Welcome to the second installment of the 2014 Monthly Challenges Recap!
Challenge 1: Barre fitness classes
The first challenge I took on in February was 5 sessions at Pure Barre Fitness. I had heard much about this fitness craze, based on the principles of ballet training, and how these 55 minute classes could truly transform your body.
I poked around their website a bit and found this piece of content (in their Q & A) particularly amusing:
Why does my body shake?
When your body shakes, it means your muscles are reaching the point of fatigue, which is a good thing! Your goal is to have the muscle group you are targeting during a specific section of class shake every time.
“Your goal is to have the muscles shake every time” <– Mission accomplished.
These five classes were like taking 5 55-minute trips to hell. Seriously.
I didn’t know it was possible to get a migraine from exercising until I felt my head explode into a million bits of white-hot pain 10 minutes into one of these classes.
I wrote about my pure hell in Pure Barre experience in this post here. My lovely friends gleefully laughed at my pain in their comments. They’re sweet that way.
Challenge 2: Group Meditation
Long time readers know that I have frequently commented about how I “really want to try meditation”, both on my own blog as well as through comments on other blogs. In fact, I think in my Happy Birthday to me (47) post last October, I called it out as a must-do for my 47th year.
And nearly 6 months later I finally gave it a whirl. [In a group setting!]
Now this, mes amis, was a big, big deal for me.
These two sessions (totaling 4 hours) were confirmation that meditation is hard-ass work. Not Pure Barre hard. But totally hard in a different way.
Once I finally shut down the cacophony of voices in my head, I found myself drowning beneath the emotional weight of one particular exercise.
It left me emotionally drained, tears streaming down my cheeks, and utterly embarrassed. I wrote about it here.
This meditation thing is far outside my comfort zone, which is exactly why I need to continue to work on it.
And now for my favourite part of the Monthly Challenges recap post:
Bad-Ass Round-up – February!
- Sam at Midsummer 365 Project for taking on a mountain. Sam had a very bad fall, off the side of a mountain, 2.5 years ago. The kind of fall that leaves physical and mental scars. She fought through severe mental blockers to take on a rock climbing wall in February. She will be back on the mountains in no time. Fierce!
- Laurel at Eat Less Sugar for her 3-day juice fast! She actually fell off the wagon on day 3, but her Herculean effort in days 1 & 2 is worthy of high praise! 😉
- Kathy over at Hiking to Healthy who gave up on one of her favourite things ever: Diet Coke. I’ve never been a fan of carbonated soft drinks, but I get that for many people they are a serious addiction. Big respect to Kathy for kicking this habit!
- Andra, the Accidental Cootchie Mama, for doing this to her feet because she continued her crazy training schedule of walking up to 15 miles per day for 2 or more days per week – in preparation for her 444 mile walk during the month of March. This woman is crazy in the most beautiful and inspirational way.
- Rachael at Mummy Flying Solo for completing a 3 week holistic detox eating plan. Three. Whole. Weeks. Rachael – that is some willpower and resolve, lady!
- Cynthia at The Goddess Weighs In for giving up her Diet Coke habit. Like Kathy above, Cynthia was hooked on these bubbles & caffeine – and I know it would have absolutely sucked to have gone through those withdrawals. Yay Cynthia for fighting through it!
- Linda at Expat Eye on Latvia who, although she’d rather be lifting a wine glass or beer stein to her parched lips, tapped into her inner athlete and tested out a baby stroller with moving arms. Don’t ask, just click through. I promise it will be entertaining. 🙂
I am so…SO…sorry if I have forgotten anyone. If I have, PLEASE leave me a comment with a link to the bad-ass I inadvertently left out. So not my intent. Way too many things rattling around in this wee brain o’ mine. Apologies!
Sam, Laurel, Kathy, Andra, Rachael, Cynthia and Linda – you are too bad-ass for words. Carry on, warriors!
Keep moving!
xoxo nancy
p.s. blogging schedule may be a bit off next week (again) as I’ll be traveling to NYC on business Monday to Thursday.
😀 thank you for declaring me bad-ass again 😀
it has made my day!!
I suspect you’ll be making it every month, Sam. 😉
Seriously – why wouldn’t you? You literally push yourself like crazy and try new things, challenge yourself, every single month. Bad ass!
😀
thank you 😀
It is so lovely knowing you believe in me so much 😀
I am honestly so bummed that we live so far apart. I would love to train with you! (And just hang out and judge the zumba contingent.)
me too! I would love to do both of those things…
and you could try morris dancing with me 😀
anything that involves spanking the monkey is okay by me.
hehehehehehe If you ever come over here I am going to make you come to practice and teach you that dance 😀
fuck yeah!!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing the other blogs. It’s always fun to check out inspiring stories. Ya know, you’re pretty ‘bad ass’ yourself…..keep up with those challenges 🙂
Thanks Ingrid! I love finding inspiration among my fellow bloggers. I’m awed by some of the shit they’re pulling off!! 🙂
I love reading your blogs and hearing about your endeavors but I’m not entirely sure you have a job as well. Or don’t you sleep?
Bahahaha! Getting less and less these days!
Next week will be another challenge. Headed to NYC Monday, not back home til Thursday night. I imagine I might fall behind in reading for a few days – but I promise to catch up. I love reading my favourite blogs!
Oh my god! I made it! I made it! Hurrah! Proud to be part of the bad-ass league! 🙂 Even if it is in a kind of ridiculous way 🙂 Thanks Nancy!
How could I not commemorate your stroller/park/run workout? 🙂
I’m not sure me almost running a child into a bench counts as a workout 🙂
It’s you. In Latvia. In the cold. Running.
That counts!
Ha ha, I guess you’re right! 🙂 If there had been a nice hot whiskey at the other end, I might have run faster 🙂
Who wouldn’t?
Might not have ended so well for Jegor though… 😉
Yes, collateral damage…
Hey, shit happens 🙂
Atta girl!
Looking forward to reading about the Bad Asses.
And you keep on with your Bad Ass self!
They are all wicked awesome!
Me, I’m just trying to strike a balance between working Nancy and workout Nancy. 🙂
“These five classes were like taking 5 55-minute trips to hell.”—That made me laugh out loud. I can’t argue with you on that. It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of my barre workouts. Maybe I’ll do one this weekend just to commiserate with you.
Have fun in New York!
I tried an at-home one Sunday night before leaving for Atlanta. It was really hard. I didn’t get close to that violent and involuntary leg shaking like I did in class, but it was still a really challenging workout!
I’m really looking forward to NYC. One of my favourite places!
Sounds like a great month for everyone Nancy! I haven’t been able to make it to a barre class in a studio but tried two 60 minute workouts here at home… ouch. But in a good way. 🙂 I’ll do it again!
Totally, right? 🙂
Yes!
But do try a group class. I suspect you’ll find a big difference. And curse me hard. 🙂
I want to try a group class, just need to work on the scheduling. 🙂
I can’t wait to hear your review! 🙂
Misery loves company.
I’ll find one. 🙂 On the plus side I got a Fitbit today!
Yeah! Go Lisa!
Now just wait and see how competitive you will be…with yourself!
I got one for my husband too! Competition starts tomorrow. 😉
Do it!!
Thanks for giving me my Friday morning laugh! I am a proud February BadAss!!!
Absolute bad ass!!
Yay! You’re a bad ass, Nance, in every sense of the word! Thanks for the kudos. Love you long time x
Me love you longer time Rach!
Ok, you know me and a challenge. I need to find something bad-ass to do. lol!
Do it Kerry!! Do it!
congrats on meeting your goals!! I love the monthly recaps!
thanks Kate! it’s fun sharing all the other awesome chicas and their crazy bad-ass shenanigans!
Quick thanks while I have a signal. Enjoy NYC. xo
Stay safe out there! xoxo
While you’re in NYC, try to sneak away and get in a Core Fusion class at Exhale. It’s 60 minutes of hell, but its an addicting, awesome kind of hell. The cardio + barre class is a particularly special kind of torture.
Ahh…too late. 😦
Sitting at Laguardia waiting for my flight home.