Celebrating 100 times of NO EXCUSES

January 4, 2016: It's a cold January evening. Am I really going to do this? Pam did give me this free camp, so it can't hurt to give it a try. I show up at the intermediate school down the street from my house. Alright, Pam, if I'm going to do this you have to come to my first workout with me....she did:) I show up with my thin yoga mat, 8 pound weights, and water bottle while Pam rolls out her mat pack with her fancy CG mat and big weights. WOW! You've got the swag and everything! Then I see her...this tiny little girl with muscles. This is the woman who's going to kill me today. Please don't let me die! Time for the warm up lap around the parking lot. You want me to run this!? Ha! Not likely. I don't run. I end up walking most of it. Luckily, Mondays are weight days. I can lift weights. Wait, burpees? What are those? Oh, no mam! I don't like those. Modify, you say? Fine. I'll have to modify everything because #newbie

Well, and hour later and I'm still alive. I think I'll come back tomorrow. I think I'll try your 5 AM. So my journey with CG begins.......

Pam and I after my first CG workout

Now let's fast forward about 6 months.....July 8, 2016. I'm celebrating my 100th check-in. This is the first big milestone in a camper's journey. On top of that, I get promoted to silver level since I have a couple of friend referrals under my belt (thanks, Mr. B and Vanessa)! That means a new shirt is coming my way. Who doesn't like free shirts! I can't believe the changes that have occurred in me these past 6 months. I've worked out in the past, even had personal trainers. This is so much different. I actually WANT to go workout. I don't care if it's early and I'm on summer break. I don't care if it's hot, cold, rainy, windy outside. I want my #gainz and I want to see my friends! I want to cheer for others and be cheered for. I want to see my body change. I want to feel stronger. I want to feel empowered. I want that feeling that I can do anything if I work hard enough. I want to be proud of myself. I want to feel good in the body I've been given....not ashamed. I only get this one body, so I better take care of it. I don't always do the right thing for it, but I sure do try to most of the time. Yes, I enjoy pizza and burgers and other comfort foods. I just don't feel guilty about it anymore because I know that most of the time I do right by myself. I'm on a journey that will last a lifetime. There really is no end game to this, only continual progress and gainz (just hopefully not the jiggly kind). 

What's different now than 6 months ago? So much! I can run that warm up lap with no problem. Not only that, but I can run a mile. A mile, people! My time improves each time I do it. I have never been a runner. I was the girl in junior high and high school that was last every time we ran. I always stopped to walk when I felt tired. Now, I push myself because I know I can do it without stopping. I may not be the fastest, and that's OK. The important thing is I will do it, and I will finish strong because I deserve it. I am strong enough to conquer my goals. I was using 8 pound weights. Now I'm using 15 pound weights, and about to bump it up to 20 pound weights. I'm flipping tires, swinging sledge hammers, and running with fire hoses like a BOSS!!! I can do 65 burpees in 5 minutes, and I'm aiming higher this next round. I'm doing exercises without modifying almost all the time. It's been killing me this week to modify exercises due to my oral surgery, but I digress.......

I've made some great friends on this journey. I don't know why I was so worried that first day. People are so friendly at camp. There's no judgement, only encouragement. I have a confidence in myself that I've never had before. At 30 years old I feel the best I've felt in my life. I'm not at my thinnest either. I'm still heavier than I'd like to be. The difference is that I don't focus on that scale because it just doesn't matter. I'm a curvy girl, and I'm OK with that. I embrace it. I remember a friend commenting to me that she likes that I'm confident with my arms enough to wear sleeveless dresses. Yes, I am! I was ashamed of my legs for the longest time. No more shame. I'm getting better every day. I will not be ashamed because this is what I've been given. If anything, it just motivates me to push harder to make things look better. I've got muscles and strength. 

"What's that, mom? You need me to carry that 50 lb bag of dog food to the shed for you? Sure! I got this! No, I don't need the dolly:)"

I'm changing my mindset. Time to rid my vocabulary of "I can't!" I may not be able to do it right now, but I will eventually do it because if you tell me I can't, I'll show you I can. Yes, I'm tired. But apparently when you think you're tired, you're only at 40% (so says Robin....). So just 60% more till death! No worries. I'm signed up for CG games. Am I intimidated by the events? A little bit. But I'm going to do it and finish it because I'm an athlete. I'm a gladiator!

These are my girls! So happy and proud to have these ladies on my CG Games team!

Team #tuffenuff bringing the gun show to town...."not fast, but not last"

I don't remember when Megan and I hit it off, but we did. We started off at the back of the running pack together barely making it. Now, we push each other to be better. Thanks for all the 4:30 AM texts and the high fives to keep me going. Thanks for making me step up my game. You've got 20's now? OK, I'm coming for you next camp with them. 

No, I'm not trying to punch her in the face. I just really wanted a pic of my shoulder muscles. That left shoulder is my proudest cut so far:)

This is my little TPT, Robin! I mean, I don't even know what to say about this crazy woman. She pushes me to be my best. She calls me on my crap. If I'm slacking, she calls me on it. "Get lower!" "Sprint faster!" "I want that butt touching the ground when you squat!" "Don't you drop that plank!" "Get off your knees!" I could go on.....

She tried to flex in some other pics we took, but I told her "No, mam! I'm the feature in these pics. Put those guns away!" She really does plan the funnest workouts. I'm never bored, and I always feel worked out. We are all worried when she says she made up the workout at midnight.....that usually means it's going to be crazy and we'll all be confused at some point. I haven't been to a lot of trainers, but I don't know how many play games like "slosh pipe relay", "shopping cart relay" (yes, it is what you think it is....don't leave shopping carts unattended), "zombie tag", the list goes on......

Thankful for our one-on-one sessions that we've had. Those have helped me perfect my form and become more familiar with the exercises. Those sessions also showed me what I can really do when pushed on an individual level. Once you show her and yourself that you can do it, don't even try cheating at camp. You will get called on it!

I can't do a post like this without including my main squeeze. He will hit 100 next week. I brought him week 2 of my first camp since it was buddy week. He tried to resist, but I told him to just give it a try. If he didn't like it, he didn't have to come back. He totally liked it! He's been coming ever since. We've been to just about every workout together. I'm so thankful for a husband that does life with me in this manner. It's so much easier knowing that he's doing the same thing and we can support each other on our journey to healthier versions of ourselves. He better watch out though.....I'm not opposed to lifting heavier weights than him:)

The next goal is 200 check-ins by my year anniversary. I can do it! I'd like to have some more guns on display in January. If 25 pound weights were also in the mix, I'd be OK with that, too:)