Celebrate Me Home

Before the breathin' air is gone
Before the sun is just a bright spot in the nighttime
Out where the rivers like to run
I stand alone and take back somethin' worth rememberin'
Three Dog Night

Well I promised you a complete wrap up of my week. I'm not really going to compare and contrast the two programs specifics but I will tell you all there is to know about my new program and will happily answer any questions and do any comparisons if you want to email me. I will say this. I have spent well over 1oo days at fitness camp in the last 3 years and I can say without a doubt the five hardest days I have ever had as far as being pushed to work as hard as I can all took place last week. There is no slacking off, there is no hiding in a sea of campers, and there are no 15 minute breaks each hour you work. It's a personal approach, they seem to be able to find your buttons and keep pushing them for you. Did I want to quit?...Damn straight. Did I swear Wednesday that I would never come back?....Oh Yeah.... Did I get in my car Saturday and realize just how much I had done on both the scale and fitness level?...With a giant smile. Am I excited that I have 6 weeks to work on all the steps I took? .....Without a doubt. Am I heading back?... October 16th

The accommodations were really unique and remarkable. This is the view from our balcony. There are 5 bedrooms in each unit and a ginormous common area with a great room, flat screen, and kitchen/dining room. A balcony with a grill and an amazing view of Lake Superior. The beds are soft and comfortable and there are flat screens and ceiling fans in all the rooms. The unit has a washer and dryer for free. And each unit has two whirlpool tubs in them. It is a first rate resort there is no doubt about that.

You go down a couple flights of stairs to the pool and hot tub. Your key gets you access and you do not have to go outside to get entry to them. The hot tub is amazing as it is both indoor and outdoor and looks right out over Lake Superior. I might have gotten a little more use out of these if I wasn't so tired every night. But I did spend time in the pool everyday I was there.

The program is tough. I am not going to sugarcoat that at all. The alarm comes early every morning. And for a guy not used to getting up at 5:30 each day it was rough. But you're not here to relax you are here to work. They really seem to want to show you so many different ways to workout. We went to gyms, did circuit training you can easily and cheaply do at home, and even got a TRX and spin class mixed in. There was something here for everyone and they made everyone feel involved and working no matter what their fitness level. I have never sweated as much I wore 3 different shirts each day and sweated through every single one of them. I thought something had died in the trunk of my car on the way home but then realized it was just a whiff of my laundry basket full of clothes.









The Food... There isn't a lot of it obviously. It's not placed down in front of you fully prepared, and there is no one there to scoop your plates off the table when you are done. Is it hard to get back at noon exhausted and dying and have to prepare your own food. Of course. But guess what? That's how it is in real life. So you adapt. I had wonderful housemates and we worked together to get the meals both tasty and prepared. I'm not the greatest cook but did spend two nights on the deck grilling chicken for everyone. It takes a little effort but you feel good about it. They are willing to work on substitutions if you don't like something and the food get placed in your refrigerator every day so it is beyond fresh. It's macro nutrients, consisting of lean meats, health grains, lots of veggies and some fruits. There is also a snack at before you workout in the morning and another at night. I enjoyed the meals immensely and it really felt like a family around meal time. The picture is of turkey roast, spinach salad and mashed cauliflower dinner one night.



















I missed my volleyball teammates for sure but did find time to work a little hitting into the mix. Happy to get back in the sand this week, especially since I feel lighter, quicker and a little more hungry to compete. Fitness North really tries to incorporate things you can do at home into their program. They prove you don't need to spend 1000's on equipment or gym memberships. I loved the circuit class. More so, when I was done then when I was bent over gasping, of course. But I found that the medicine balls, bands, punching bags, and kettle bells and the change of pace to be a little fun.

The hikes were really cool. They were harder for one reason. When you went on the hikes you already had 5 plus hours of work in your legs that day. I saw waterfalls, light houses, animals, ships, changing leaves, views of the lake, and really cool state parks. I hiked hills, and trails, steps and docks. The hikes were all diverse and the group broke up so everyone could go at their best speed. If you like to hike they will find hikes for whatever level you are at. And if you do a little investigation into the many great parks in the area they will listen to your suggestions of where you go.

It's my birthday week and I asked for a new pair of shoes. There they are at the end of the backdrop they came with. What an amazingly pleasant surprise to come home to
on the first day of college football. Many thanks to Mrs. T for the early gift. We accompanied my good friend Paul and his wife to see 3 Dog Night Saturday night and really enjoyed the show. They had a non-stop 2 hour collection of hits. I really enjoyed hearing so many of their hits. And I really enjoyed my stay in Two Harbors, Minnesota. You can get more info on Fitness North at www.fitnessnorth.net Have a great week. Peace, Love and Joy To The World, Jim