PAPARAZZI!





Crucible Vets (and instructors)
Nice job guys!

Niki & Lauren

These are some of the coolest people I know.... and this group photo was taken AFTER four hours of Indoor Cycle, Boot Camp and Hard Core.

The journey started at 8:00 am sharp. Everyone was on time and signed in upstairs at the PT desk (Hey Rich...don't ask...just do it...fuggedaboutit). Our charming instructors Niki and Lauren were there to greet them with their group assignment and give them a little extra inspiration before all headed down to the Spin Room for the first 60 minutes....An Endurance and Interval Ride with Lauren, Niki and Marty (who you'll see in photos later). 

Two Priceless Jules!

While Chris, Megan D, and I waited patiently for the first spin ride to finish so we could ramp up the Boot Camp portion, everyone downstairs had a smile and some even gave the thumbs up. Little did they know how much "fun" we had in store for them. Four hours of fun to be exact. MWAHAHAHAHA! Ok I'm not really that scary (don't believe everything you hear).

Anyway, the first ride went well and everyone enjoyed themselves. With Marty's disco, Niki's club music and Lauren's edgier mixes, how could they not?


Chris - Prison Style Pushups



Lauren - Jump Rope/Pushups



At 9:00, after a quick demonstration by our awesome instructors, the Crucible participants are ready to head in for Round 2 (affectionately refered to as "Done in 3,2,1").

Round 2 consisted of six stations made up of a mixture of cardio, core, and body weight upper and lower body exercises. There's not much else to say but the participants rocked it out and in 40 minutes they were ready for Round 3 (six different Crucible Stations).



Jules giving us the
"thumbs up" at the start
of Race Day.


Boot Camp/Core ended after close to 90 minutes of 3,2,1 fun and our Crucible peeps were ready for Round 4....a 60 minute Race Day Ride with Megan D and Michelle. (Insert smiley face here).


I mean come on...who wouldn't
love to hang with us?



After a quick rally at the top of the steps, we all ran back to the Spin Room to take a bite out of this morning! There were no mixed feelings heading into Race Day. Each and every participant approached the ride like a champion pushing for the finish line. To this day I'm not sure if it was the excitement of being so close to the end or the excitement of knowing they get to hang with Meg and me for the next 60 minutes. Probably a little of both.

Anyway, everyone finished up like champs and the last and final round took us back upstairs for 15 minutes of standing strength, cool down and stretching with Lauren (aka Superstar). After the most amazing stretching, we drew names and handed out some great prizes. Last but not least, we all geared up for our After Party fun!!

Fun? YES - fun. I mean c'mon - after burning over 3300 calories.....don't you think you deserve a little of this.......



Thanks Marios!



Lauren, Julia Goolia, & Marty

We hit up Mario's in the Southside and everyone had an opportunity to play some tunes, eat some great food, drink some refreshing drinks and spend a little time getting to know the people they just spent the last four hours with!


Chicken Thumbs (aka Megs),
Michelle & Meg D





Its a small but distinguished group, these Crucible Vets. Every single one took on the event with no fear. Every single one finished like a champ. Every single one is proud of their accomplishments and can't wait for what's next.

I know that I speak for all of the instructors who participated (Marty, Lauren, Niki, Chris, Megan D and me) when I say that we can't wait for Crucible's Revenge. There's nothing better than hanging out with a bunch of cool people who love to challenge themselves. What a great Saturday! 



Emily & Kristen



Courtney, Myra, Emily, Isaac

Big shout out to Myra the photographer. Thanks!



Stay healthy!

Michelle

So you want to be in pictures?  Join us for THE CRUCIBLE'S REVENGE.

Saturday, June 4 from 8:00 am - 12:30 p.m.

Put it on your calendars now and watch the member board for more information.

The Definition of Proud - The Crucible Reloaded

proud (praʊd)

      —adj (foll by of, an infinitive, or a clause)

1. pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc
2. feeling honoured or gratified by or as if by some distinction
3. characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride: a proud moment 
4. bold or fearless

Now why did I just give you the definition of the word "proud" as provided by Mr. Webster? Well - today, the day after the Gold's Gym Market Square Crucible event, that's the one word that is on my mind.

The Crucible is a four-hour endurance event held quarterly at my gym. Five amazing instructors (including one of our awesome trainers) and me work hard to guide 20 super motivated individuals through a guantlet of events. The days activities include Indoor Cycle (both endurance and race days), Boot Camp drills, and Hard Core. The mere thought of it makes me smile (if you know me, you'll understand). But what really brings a smile to my face is the amazing group of troopers who underwent this test.

Let me break it down for you...proud mama style:

1. "pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc" Spending the morning with the 18 awesome folks who made it in for the event was truly an honor. They pushed so hard, working themselves through a number of physical and mental obstacles and never giving up. To see their gleaming faces at the end gave me such a sense of pride in them and the effort they put forth, I can't even describe it.
2. "feeling honoured or gratified" This one always amazes me. All I have to do is ask. "Brody, just one more push-up"....he gives me that push-up. "Lisa and Susie, you have 30 seconds to get back to where you started, can you make it happen?"....they make it happen. "Isaac, take this sprint and make it your best one"....he finds that perfect resistance and the last bit of speed he was holding back. Its an honor to know that they trust me enough to know that I believe in them enough to ask. Another proud moment for me.
3. "characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride: a proud moment" I have no words to describe how I feel when I watch one of my peeps dig deep to find that last hidden bit of strength. Its in those moments that they smile through the hard effort and decide that TODAY is the day that they dare to challenge the boundaries of comfort and be extraordinary. They're proud of who they're finding and I love that. It's an amazing moment for them, and selfishly speaking, for me also.
4. "bold or fearless" - well this is pretty self explanatory. There's no chance that you take the commitment of a four-hour endurance event without having a little "badass" in you! To all of my B.A.s - thank you for being so BOLD AND FEARLESS.

Special shout out to Susie, Lisa, Brody, Julia, Melissa, Chicken Thumbs (aka Megs), Smiley (aka Kristen), Emily, our photographer Myra, Courtney, Isaac, Emily, Colleen, Coach Rich, Pam, Julie, Alison and Jess. You guys are my Crucible vets! Great work yesterday - you should ALL be proud.

Thanks to all of my peeps for making me feel like I have the best job in the world. Spending time with you all and watching you succeed are notably some of the greatest days for me. I love you all - thanks for a great morning! The pics will be posted as soon as I get them.

Be happy! Be healthy!
Michelle