What do you do as a workout now that you're not dancing 9 hours a day?
It's a good question - and one I get quite frequently since I retired from a career where I worked out for a living. So, how do I replace 9 hours worth of physical work a day, with a one-hour workout?
Between experimenting with different classes, from boxing to spinning, swimming and more, I recently stumbled into an unlikely workout regimen that has me up very, very early in the morning - The Wall Street Decathlon.
I know. Not what you expected. It's definitely not what I would ever have guessed I would be doing a year out of retirement either. But hear me out. The event itself is being held on the 22nd of July at the MIT track and field. It is a fundraiser with all proceeds going to Dana Farber Cancer Research. As commendable as it is, come event day, I will be cheering from the bleachers. It's the trainings, you see, that are most interesting to me.
A happy, fit, and tired looking team!
The workouts are at 5:45 am, every Monday and Thursday. Our group consists of between 8-10 people, three women (including myself) and a whole lot of competitive energy. We do a dynamic warm up with exercises I find both challenging and fun. Then we move on to running drills and finally the weight portion.
What's been most interesting for me, is seeing how my body reacts to this different type of workout. I feel much stronger in ways that I bet would have helped me out as a dancer. Surprisingly, my calves, always my nemesis, are now much stronger and I am actually considering testing them out in the studio someday in the near future - just for fun though:)
Of course...I do my own thing every once in a while!
On the 22nd of July, the competitors will head to the MIT track and field, all revved and ready to go, I get to hang out and cheer on my workout mates, knowing how difficult the stunts they perform really are. For me, it's not about the end game, it's really about the journey, the consistent camaraderie and having stumbled upon something drastically different, but very fulfilling.
For those of you in town on the 22nd, I highly recommend stopping by the stadium to show your support. If you can't make it, send along a contribution to either Max or John's fundraising efforts who have each been doing this competition for over 5 years now! I know one thing is for sure, I am going to miss these workouts once the event is over...looks like I will be on the lookout for other early am workout again soon...