Llama Trailblazers

The end of this blog?

2009-12-28T20:16:00.000-05:00

Due to circumstances related to my foot injury as well as a few other things going on, we will probably not be going to Peru in 2010. If plans change, I'll restart this blog. If you want to stay in touch, check out my other active blogs: Gypsy Roots and Mariandy's Book Blog.

Walk this way

2009-11-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

I don't really think anyone is reading this blog anymore, but in case someone is, I just wanted to note that I passed the 2.1 mile mark. Yesterday, we walked the loop around our subdivision. I was fine until around 1.8, and then my ankle started getting a little sore where I broke my leg almost three months ago. I managed to get home OK, but a few hours later, there was some swelling around the ankle. Things seem to be fine today, but still, I decided to wait another day or two before getting out there again.

One mile

2009-11-08T10:56:00.004-05:00

Wow . . . I can't believe over two months have gone by! The good news is that I have mostly good news. I'm walking with two shoes again, and have actually (gingerly) started training again. I'm able to walk one mile without any difficulties. One mile. I know that's not much. But at least I'm walking again.

The focus, for now, will be to continue to build my strength. I will keep you posted!

Change of plans

2009-09-05T15:56:00.005-04:00

I have some disappointing news. Last Tuesday night while out walking (gee, I so wish that I could connect this to a more interesting activity or event!), I tripped over some uneven pavement. In that split second as my ankle was twisting, I heard a cracking sound. I fell to the ground just knowing that I had broken something. The pain was so intense, I dropped more F bombs than the characters in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. In a matter of a few moments, my ankle swelled way beyond any capacity I ever thought possible. The ER doctor later told me it was a good thing I didn't take my shoe off (keep this in mind in case you ever take a similar spill, which I hope you never do.)

Xrays showed multiple mini-fractures or "chips" at the bottom of my fibula, where the fibula and ankle attach. I was told to stay off my foot for three to five days - not that I would have done otherwise because the pain of putting any weight whatsoever on my foot was excruciating. I'm seeing an orthopedic restoration specialist, who gave me an air cast/walking boot (haven't started using it yet, but we're thinking tomorrow) and told me to come back for another xray in one month.

Since I have a history with this ankle (multiple sprains and a previous hairline fracture), I'm going to have to take some time to let it heal. I haven't yet determined all the details . . . maybe I'll look for a sports medicine specialist. But for at least a month, I won't be able to do any sort of training involving the use of my right ankle.

To those of you who've been checking for updates - thanks. We both really appreciate your interest, and it's always cool to see where you're logging in from - hello, Boston! But I'm going to put this blog on hold for a while until I know a little more about my situation and whether I can resume our training program. I will try to update in a month or so. Until then . . . please be safe, and watch where you step! :-)

Being flexible, not like in yoga

2009-08-19T21:33:00.003-04:00

Just learned that our friend K made it up Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is awesome news!!! Once again, we're feeling inspired. Now, if only our jobs and household duties would cooperate. We've had quite a few excuses lately - really good ones this time. Like . . . working 14 hour days and weekends on a special work-related project . . . and taking care of a parent. Sometimes you just have to be flexible. The one thing we've been really good at lately is sticking to a decent diet, at least 6 days of the week. So there. Small moves are better than none.

Get over it

2009-08-11T22:04:00.002-04:00

Vacation is over and it's time to recommit to our training plan. It was so tempting just to . . . la-dee-dah . . . forget about this commitment we made and just fade back into the real world (and delete this blog) but here we are. I can't tell you how difficult it was to get to the gym last night. Even when we were there, neither one of us had much energy. It was all we could do to get through our five minute warm-up at Level 2 on the Stairs to Hell (that's what I call them) and almost as bad going through the upper body machines. But we did it.

So we're back! What adventures await us? You'll just have to keep reading. :-)

Summer vacation

2009-08-05T23:20:00.002-04:00

We're on vacation and mostly offline. Back in a few days, so stay tuned!

Lazy hazy crazy days of summer

2009-07-29T23:30:00.002-04:00

It's the time of year when a million things are going on, giving quite a bit of competition for our time. Things are happening in the yard and garden. Vacation is coming up. Blah, blah, blah. I hate to admit it, but we haven't been to the gym at all this week. We hope to make up for it with a really long walk this weekend.

Now, I want to ask a question. Does anyone out there have some sort of food or drink that is like crack to them? Because I do. It's called . . . Mountain Dew. Not diet (I won't do diet drinks due to aspartame sensitivity) but the real deal, that beautiful green liquid that I am convinced is the true nectar of the gods. I started drinking it when I was in my twenties (was a Pepsi gal before that) and it's the only soft drink I really, really like. However, due to the high sugar and God-only-knows-what-else ingredients, I gave it up several years ago. I only go back to it during times of high stress. But when I do go back to it, I find it's all I want. So I'm sad to say that I have had about 8 ounces of the Dew each day for the last three days. Only 8 ounces, though.

So I've got to quit this before I start drinking it "full time" again . . . and we've got to get our motivation back. Maybe soon.

Goo-oo-oo-d!!!

2009-07-24T18:06:00.003-04:00

Not long ago I wrote how we're beginning to notice patterns (so to speak) at the gym. There's this trainer (I'll call him Chuck - I don't really know what his name is, but he looks like a Chuck) who's there almost every night we're there. He's a friendly fellow, a former football player who now spends his time weightlifting and motivating others. His motivational tool? Everytime someone does something, he praises them with a single word: "Good!" Only it sounds a lot like he's adding extra syllables in it, so it comes across as "Goo-oo-oo-d!"

Of course, we didn't fall for the personal training scam, er, program that our local gym offers, but this doesn't stop us from taking advantage. Sometimes, I'll purposefully walk over to a machine near where "Chuck" is training a paying client. I'll watch him and his client and start counting. Then I'll crank up the weight level, grit my teeth, and give it all I've got . . . and I'm sure to release just as the client does the same.

That way, when Chuck says "Goo-oo-oo-d!" I feel like he's talking to me. And who knows? Maybe he really is!

Avoiding black eyes

2009-07-21T21:56:00.004-04:00

I used to jokingly say that I could never be a runner because my boobs are so big, I'd give myself black eyes. Alas, a miracle has occurred. I have found the most wonderful sports bra in the world. I just want to shout about it! So here's a plug for the Moving Comfort Maia Sports Bra. At $46, it's not cheap. But it's comfortable, and -- well, let's just say that I can no longer use that excuse for not running.

That funky gym smell

2009-07-17T22:38:00.007-04:00

We've been going to the gym 3 times a week for several weeks now, and it's starting to feel really normal. I'm beginning to figure out the cleaning schedule because there are some days when that funky gym smell is more apparent than others. I'm noticing that the pool closes early on Tuesdays, so I guess that's when it gets cleaned.

I'm starting to notice other things, too. The front door, which has been broken (and has a "please use other door" sign taped to it) since we started going, still hasn't been fixed. The vending machine that sells water and Gatorade has been broken for a week. One of the biceps curl machines is broken and has had a sign on it for as long as I can remember. It just seems as if everything is falling apart. And yet this is a fairly new gym (about two years old). So what's up with that?

I'm also starting to notice that I'm seeing some of the same people over and over again, like the two young men (brothers?) who gawk at this one particularly attractive woman with blonde hair, and the lady with the really big arm muscles, and the old man who looks like he could be a retired Army drill sergeant. I'm learning the names of the trainers, and observing that they do the exact same thing with every client, regardless of the variations in client. Which is kind of frightening, really.

Oh, well. It's just the place we go to do the things we need to do. Got to keep that goal in mind.

The hardest thing

2009-07-13T22:13:00.006-04:00

I was not feeling well at work today . . . had a mild headache and felt very tired . . . anyway, it was one of those days that I could have so easily wimped my way out of going to the gym. But when you're training with a partner, you have to be accountable! So after work, off we went.

Funny thing was, once we were there, and dressed, and warming up on the recumbent bike, I felt fine. I was thinking thoughts like: "Hmm. I'm getting kind of used to the funky gym smell" and "Hmm, I'm starting to enjoy this whole workout thing." I looked over at S, who was on the bike next to me, and shared my thoughts. To which she replied: "Yeah. It's sort of like . . . church. Getting there is the hardest thing."

For some reason this cracked me up. I don't know why. Maybe you just have to know S like I do to appreciate it. But it was funny. I told her it was going to be in tonight's blog entry. I don't know whether or not she believed me, though.

Anyway, I'm so glad I went tonight. I had one of the best workouts ever. I gave it 100%. I'll be dragging tomorrow, I suppose. Better go take that hot bath now . . .

No pain, no gain

2009-07-10T22:12:00.007-04:00

My trainers tell me that when you do strength training, you actually sort of tear your muscles, and that's what makes you feel sore afterward (in my case, sometimes for days.) However, this "tearing" is what enables muscles to get stronger, because apparently "new" muscle is created during the healing process. (OK, the scientific-ness of this statement is not going to be proven in this entry. Don't have time for that tonight!)

Anyway, lots of people try anything to alleviate the soreness associated with strength training. Personally, I've tried hot baths, cold compresses, massage therapy, NSAIDs, and even Lortab to help me sleep through the night without waking up all sore. But lately we've found two other things that really help.

The first thing is something we've been doing immediately after we work out at the fitness center: we sit for ten to fifteen minutes in the dry sauna. I'd already heard plenty on the benefits of sauna from my friend Jaana from Finland. :-) Well, it's true. Just by sitting in the sauna, you can lose - like, 500 pounds. OK, maybe not that much, but you can really lose weight. Water weight. Whatever. It feels good. OK, maybe not when you're in there, but it feels good later on, because your muscles aren't as sore as they would have been otherwise.

The second thing is lavender oil. I'm not exactly sure what's in this stuff (maybe just lavender and olive oil?) but my Mom and my friend T both make it, so I have my "sources." This stuff is better than any muscle pain product I've ever bought in a store. And it works. It even worked on Sandy's knee - and she's the most skeptical person in the world, so that says something.

No pain, no gain? No more!

Trailblazer award #1

2009-07-07T18:48:00.006-04:00

This is going to be the start of an intermittent series of blog entries about people who motivate us. Today we'd like to call out K, one of our friends from Vienna. When I look back to our decision to hike the Inca Trail, I know it all started with K's visit to Indy several weeks ago, when she shared with us that she had been participating in a training program to prepare for an upcoming Mt. Kilamanjaro climb in Tanzania.

K is already in excellent shape: she's a runner, very long and lean. She wasn't so much worried about the climb as the altitude, although she does have the advantage of living within a relatively short drive of some serious mountains. The thing that impressed me, though, is that when she stayed with us a few weeks ago, she got up early (like, 5:30AM) and went out for a run. She ran around our neighborhood loop 9 times . . . which is 18.9 miles. Um, yeah, she ran 30K, and that was before breakfast.

The time for the trip to Mt. Kilamanjaro is rapidly approaching. This time next week, she'll be there. So the first ever Mariandy Trailblazer Award goes to you, K. You are one of our heroes! Good luck and best wishes. :-)))

This stuff is for weenies

2009-06-29T20:55:00.002-04:00

Day 1, for real this time. Our spreadsheet instructed us to walk for 10 minutes. Thing is, we're way past that already, so walking for 10 minutes was way too easy, like taking several steps backwards. And the weather here is just so perfect today . . .

. . . OK, so you probably expect me to say that we walked the equivalent of a half marathon, or at least a 5K. But the truth is, we pretty much stuck to the plan. Why? Because when you're following a plan, that's what you do. If you allow yourself to submit to temptation too soon, you make yourself vulnerable to injuries and other mishaps. I know, because this is something I've struggled with in the past. I remember (as if it were yesterday) what it felt like one crisp October day just nine years ago when I felt "ready" to start running (after months of regular walking). I was like a baby colt that, once I figured out how to stand, was ready to run. I hadn't run a half mile when my ankle turned and I fell, fracturing my lower right fibula in the process. I can still feel this injury all this time later - I can even predict the weather with it sometimes.

So, despite the temptation, we're starting slow. At least it's a start.

The winning plan revealed

2009-06-27T20:46:00.007-04:00

Just to follow up from my most recent entry, I actually did work out at the company fitness center in Toronto last week. :-)

A few weeks ago, S and I talked to a couple of potential trainers in search of a program that would help us meet our goal of being able to hike the Inca trail by September of 2010. I wrote something about the three trainers we met with, but I didn't give any details about Candidate B's plan. That was because she went away with the assignment to create a plan and then email it to us later.

We received the plan before I went to Toronto, but I didn't have much time to look it over. I've just reviewed it, and in terms of a written plan it's exactly what we were looking for. Basically, it's a day-by-day plan (starting from zero) to get us into shape to walk 30K. It goes something like this:

Mondays - short walk (progressively increases in time/distance)

Tuesdays - cross-training/cardio

Wednesdays - upper and lower body strength training

Thursdays - cross-training/cardio

Fridays - rest day

Saturdays - long walk (also progressive)

Sundays - rest day

This is the "plan" we'll be using. Personally, I want to supplement this with some additional strength training, as I don't think one day a week is enough for that (but again, I have to remember to keep the goal in mind). We'll be checking in with Candidate B (whom we can now call by her name - Lisa) periodically, but this is pretty much a do-it-yourself program, so we are responsible - and accountable to ourselves and each other. We still plan to have sessions with Candidate C (whom we can now refer to as Patrick) a couple of times a month, starting sometime mid-July.

Kick-off day is Monday. I'll keep you posted - of course!

Confessions of a business traveler

2009-06-23T21:33:00.003-04:00

I'm in Toronto on business this week . . . and I'm learning just how challenging it is to be "on a program" while away on business travel. It kind of sucks, really. I mean, back home you can get into a routine. You can shop for your food, prepare your food, measure and pack your food - in other words, you can control your food. When you're away on business you have to rely on others to prepare the food for you. There are only two choices: grilled chicken salads . . . or everything else.

And when you're in a place like Toronto, which has one of the widest varieties of cuisines I've ever seen anywhere in the world (Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Thai, organic, vegetarian, etc.) . . . well, grilled chicken salads are just plain boring.

Then there's the exercise thing. OK. The truth is, I have no excuse for not exercising. The fitness center is just a short walk down the hall from my hotel room. But I haven't checked it out. There's even a fitness center at the office that I could use.

Maybe I'll take my workout clothes to work tomorrow.

I digress over trapezoids

2009-06-19T23:33:00.006-04:00

First of all, it's taken me two hours to write this entry because I got sidetracked. I was describing how in a recent workout, I'd observed that it felt really good to use the strength training machines that focus on trapezoids. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I wasn't sure if we have one or two trapezoids. I mean, do we have just one that covers the whole back? Or do we have one on each side? See what I mean? It was all downhill from there.

I just had to get the answer, so I popped on over to Google to look it up. Interestingly, it seems that even on the internet, no one's really sure what to call this thing. Some call it trapezoid muscle, others call it trapezius muscle or just plain trapezius. According to Wikipedia, there are two trapezius muscles. Does that mean there are two trapezoids? Bodybuilding.com refers to a singular trapezius muscle and says that it (again, singular) is bigger than the abdominals (does that mean there is more than one abdominal muscle?) In its online dictionary, Medfamily.org has an entry for trapezoid muscle but starts its definition with "The trapezius is a flat, triangular muscle . . ." So that's two votes for Singular, one for Plural. And those were just the first three Google Search results of some 239,000 possibilities.

Fortunately, I don't have the time or patience to go further than that. But I do want to locate my old anatomy textbook and see what it has to say. Unfortunately, it's somewhere in a box in the basement, whereas the internet is right here with me, in my cozy little bed, so I don't have to move.

I think I'm going to go with trapezoids. Good. That's settled. OK, so what was it that I was going to write about tonight? I can't remember now, thanks to this little detour. Oh, well.

Rest day

2009-06-14T18:10:00.006-04:00

When I woke up this morning, I was so sore from yesterday's workout that I didn't want to get out of bed. Since "Candidate C" told us yesterday that we should have one Rest Day a week, we both quickly decided that it would be today! So instead of going swimming, I'm going to spend most of the day getting caught up on other stuff, like Facebook, email, and reading. Back to the program on Monday!

Strengths and weaknesses

2009-06-13T23:16:00.010-04:00

Today we drove up to the northeast side of town and met with personal trainer "Candidate C." C is a bodybuilder and former Marine, so his approach is on building muscle. He works out of a "personal training facility" (as opposed to a fitness center) and teaches boot camp classes. Sound intimidating yet?!! Fortunately, C doesn't expect us to be able to drop and do 50 pushups. At least not right away. :-)

First, we sat down and discussed goals . . . we've been through that before with the others, of course. But C did something different. He told us his story: how he changed and how he observed the bodies of new Marines change in their 3 month boot camp; how Marines never knew how far they would have to run at the beginning of a run (because knowing can mess with your mind in that it can make you set limitations); how later in life he became ill, and how he was able to recover from his illness through a combination of bodybuilding and dietary modifications. We even saw his "before" and "after" photos - quite impressive.

C also talked about the importance of good nutrition and dietary supplements. He suggests a diet high in lean proteins, vegetables, and whole grains, with reductions in sugar and processed carbs. A one-day-a-week "Cheat Day" is allowed . . . so at least once a week, you can eat whatever you want if you "eat Clean" the other days. C encourages taking a "good" multivitamin every day, as well as some sort of Omega 3 supplement such as fish or flax oil. He also recommended taking a ribose supplement to aid muscle recovery. He also asked us to start keeping a food journal, and gave us notice that he will want to see it. We thought it was great to hear a personal trainer talking about these things, because we know that the actual "exercise" is only one part of getting back into shape.

Before we went into the gym area, C showed us the prices for this personal training facility's services, emphasizing that there were no contracts, no up-front fees, no expectations except for that we do what fits our needs. We could purchase 1 to 3 one-hour sessions (for the both of us) for $70 per session; 4 to 11 sessions for $60 per session; or 12 or more sessions for $50 each. He told us to think about it (no pressure!) and let him know when we were ready.

Everything sounded good so far, so we headed into the back. One thing we both really liked was that . . . no one else was there. (It may not always be this way, but it's unlikely that this gym will ever be crowded due to the personal aspect of the service.) C explained that he'd like to have us do a few exercises to sort of get a baseline of where we are now. We started with some tricep machines, and quickly found out that we were capable of pulling lots more weight than we realized. In fact, I did 10 reps on a triceps pull machine, pulling 110 pounds easily.

But then we had to climb up onto this machine that uses our own body weight as leverage to help us do chin-ups. You're supposed to use your deltoids (I think) and your body weight to pull yourself up, and I couldn't do it to save my life. S did it easily, so I thought: "Surely, I was just doing something wrong" and tried it again, to no avail. So . . . my triceps may be pretty strong, but my deltoids need some serious help. I would later find out that while I can do squats OK (not that it doesn't burn, 'cause it does!) but that I need some help with lunges. Now I know what I need to do.

Another thing that C noticed is that I tend to be stronger on my left side, while S is stronger on her right side. He says that he can see it when we lift or when we do a particular movement. Meaning: neither of us is symmetrical in our strength. Does this surprise me given that it's always my right knee, my right ankle, my right shoulder, etc. that I have problems with? Hmmm!!!

As we went along, C talked with us about the importance of breathing (breathe out on the exertion, in on the release) and proper form (you need to be focusing on the specific body part you're working on.) And to think we had always thought the machines did the work for us!

The floor exercises . . . oh, I HATE them!!! I HATE crunches!!! I HATE doing anything that requires me to put my legs at a 90 degree angle (because it's HARD!!! Insert whiny voice here!) But . . . this will be necessary. I have a feeling that I shouldn't tell C what I hate, because he'll make me do it more often! :-)

But the one think I really enjoyed was kicking Bob. Bob is this plastic/rubbery man thing that you can punch or kick. I kicked him 10 times with each leg, and it felt good! In fact, everything felt pretty good. I had so much energy after the workout, I felt like I could do way more.

We really liked "Candidate C" and although we haven't done anything official, we want to work with him at least a couple of times a month. (This doesn't mean that we won't also work with "Candidate B" . . . but we don't have her plan yet, so the jury's still out on that one.)

The academic approach

2009-06-11T20:42:00.008-04:00

This afternoon we met with personal trainer "Candidate B" at our company's fitness facility. "B" (short for Candidate B) is a young female, very fit and energetic (but not annoyingly so) and probably not long out of university. Since the trainers at our company gym are associated with a local university's fitness program, they take a very academic approach to fitness. Even B's demeanor was radically different from the snake-oil salesman of two days ago: she was calm, professional, and helpful - not pushy in any way.

The first thing she did was have us sit down and talk about our goals. She'd never heard of Machu Picchu, and I'm beginning to realize there's some truth to the rumors that Americans are geographically illiterate. Nevertheless, she quickly pointed out the importance of being in shape not just for the trek but for the altitude.

We didn't have a sample workout, because B used that time to let us talk about what we do and don't want in a program. I, for example, am not willing to get up early to work out, or to do a boot camp sort of thing. S is not a morning person, either - and she doesn't particularly want to do circuit training because her cube neighbor at work is always talking about how it kills him. Other than that, we're cool.

She asked us how often we'd want to get together and how we would want to work together. We said that the ideal for us would be to touch base weekly - but not necessarily by working out there at the company gym because the truth is, neither one of us wants to work out in front of our co-workers (even though we love them all!!!) There's just something about that, at least for me, that I find creepy. Maybe when I'm all fit and buff I won't mind it. :-)

B's going to work out a program for us . . . on a spreadsheet, no less (woo-hoo!) and send it to us via email in about a week. We're going to get together again in early July to figure out where we go next. Will this be the program for us? I don't know yet.

Interestingly, nothing at all was said about money. Perhaps it's a company benefit. Wouldn't that be great? Or maybe she's just waiting until we meet again to talk $. We'll see.

Pushing the hard sell

2009-06-09T22:06:00.011-04:00

This week's goal is to find a personal trainer or training program that fits our specific needs and goals. We're meeting with and/or talking with several different personal trainers over the next few days. Tonight's entry is on our experience with "Candidate A." (I'm not going to identify any of the candidates until after we make our decision.)

"Candidate A" is associated with a very large, chain fitness center. This candidate received 2 strikes very quickly: first, because the person we had our appointment with didn't show up. That's right! When we arrived, after waiting around for 5-10 minutes, we were told that our appointment would be with Trainer 2 instead of Trainer 1. Hmm. OK. Well, not only did we have a personnel change, but Trainer 2 was also running 15 minutes behind. So would we mind going upstairs, maybe, and doing some warmups on one of the zillion cycles or treadmills?

We headed upstairs, and that 15 minutes turned into 20. Finally, Trainer 2 caught our attention and waved us to come back downstairs. After the formal introductions and shaking of hands, we were guided to one of several cubicles, and asked to fill out a generic questionnaire asking typical demographics questions and additional questions like: What is your goal? Have you ever worked with a personal trainer? How many times have you tried and failed to reach your goal? Etc. We were given about 5 minutes to complete the questionnaire, and the Trainer took a few more minutes to verify some of the information. We then stepped on the scales, and the Trainer recorded our weight on the questionnaire sheets. After this, he entered some data into this little device that looks sort of like a steering wheel for a video game. We were each asked to hold on to this device for a few seconds, and voila! Somehow this little thingie calculated our body fat percentage and body mass index. (Sorry, but I'm not writing any numbers down tonight! Let's just say it wasn't pretty.)

After this, the trainer shared with us some general tips. I can't say there was anything new for me here. For example, he said that we should be eating 4 to 6 small meals a day instead of the traditional 3 meals. I've already been doing this for a while, and it works for me because I never feel hungry. He also said that when we're doing strength training, we should exercise certain muscle groups during a given workout - e.g., on Mondays, focus on biceps, upper back and shoulders; on Wednesdays, focus on abs and legs; on Fridays, focus on triceps and lower back. Circuit training, said he, is bad because it doesn't allow the muscles to fully recover between workouts. This isn't really new to me either, but I was glad for S to hear (because whenever I tell her things like this, she never listens to me. LOL!)

Then it was time for the sample workout. The trainer had us do some more warmup on the upstairs treadmill, then after five minutes or so met us back down on the gym floor. He had us doing different things - for example, while S did ab crunches with an exercise ball, I was doing a weird sort of squat holding 25 pounds of metal in my hands. Then we'd switch places, so that we each did the same exercises. While we were doing these moves, the Trainer would motivate us by using words and phrases such as "Great!" "Good job!" and "You can do it!" (I have to admit, that was kind of nice.) We both put a great deal of effort into the workout, and it was fairly taxing (about a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being highest). I'm sure we're going to feel it tomorrow.

When the workout was over, we returned to the cubicle for . . . the hard sell. The trainer took out a sheet of paper and showed us the prices. There were three different packages based on whether you sign up for 3 months, 6 months, or a full year of personal training services. Then within each of those categories, you can choose how many times a month you want to work with a trainer. The absolute minimum cost shown was to meet once a week for one year with the trainer. For that option, first, we would each have to pay an initiation fee of $179. Then, we would each have to pay $160 per month for one (30 minute) session per week - or $40 per session, plus the initiation fee.

Of course, we quickly balked, and this is where the real fun began. Suddenly, we weren't in a fitness center. We were at . . . a car dealership! "Let me go get my manager (nudge, nudge, wink wink) and see if he can do anything for you," said the Trainer. Out of the shadows appears a very slick, well-trained young salesman, who used everything he could possibly remember from his sales training class to convince us to select a package right then and there. When we didn't show enough enthusiasm, he began to question why we were really there: "don't you want to meet your goals of . . . (glancing at our completed questionnaires to see what we wrote) . . . um, hiking the Inca trail in Peru? Hmm, never heard that one before."

We continued to resist, so Mr. Manager went to his next tactic: "Is it the price? Is that it? Well, let me ask you this . . . what price would you put on your health?" He asked us what we would be willing to pay: would we pay $5 per session? We said: sure! Well, that just wouldn't be fair, he pronounced, sitting back into his chair. Because they have to pay for personal trainer insurance in addition to the salaries of the personal trainers, and that just wouldn't be realistic, would it? However, he might be able to - OK, he would! - waive the initiation fee. And he might just be able to cut down the price to $80 each instead of $160 each per month . . . if we would share the four sessions (me do one week, S do the next, etc.) IF we would sign on the dotted line, right then!

S calmly explained that we were looking into our options, that we had a couple of other possibilities to check out. Mr. Manager looked truly disappointed, as if we'd just licked the icing off of his cake. I think - maybe - I even saw him bat his eyelashes at her. But to no avail. S drives a hard bargain. Must have been all those years she spent living in the Middle East.

When our resolves still failed to weaken, Mr. Manager went for the really hard sell. He said that . . . the real thing his personal trainers could give us . . . was KNOWLEDGE. Oooohh. At this point, I began to feel a little like a person who rejects the teachings of a church, only to be told that she is now doomed to go to Hell. Because now . . . well, if we don't buy into the program . . . well, then . . . we're just not going to meet our goals! There is only one way to your goal, and this is it! It's our way or no way!

When I could finally take no more, I announced: "Here's the deal. We're NOT going to make a decision tonight. That's just the way it is. We'll make our decision in a week or so, and if this is what we decide, then we'll do something." (I felt so empowered in that moment, I must say.)

Mr. Manager sat back in his chair, and shook his head. "Well, I can only say that this offer I give you tonight - which is a very good offer, one of the best I've ever made - will only be good until tomorrow. If you wait until next week, I can't waive the initiation fee or guarantee any sort of discount."

To be continued . . .

Finding a place to train

2009-06-07T20:53:00.012-04:00

First of all, we're no strangers to fitness facilities. During our 8+ years living in Indy, we've been "members" of various places: the YMCA; a local fitness club for females; and a health center affiliated with our local university. There was always a reason we weren't satisfied with these places: the YMCA was too crowded; the women-only place wasn't open on Sundays and the equipment was old; it was difficult to find parking at the university. Well, you know how it goes. When the shoe doesn't quite fit, you don't wear it. Even if it's really an excuse.

Today we went over to our local LA Fitness. This 64 trillion square foot facility (yes, I'm exaggerating - slightly) is the biggest fitness center I've ever seen, perhaps with the exception of the awesome Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC) at Indiana University-Bloomington. LA Fitness has everything you could possibly want in a fitness center, from cardio and strength machines to a pool (and hot tub and dry sauna), racquetball courts, and numerous group classes to choose from. It wasn't too crowded for a Sunday afternoon. But the thing we liked most of all is the hours. It's open from 5:45 in the morning until midnight four nights a week, and open late enough for us on the other nights.

We were able to get a really good deal on both the initiation fee AND the monthly fee, and there's no contract. We went for it, so now we have a place to train. Now what we need is a program. We're exploring our options for that this week. In the meantime, we had our first strength workout today in a while, and it felt great!

Get movin'

2009-06-04T21:08:00.006-04:00

Realizing we had to start somewhere, S and I got moving today. Neither of us is totally inexperienced at this training thing- we just haven't done it in a while. S has climbed many mountains (and forded many streams) in many interesting places, from the Bavarian Alps to the Himalayas. She did the Milford Track in New Zealand and completed an Outward Bound course in Colorado. And I completed the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in 2001 (as a walker, but so what?! I still got the medal!) We've both been through various training programs in the past, and we know that they work - if you stick to them.

Our unofficial training officially started today. For the next week or so, while we explore our options and seek out the right personal trainer, our goal is just to get out there and move. So tonight we put on our sweats and Asics and headed out into the suburban wilderness. OK, we made the mistake of taking the dogs . . . but when they saw us lacing up our shoes, they started going nuts. We didn't have the heart to say no. This time.

We walked for 35 minutes, covering a distance of 2.1 miles. I know this is probably a laughable metric for my runner friends/family members, but remember, we had the dogs with us, and one of them is a male who has to stop every hundred yards or so to "check his pee mail." The point is that we got up off the couch, stepped away from the MacBooks, and actually did something. Tomorrow, and the next day, and the next . . . we'll do it again. At least, that's the plan.

We're actively looking for a training program and a personal trainer now. So if you have some advice for us, please let us know! We'd love to hear from you. :-)

Plant a seed and watch it grow

2009-06-03T22:43:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone, this is Marianne, also known as Mariandy because I write not just for myself but also for Sandy, my BFF. I'd like to welcome you to our newest blog. Like any blog, this one has a theme: to document the grueling months ahead as we plan and train for our 2010 trip to Peru and hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Here's what I can tell you so far:

We're doing this because Sandy (henceforth referred to as S) has a certain birthday next year, and wants to do something special to commemorate it. She's never been to South America and has always wanted to see Machu Picchu.
Our dentista (with whom I am not speaking to at the moment, because I'm mad at her. OK, really I'm not mad at her. But this is all her fault) told S that she really HAD to hike the trail if she was going to go to Machu Picchu, because it's SO AWESOME and IF YOU DON'T DO IT, YOU'LL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Thanks, Dentista. I had really hoped to take the funicular.
But the thing is . . . both of us are overweight and out of shape, and the last time we've done any serious hiking was, like, 1975. OK, really, it was 2001 or so, or whenever it was that we went to Isle Royale National Park. But Isle Royale is flat and at sea level. Machu Picchu is in the mountains. Wayyyyy up in the mountains. So high that people who aren't used to it can get altitude sickness. Therefore, we have no choice but to train for this, um, adventure. I repeat: thanks, Dentista.

We haven't set a date yet for going. We haven't even determined our strategy for training. But hey, that's part of the adventure, right? And this blog had to start somewhere. So. Here we go. Bookmark us, or sign up to be a follower, and join us on this journey that we're sure you're going to enjoy - whether or not we do!