Day 3

Sorry I couldn't give an update last night on Day 2.  The Internet was out in my room.
The power went out around 6PM today and just came back on 10 minutes ago.
The highlights from Day 2: everyone's emotions were/are running high. Several people have disappeared. I assume they are hiding in their rooms and will reappear when the weather is less horrible. Then again, I am finding that there are many Type A people here, people who want/need to be successful at everything they try and if they can't be fabulous, then scrap the whole thing.

I know. You're thinking: It takes one, to know one. And, you are absolutely right! However, I am learning that there is a middle ground and even if I can't workout for the entire hour at 100%, working out at 75% is better than nothing. I hope, I remember that when I get home and my head is full of excuses at 5:30AM, or after a long day of work. If nothing else, I have learned that I can still workout although I am tired. I have been doing it for more than 2 days now!!!

When I arrived this past Sunday, the locals were saying that it hadn't rained for 5 days in a row in 14+ years. But, now the shear volume of water has them remembering 5 years ago when many homes were washed away in the area--St. George. They are worried. However, the staff folks are still trying to put on a brave face for the rest of us and are repeatedly reminding us of why we signed up for this and not to let a bit of rain stop us. 

Highlights for Day 3:

• All hiking trails were breached by water. So, we hiked the neighboring streets. It was miserable. But, I made it to the bottom of Red Mountain. Getting there seemed to be a 45 degree angle all the way and the higher elevations felt like I was breathing with a pillow on my face. But, I MADE IT.  Actually, I sort of had to because one of the guides was a 65-70 year old woman, who felt compelled to keep checking on me. I couldn't die right in front of her. She was soooo concerned. I just smiled and said I was fine. Next thing you know, I was. I had survived.
• I rocked in all of my afternoon classes. 1 Kickboxing, which made Taebo laughable and 2 Mountain classes. In the Mountain class, you are working out on a cardio machine. (I chose an elliptical and then a recumbent bike.) You start in your low-medium range and then every 3 minutes you increase speed or resistance for a total of 12 increases. At the top of your mountain, you hang-out for an additional 3 minutes, giving it all you've got the last minute and half. I got up to level 13 on the elliptical, with speed 9....I threw up in my mouth a little bit when I finished. Yet, I was proud.

Here is the best part! I did all of that on 800 friggin' calories and was not hungry. I am beginning to belief that when you eat the right foods, they really do fuel your body.  This crazy little muffin, with a 1/2 cup of fruit kept me going through the 2.5 hr hike and an aerobics class. You gotta make them.

Chef Cameron's Muffins

3/4 C    oat flour

3/4 C    instant oats

1/2 tsp  baking soda

2 tsp     baking powder

1/4 C   dehydrated cane sugar

1/4 C   egg (1 large egg)

1 T      cinnamon

1 t       vanilla

1 T     pecans

1/3 C  frozen peaches chopped (you may use any fruit)

1/3 C  applesauce

2/3 C  apple juice

Mix well. Fill 6 jumbo muffin tins three qtrs full.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Check around 20 min for lower elevations.

Drizzle with small amount of honey on top. Serve warm.

They can be frozen for about a week.

Thanks to everyone cheering me on. I really do remind myself of your encouragement when I am ready to hide. (This is especially true because I doubt THEY would find me. Some of the THEY think my name is Cheryl, married to some guy name Larry. Larry's real wife's name is Keisha. LOL.)

Until tomorrow. Lord willing and the creek don't rise--some more!