December 10 - Day 20

Saturday - December 10, 2011

Schedule

  7:00 AM            Breakfast
  8:00 AM            Hike - Saddle
11:15 PM            Last Chance Workout
  1:00 PM            Lunch
  4:00 PM            Graduation
  6:00 PM            Dinner

Meals

Breakfast              Peanut Butter, Banana, & Toast          320 Calories
Lunch                   Tomato Soup                                         60 Calories
                             Chicken Salad Sammie                        369 Calories
Dinner                  Tuna Salad Sandwich
                             Chocolate Covered Banana                  135 Calories

As much as I am dragging this week, I still chose to go on the Advanced hike today – Saddle.  We cut our dramatic climb/incline hike down to 30 minutes today (from 35 on Thursday).  It is literally rock climbing 85% of that initial hike.  Our guide stopped for one break that entire time.  I was exhausted and my legs felt like jello, but of course my competitive nature would not let me slow down to much!  When I finally reached the top of the Saddle, I felt so lightheaded and out of breath…. It took me a good minute or two before I felt like talking at all.  The back half of the Saddle was a lot of fun once again…. Ups and downs, climbs and straddles, etc.  It was a good hike and I burnt 1300 calories.

When we got back, it was time for the Last Chance Workout.  The stations this week were:

1. Kettlebell squats and lift,
2. Jump ropes,
3. Medicine Ball Lunges and Twist,
4. Three point steps,
5. Resistance Bands,
6. Jumping Jacks,
7. Planks moving hands back and forth,
8. Kickboxing,
9. Burpees, and
10. Ladder.

We had to do 90 seconds at each station with a lap outside after every other station.  The second time around was the same thing but we didn’t have to run quite as often until the end.  Toward the end, we had to run suicides, bear crawls, and then run laps and stairs.  We ended with football Hot feet and then stretching.  It was an intense 90-minute workout!  During the workout, the trainers kept telling us to stay positive for those around us and that even if we were tired, to fake it and not act like it.  Katy and I were partners at the same stations and so we started making comments back and forth that were “positive” (but actually the exact opposite of what we were feeling).  Some of the comments included: “This is so easy…. I feel like I could run a marathon right now…. Doesn’t that burn feel great…. I could do this all day….. I love Burpees…. I’m not feeling this at all!”   Honestly, I think the laughs that we had with these comments did actually make the time seem like it did pass faster!  LOL  But I was still so relieved when we were done! 

After lunch, Katy and I went to a local Art Village that had very high end art stores.  We also stopped by a local home decor store which had a lot of southwestern folk art kind of things and yard art.  We had to then hurry back so that we could go to graduation for those who were leaving.  There were quite a few people leaving that had been here for an extended period of time so it was an emotional time for many. 

After we ate dinner, Katy and I geared up to go to a movie.  We stopped at a gas station on the way so that we could buy some drinks (cheaper than the movie theater).  I picked out a Diet Mountain Dew (zero calories, fat, carbs, etc.) and took it up to the counter.  The gas station clerk intently asked me, “Do you know what is in this?”  She grabbed the bottle and turned it around to the label.  I hesitantly said, “Why?  Because it causes cancer?”  She then pointed to the “CAUTION: CONTAINS PHENYLALINE”.  She then proceeded to tell me that this is used in Jet Fuel and that it can cause Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc. and that I need to get online and research it.  It apparently is in all diet pops she told me and so she tells everyone buying diet pop that they should not drink it! 

Katy is standing behind me kind of chuckling and I told the attendant that I normally don’t drink diet pop but this is a special occasion and I am still going to buy it.  She looked at me like I was nuts and again restated that I shouldn’t drink diet pop.  As Katy and I were walking out, we were laughing so hard.  Jet Fuel in pop!?!  Who knew?

We went on our way to the movie theater.  I had been so excited all week to get some popcorn…. this was going to be my big splurge for the week.  Katy was taking pictures of me “adding a little more sodium” to my popcorn and we were both laughing.  The worker there thought we were a little strange and so we told him that I was on a diet but this was my splurge for the week.  He continued joking around with us for a minute before we went in to watch New Years Eve.  The movie was really good…. It was funny, insightful, and left you with a good feeling.  As we were leaving the theater, that worker was standing by the exit and he made a point to mention my “cheat” for the week.  I told Katy that even though we were gone from the resort, I felt like the whole town was looking over my shoulder….  LOL