Tropical

Last monday we started our new quarter at the club with the launch. The theme was tropical and even though outside it wasn't very tropical, inside we had the palmtrees and made the temperatures rise during the workouts :-)
We started at 7pm with RPM. I don't teach RPM so I was able to prepare and get ready for BP. We did BP with the 3 of us and I was happy I got to do the chest track. I love it's such a cool track. After BP we did BC, just the 2 of us, we had to run and change our outfits quickly and had fun presenting BC. I like doing BC together as you can make a lot of fun by 'beating up' eachother. Okay let's put it the nice way, by pretending to beat up eachother :-). And last but not least BA. I love BA, I can't choose my most favourate program, but I think BA is getting very very close. Especially BA 53, this opening with 'Open your heart to me'is awesome. And then I love track 2 as well.... 'finally'... It eminds me of the time a spent in Canada on trainingcamp with the national Synchroteam. We watched the movie Priscilla Queen of the desert over there and I think it'such a funny movie. Okay let's get back to BA 53, it's just so much fun and the music makes you even want to work harder, so it's a very tough release as well. We closed the evening with BB. I don't teach BB but I think it's a beautyful program and a very good combo with BA and BP. At the gym people could get fruit sticks and fruit cocktails, so we even thought of the hungry ones amongst us :-). Herewith some pics from last monday to get an impression.

RPM: Calista, Josanne


BP: Mirelle, Eline, Chantal



BC: Eline, Chantal



BA: Bogdan, Josanne, Chantal

BB: Mirelle, Joyce

Challenge

Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory!

Weekend

It's a sad evening this evening. Our soccer guys didn't qualify for quarter finals in Worldcup. I have been wathcing the game with a bunch of people (family and friends), so we had a good evenig with BBQ, but it only had a sad ending. The rain outside goes good with the atmosphere this evening after the game :-(

Anyway the rest of the weekend was great, even though I had to work. Friday night I went out with a friend. Got home a bit too late as I had an early shift on saturday. Anyway It was a great night and I didn't regret going :-). Saturday therefore I was too tired to do anything after work, so I just stayed home, sat in the sun and read a book. This morning I had to work as well, but time went by fast, so before I knew I was home again. Tomorrow I don't have to go work and my dad will come over and help me with cutting down 2 small trees and do some other stuff. I have a big balcony at home with about 24m2, so it's almost like a small garden.

Surpise

Yesterday my collegue from the other club here in the city showed up at my BC class. I didn't know she was coming, but instantly we decided to teach together. It was quite busy for a monday BC class, so we had lots of fun teaching together. We have been doing that a few times and by now we know what we can expect from eachother and we are able fool around for a bit. With BA I also had a collegue teaching with me, because she will have to tape her class this saturday for her international certficate and wanted some extra practise. With BP I was on my own ... and wow, was I tired or what. Sometimes I think it makes it easier when you teach together, as you don't have to talk as much, but somehow this didn't work today. I was exhausted at the end of the evening. Maybe we have challenged eachother too much :-).... or maybe 3 days of only 5 hours sleep is not enough..... mmm :-( Maybe I should go to bed early tonight.
When I teach 3 classes, I always give BC and BA full energy and just step back in weights with BP. Sometimes I teach 4 BP classes a week or even 4 days in a row and then I have to step back in weights anyways. I just have to take care of my body and health as well. I find it just so hard to say no. I have learned to do so every once in while, otherwise I don't have any time left to do other fun things. Even though I think BA and BP especially are few of the things I like most.
Next week's launch is going to be so much fun! :-) Only 6 more days to go

Outdoor cycling

It has been over a year, but yesterday I decided to go for an outdoor bike ride. I had an early shift at work, the sun was shining and it wasn't too hot outside. When I got home I first had to get my bike ready (tires were flat) and I had to eat something before I could leave.
So at 17.00hrs I was ready and hopped on my racebike. It felt so good. I didn't really have a destination, but I just decided to enjoy the outdoors and listen to my ipod to learn the new tracks for next weeks release! Lot's of people were riding their bikes and later on, when I was riding along the 'Ringvaart', there were so many people on the water with their boats. Everyone seemed to be so happy and were waving to eachother. At times like this I alwasy realize that Holland is such a small country, but also very beautyfull. Sometimes people seem to be in rush all the time, but with the weather like this everyone is so relaxed and happy :-)
I was away a little less than 2 hrs and drove almost 60km. My butt is really sore now.....mmmm... I couldn't find my bikershorts so I wore my regular shorts..... auauauwww .... not funny! Maybe some people can remember their first rpm class.....It feels like that and then a little worse :-( In New Zealand I did one RPM class with Susan at Takapuna... great class, but I didn't have my bikershorts then either. You should think I have learned from that ... noop, not really I guess. Maybe this time.....

I just returned from a friends birthday. She planned an english High tea..... but is was so warm that we actually drank only Ice tea .... but ofcourse we still had all the nice sandwiches and sweet stuff... mjummy. It's good I had my bikeride yesterday and will have to teach again tomorrow!

Goodbye pump...

Today was a little bit sad. Due to my new job at the airport I have started working in shifts and I will have to work 2 out of 3 weekends. No problem as I love my job, but for teaching my BODYPUMP class on sunday's, it is a problem. Today, after almost 3 1/2 years, I have taught my last sunday morning pump class. The members organized an unforgettable goodbye pump for me. When I walked into the room, they decorated my barbell with balloons and there was confetti on the floor. One of the guys in my class wrote a special warming up track together with a fellow pump instructor and he took over my class for warming up ... uhhh.... just to let you know, I always want to have and j keep control and now I didnot have it for the warming up ... Difficult ..... They wrote a choreography on: "Don't leave me (us) this way" and a special song written for the dutch soccer team at the worldcup in Germany (today was Holland's first match). Almost all people were dressed in orange because of that. I was glad that I got the strings back in my hands for the remaining tracks :-)... pfewww Afterwards a got some cards and presents, wow, and a friend made this really good apple pie!!! We had coffee tea and chatted. I will miss this class for sure, but I'm glad I still got my Monday's and Thursday's. In the afternoon we went outside to enjoy the sun again and at 3pm Holland played against Servia & Montenegro. Our guys won their first match!! Robben scored the only goal. Dutch people are always funny when there are big soccer tournaments going on. Everybody just goes crazy, dressing in orange, painting their faces orange etc and we could see on the big screen at the gym that the whole stadium was looking orange. Cool! So that's why we dressed orange as well during Pump class this morning.

To get a little impression see pictures below

Finally...

...Summer!! This weather just gives me energy. I love the sun and I might be born in the wrong country for the that, as I'm always cold here.... but at the moment it's great! Temperatures up to 30 degrees, bright blue skies, wheehaa. This morning I have been teaching 2 classes, BODYATTACK and BODYPUMP. It wasn't very busy, as I think a lot of people probably went out to enjoy the sun, but nevertheless I enjoyed it as always. After that I went to the beach with a friend and surprisingly it wasn't as crowded as I would have expected it. We could find a parkingspot easily and started out with a nice cup of coffee. It was just great at the beach, a cool breeze made it feel really good. We had lunch and later on dinner as well at the beach and then decided to spent the rest of the evening there as well. Today just felt like a holiday!

Obstacle or Stepping Stone?

A block of granite which is an obstacle on the path of the weak, becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong.

Picture: Chantal NZ, Nelson NP mar06

Holiday weekend

Saturday I still had to to go to work and monday as well. But still it was a holiday weekend because of Whitsunday. In the Netherlands that will also mean monday is an extra holiday :-).
Even though I still had to work at the airport it felt sort of like a long weekend. Sunday I went to the sauna with a friend of mine and we spent all day relaxing. We were very lucky as most of the day the sun was actually shining and I got a nice tan :-). Monday I had an early shift so I was home early as well. The gym was closed during the evening so I didn't have any classes to teach, so I went to gym right after work with a fellow attack instructor and we have been preparing for the launch of the the Les Mills quarter 26 June. I just love BODYATTACK 53. Well done Lisa & friends at Les Mills International, awesome release.

Tonight I will be teaching BODYPUMP and BODYCOMBAT at 2 different clubs of Healthcity. Both classes are not my own, but I might be seeing some people I know from my own classes.
Saturday I will also be substituting 2 classes. Í just love teaching and I while substituting for other instructors it makes me again and again aware of the way I'm teaching. We do not have these huge studios as in Auckland, so when you know a lot people personal in your class you are also aware of their mistakes and it makes it easy to forget about other things. But it is so important to keep on telling the safety instructions and proper ways to do the moves as it will prevent your members from getting injuries. Nobody goes to gym to get injured, so we as instructors should be aware of all that happens in the class. Never just think that people know what to do and what to think of. Maybe some do, but most don't. Just don't make it sound lke a tape your playing every time in class .... Reymond thanks for bringing up that subject! When Susan T. was in the Netherlands she gave some good advice on that, and now sometimes I imagine my Mom is taking my class. She doesn't have a clue on what BP, BA and BC is about, so I just think of her and pretend that I have to explain everything to her while doing the moves. And ofcourse don't forget to have fun while teaching or taking a class!!!

Below some pics taken at our quarterly in May.




Nice jump Karin and Brigitte with BA track 9!!

Summer?

Today it's 1 June and when I'm looking out of the window it seems like it's november. I just can't believe the weather has been so bad all the time. It makes me feel a little sad. I really like the sun and we only had few suny days so far. When the sun is shining people seem to be more happy. Right now a lot of grumpy faces, people rushing through the streets wearing thick coats and sweaters. Mmm, maybe I should think positive... all the rain which is coming down now cannot come down anymore in July...... Why??

In july we will have this huge workout at the beach with the club.... BODYPUMP on the beach, followed by BODYBALANCE on the beach and a big BBQ. Last year we did the Sunset BODYPUMP in august. Unfortunately we didn't get to see a nice sunset because of this typical dutch weather, but still we had a great time.

If you want some more info on this years BODYPUMP/BODYBALANCE on the beach just click here. It'll be 22 july in Bloemendaal aan zee at Beachclub Vroeger. You don't have to be a member to join in. Just bring your happy face :-)