I
think I got a booty call(ing)
“That was a barf inducing set.” These were the words that came out of my
mouth mid-workout on Monday, August 13th at Juno’s nighty night boot camp. Or
what is often referred to as “booty camp.” Don’t worry, continue on with
grabbing that kettlebell, I didn’t lose my lunch on it.
My name is
Julie, and I just moved from Chicago to Berkeley just over 3 months ago. I am a
sugar-loving, I-would-do-anything-for-some-chocolate-pescatarian- vegan-marathon
runner. I have been marathon and ultra-marathon training for the past 5 years, and
jumped right into trail running and racing within weeks of arriving in the bay
area. I haven’t always been competitive and I did think at one point not too
long ago that running a marathon was fucking crazy and stupid. Why would anyone
want to run longer than I even like to drive?
So what! What does Juno have to do with
this? Though active, I
am pretty hard on myself. I have always
hated the scale and the full-length mirror. I am not one to run around screaming, “I am so
fat!” But, I am one self-conscious mother. As the years pass, I have realized
one pair of Spanks just ain’t cutting it, that my abdominal region is a magnet
for every single thing I eat, and that I can knock someone out with my arm flab
trying to hail a cab. My jeans are still my worst judge on how fit I am. Right
now my jeans are awfully critical.
Within my
first week here, I was craving a new challenge and a new community of
like-minded people who are outgoing, kind, and like to kick ass. Running was
great, but something was missing. I did some research and first tried the Daily
Method, which is hard as hell, but I didn’t sweat, so I didn’t like it. I knew
I wanted some direction—I wanted someone to tell me what to do, hold me
accountable, and to yell at me. I Googled and Yelped gyms in the Berkeley area,
seeking out a boot(y) camp-style workout. I read the reviews and checked out the
website and knew I had to try Juno. My first class was on June 27th
with Juliet, and dayyyum my body hurt for days after! I was immediately
addicted. The class was not only challenging, but my booty classmates, Juliet,
and Willow were all so kind, supportive, and non-judgmental on how much I could
not lift. Juliet and Willow were great about paying attention to every person’s
form, and made sure that no one was slacking. I have never been to a class like
this before, and it was so encouraging to know that anyone of any ability was
welcome to join. After my first class, I immediately signed up for the 6 a.m.
July boot(y)camp class. What was I thinking.
Let’s just say
I think I made it to two classes. A 5 a.m. wake-up call did not suit me,
clearly. In addition to waking up at the asscrack of dawn (I give mad props to
those who can do this), I was also still competitively running and often found
myself in days of pain after a race that I was not physically able to even look
at a kettlebell. I spent most of July
doing some athletic soul searching. I was suddenly bored with running and
dreaded my daily run workouts. I would walk in the door from work and want to
spat on my trail shoes (I actually might have spat on them, now that I think
about it). I pretty much became sedentary and refused to run, using any excuse
I could to get out of my mileage. I realized that I lost my big picture goal,
or, perhaps I reached it. I placed third in my marathon age group just over a
month ago, and I completed 35 mile ultra-marathon last October in Chicago. It
was my ultimate goal, and now I realized I needed something new. It was an
emotional realization for me. At first I felt like a quitter. Who quits the one
activity they have loved for the past 5 years? Running and competitiveness
defined who I was for so long. I realize, though, that my love doesn’t have to
completely go away, but it is time to refocus; it is time to try a new poison
and a new barf and sweat-inducing love that brings out my
inner-competitiveness.
I attended the
OKC East Bay Kettlebell competition on Saturday, August 11th at Juno. This was
the first kettlebell competition I had been to. I dabbled in Cross Fit back in
Chicago, which is where I played with my first kettlebell. That weight with a
handle is not as easy to throw around as it may look! I watched strong and
dedicated athletes do what they love, and was lucky to experience just a little
bit of what this community is all about: Awesomeness. Each and every athlete
clearly connected their mental and physical strength, and gave the competition
all they had. I was so inspired by the
sport and the dedication it clearly takes. I only knew one person competing and
I found myself so proud of every person in the room. I left knowing I wanted to
set a new goal.
So…here it is.
The
measurements and the meat:
39 inch bust, 31 inch waist, 39 inch hips
Height: 5’8’’
Current
weight: 156 pounds
My
goals (in a nutshell):
·
Most
importantly, I want to engage my mind and body in a new, challenging way.
·
I
would love to be able to wave my arms and not say hello twice with my flab and
ditch the belly fat.
·
I
would like to break 150 pounds—I would be happy with 149.
·
It
would be pretty cool to have at least a semi-decent looking snatch (with a
kettlebell, you perv).
So, how in the hell am I going to get
there?
The
sweaty stuff:
·
For
two months, August 13 - October 13, I have committed myself to attend boot(y)
camp classes two times a week at Juno.
(I will of course attend after my two month goal, but I need to have an
end date in site for my flab loss and muscle gaining goals.)
·
In
addition, I am incorporating at least 45-60 minutes of cardio, 3 days a week.
This could be running, the elliptical, cycling, whatever my little heart and
big ass desire.
·
And,
last but not least, I will lift weights on one additional day during the week.
The
diet:
·
I
am a vegan who eats fish, but I eat out A LOT! It’s probably a good thing
Berkeley is not known for its overabundance of drive-through food joints. I
often eat salads, veggie burgers, or tofu scrambles, but not knowing EXACTLY
what the hell is in my food is vexing and clearly adding to my big-ass
(literally) problem. That being said, I am committing to only eating out for
dinner 2 times a week and lunch 2 times a week for two months.
·
Dark
chocolate is the second love of my life, so I am committing to giving up any
candy and chocolate for 2 months.
·
Alcohol:
Anyone that knows me well knows I love me a good Belgian Ale or porter. Though
I am not a daily consumer, I have committed myself to not drink any alcohol for
the first month.
**Disclaimer**Labor
Day, however, will be the only exception to these rules, as my best friend is
visiting from Chicago, and he is shipping me my favorite brew from my favorite
pub.
Last but not
least, why in the hell have I decided to blog about this and think you care?
I
want to be held accountable. Now if you don’t see me at boot(y)camp you can
judge me, and if you see me slacking in class you have free reign to yell at
me.
