 22)

So you say this is not a sport.  Check it out on you tube.  In fact, many cities are hosting stair climbing events in some of their tallest buildings.  Charlotte just recently hosted a Tower Climb back in March that I was not able to participate in where you would have to climb 42 flights of stairs.  So when I heard about this event, I started to train a few times at a local hotel that had 8 flights of stairs.  I have googled "tallest buildings" in charlotte and this is definitely not one of them but I am not allowed to train in one of the buildings downtown, for good reasons.  So this afternoon I ran 8 flights of stairs 8 times for a total of 1,093 steps.  Granted this was up and down each time but it definitely got my heart rate up in a short amount of time.  So next time you stay at a hotel.....TAKE THE STAIRS!!  The great thing about running at this particular hotel is that it is a very nice, upscale resort hotel and I always enjoy walking in with my running shorts and t-shirt on past all of the greeters at the front door who welcome me with smiles.  NO I'm not really staying here,  just working out.  Now can I have a glass of water?

EVENT # 4 Walking???? (June 21)

Ok, so I just got back from family vacation at Disney World.  Going down there I was playing around with the idea that walking could be considered a sport but I figured I wouldn't be walking that much!  I held on to this belief until day 5 when I finally decided that WALKING DISNEY WAS AN EVENT!!!  So I'm counting it as # 4 and moving on.  Yes I know this is probably cheating a little but have you walked Disney 5 straight days in 97 degree heat??  And, now that I think about it, I personally witnessed the Speed Walking event in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta so it IS an event........I'm just trying to convince myself now.

EVENT #3 Swimming (June14)

This event was yet another individual sport.  I'm getting worried that my opportunities to play in a team situation will be limited this summer.  That is one of my challenges ahead.  With this challenge, I returned to my high school sport of swimming.  My best stroke was the 50 free style.  I swam 1/2 mile warm up and then attempted the 50 meter as fast as I could.  Not quite the 27 seconds from high school but a great workout.  In fact this looks closer to 42 seconds which I am disappointed in.  I need to start from a dive and then I'll get closer to that goal.  Maybe it was because I was in the "slow lane" as you can see!  My oldest son decided to swim with me and my youngest is cheering along the side of the pool.

EVENT #2 Trail Biking (June 12)

Event 2 consisted of another individual sport, trail biking.  I also used the park and trails at Col. Beaty Park.    I used the green and blue trails which proved to be a great workout.  There were several occasions where my bike stopped and I continued going forward but for the most part, it was a blast!

EVENT #1 Basketball (June 6)

I started out on a bike ride up to the park a few weeks ago and ended up getting picked up to play basketball.  This was an appropriate start to my journey since this was the sport of choice for me growing up.  I was not necessarily great at it, just rec ball mostly but I loved playing hard when it came to hoops.  My team was the Charlotte Hornets growing up so .......BRING BACK THE HORNETS!!

                                                               

My inspiration for this challenge this summer.

  I am a 37 year old physical education teacher.  On my summers off, I usually come up with some kind of focus for my workouts.  In the past, they have typically been just training for a 5k or mini triathlon at the YMCA.  This year I have set a huge challenge for myself after watching this video.  My goal so far is to:
1-Get great cardio workouts
2-Expose myself to sports and activities that I have never done

The challenge will not only be to participate in these sports but to actually FIND 30 different sports in the Charlotte area when most people are just focused on football and basketball.  Let's see what happens!



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