Destin Part I

The first few days in Destin have been PHENOMINAL. We arrived Saturday evening and still had time to play on the beach for a little while. We ate dinner at Fudpuckers and slept like rocks afterward. Sunday we spent nearly the whole day on the beach (with a lot of sunscreen). Craig taught me how to catch waves on a boogie board! Once I caught a great wave but had to steer around a dad and his little daughter. With a little help from the Lord above I somehow made it around them without hitting anyone or falling off my board! Then it was time for steaks that the boys grilled and two intense games of Settlers of Catan. (I'm such a nerd - I love that game!) My arms and ribcage have been sore all day today (Monday) from the boogie boarding. Today was mostly rainy, so we hardly got to spend any time on the beach. Craig and Clint golfed this morning (luckily before the storms got here) while Lindsay and I slept in. This afternoon we played a card game called "Apples to Apples" and just hung out inside mostly. Here's some pics of our trip so far.

We jammed out to the "classics" on the way to Florida:

Me and the "Boom Box"- thanks to advances in technology- this doesn't look even half as cool as it did in the 80's. Darn MP3 players...

The extent of my artistic ability:

Craig and me in front of the Gator statue at Fudpuckers. Supposedly it's a replica of one of the largest aligators ever caught. (According the the really wacky gator lady there.) Everything at Fudpuckers is free for you to sign your name on. We didn't have a Sharpie though.

The view from the balcony at our condo. The water was crystal clear Saturday and Sunday.

More to come! Stay tuned... :)

My trip to Santa Clara

So it's a little late, but I am finally posting about my trip to Cali for the Les Mills Mega-Quarterly Workshop. They host workshops 4 times a year in each region, (we are part of South Central here), but it's not easy to make it every time. I'm lucky if I get to go once a year. This year all of the program directors from New Zealand (where everything is based) came to the US for a Trainers' Summit for those higher up who train new instructors. The topped off their week long work with a Quarterly which all instructors (like me) are invited to go to. Here's the overview...

Friday afternoon I fly in, check in, and head to what is called a "BodyCombat Intensive". It is a 3-hour session all about my favorite program. There were about 40 of us there. BC program directors Dan and Rachel Cohen (yes, they are married- it's so cute) took a while to explain to us how to design each workout, from choosing the music to planning the exercises and combos they will use, to testing it, changing it, and eventually finalizing it and filming it. It's NOT easy! They listen to as many as 3000 songs in order to narrow it down to just the 10 or 11 that will be in the workout. After that, we did about 45 minutes of drills and exercises that Dan and Rach do in their martial arts training. Drills from all different styles of martial arts and boxing. I wish I had some pictures or videos of me trying to do some of them- you'd laugh till your abs were sore! There were a couple drills I could not do - guess I'm not quite strong enough yet. Then we were told that several of us would get the chance to teach a track from the previous release, the one that we'd all been teaching in our gyms for the past couple months, and Dan would give us instant feedback on our technique and coaching. Then he'd let us do it again, and again, and again, to see how well we could implement what he said right there on the spot. We had enough time for three people to teach. Guess who go to go up on stage? :) :) :)

It was awesome! I got to teach the Muay Thai track. He would stop you as soon as he came up with something to improve, then start you all over. After about the 6th time, I was getting nervous trying to remember it all! I was told by others that you couldn't tell though. I hope they were telling the truth.

Then Saturday was the main event. They open with a traditional Haka chant- this is totally a New Zealand thing! It's an old indian tribe chant. The rest of the day you get the chance to try every class (they have 8 different kinds of workouts). Here are some pictures from the day's events:

BodyPump #70: Track #9: Abs

Andrea and I getting ready to begin BodyStep #76: Lift Off to a Higher Level of Fitness

BodyCombat #40: Celebrating 10 Years of the Program!

The Dog Days of Summer

Zeus loves the wading pools at the dog park. Ahhhhh...

My brother-in-law's bulldog puppy Darla is so sweet!

Chico relaxing on my parents' porch after going swimming...

Another cute pic of Darla doing what she does best: eat!

Zeus graduated to the "big kids' pool" on Mother's Day. That's his favorite float. He can crawl on it all by himself if it's near the edge of the pool!

Darla on Dallas Fox News

My brother-in-law has the cutest bulldog named Darla. He took her to the vet for a check-up and Fox News reporters just happened to be there getting video clips to go with their latest story! She shows up around 1:05 I think. It's actually a pretty important message to pet owners too! Check it out:

Countdown to Cali

Most of you are well aware of my passion for, excuse me, obession with, the Les Mills brand of group exercise programs. Besides the three I teach, (BodyCombat, BodyPump, BodyStep), they have some other awesome classes, some of which are taught at my favorite gym: BodyAttack, BodyJam, BodyFlow, BodyVive, and RPM. I am SOOOO excited because in just a couple weeks I am flying to Santa Clara, California for the West Coast Quarterly Workshop where all of the main program directors and choreographers will be visiting the States from New Zealand, the home of Les Mills International. My friend Andrea will also be there, and a couple other instructors I've met are going as well. I also get to attend a 3 hour BodyCombat Intensive Instructor training with two of my biggest role models: Dan and Rachael Cohen. Their passion for fitness and the intensity they bring to the floor is amazing to me! I CAN'T WAIT! IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE!