30 April - Queensday

30 April is a holiday in Holland. It was the birthday of our Queen Mom and this is still celebrated every year. As this year 30 April is on a sunday all the festivities were on 29 April. So on saturday the gym was closed and on Friday night in all big cities there were all different kinds of festivities during the whole night. There are free markets everywhere, and lots of people are selling there old stuff like garage sales or yard sales in the USA. Bands are playing outside and it is actually a lot of fun. Too bad is was really really cold this year, so I didn't stay out very late.
Luckily the next day the weather wasn't too bad in the afternoon and when the sun was shining it was actually really nice. I went around our little city with a few friends but after a short while we found a table outside one the restaurants at the big square near my house and we had some lunch and enjoyed the sun. It was nice just sitting and chatting out there. In the evening we had some dinner and went home after that. I like Queensday the best when you can just enjoy the sun, chat, eat and just watch people walking around, so I was glad the weather was way better than the forecast was.

This morning the gym was open again and I had my sunday pumpclass. Before the class a collegue of mine and I decided to do some Bodycombat, so I was nice and warm before the Bodypump. It was a good class, even though I missed few of the people who are usually always there. I guess they were having a difficult time getting up after Queensday :-)

Tomorrow will be my first day actually working at the airport since the training at my new job. I start at six in the morning. I'm a little nervous, but also looking forward to it. Let you know later this week how the first days were at my new job. My parents are coming home some time tomorrow as well. They have been on holiday for a week. I hope I will be able to see them tomorrow, but that's depending what time they get in, as I have to work at the gym tomorrowevening. Honestly I can't say have to work, as I actually want to myself and I don't see teaching my classes as job. It is a job, but for me it doesn't feel like a job. I'm enjoying it so much, it's all my pleasure to be there and help others getting fit and having a good time.

Music

Sitting at work at the moment... ohoh... But it's not very busy. I have to fill in a few days at my old job as my collegue is on holiday. We always have the radio on and at the moment they are playing lots of familiar songs of Bodypump and Bodyattack. When I hear those songs I always want to get out of my seat and start excersizing. Most collegues of mine don't understand my passion for sports, so I force myself to sit down and just do the workout in my head... too bad. Would be good to have some exersize during work :-) I think it'll prevent a lot of neck and back aches for many people.

Here a little poem which I once got when I was still involved in Synchro. I'm still convinced it's true, not only in sports, but also in life.

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the (wo)man who wins
Is the (wo)man who THINKS (S)HE CAN!

Set a goal... believe in it.... and go for it!

Pictures

Just got home from teaching pump class this evening. Before class I did 1/2 hour of Bodyattack class on my own. The studio was empty so I had some opportunity to practise. I think it's good to be watching yourself so you can fix your own mistakes right away. I still don't have my own videocamera to film my own classess, so for now this is the way to keep improving.

Usually I do not go behind the internet after I have been at work all day, sitting behind the computer and updating the website etc. But I had to send some emails tonight so I did anyways. Ofcouse I started watching my pictures from my last holiday. See below. These are few of my memories from my New Zealand trip. I had never seen whales so close ever before and I was amazed how huge they are.

Enjoying a workout?

I know I am! Why? Because it gives me lots of energy and it makes me feel good. Sometimes when you have been going out at night you don't feel like getting up in the morning. You stay in bed for a long time, but finally you get yourself together and get out of bed in the middle of the day. You feel tired and don't want do anything but watching tv. At the end of day you sit there and think, another day has gone by and what have I done? I don't like that feeling. So even when I have been going out, I get myself together and go do something. It doesn't have to be a huge workout, but even a nice walk along the beach or a bikeride helps a lot to give you energy. They say you have to be working out for at least 30 minutes a day. Well that should be easy, just take your bike instead of your car, or go for a nice walk after dinner. Summer is coming up here (even though it doesn't look like it at the moment), so time to get outside or maybe prepare yourself at the gym for going to the beach when the sun actually comes out and the temperatures go up :-)
Hope to see you there!

Les Mills... Why?

Good question, why do I like Les Mills? About 5 years ago I took my very first Bodypump class at gym nearby. I had always liked weighttraining, but I got bored doing that on my own. Bodypump seemed to be the invention for me. Training weights and still have people around me doing the same thing. I was impressed about how the program worked and the possibility for each and every individual to train at their own level. I have always been involved in top sports (synchronized swimming) and I could train on my own level, together with people who just started out training at a gym. Amazing. I was also able to keep track of my own improvement as in a certain way you know what to expect from the class. After a few months they started teaching Bodypump at my own gym and I took the classes there. Still enjoying it a lot, I combined it with other freestyle classes. Then the instructor who was teaching my pump classes got a new job and did not teach the classes anymore. Unfortunately they did not have anyone to take her place. At the gym they came up to me and asked, are you interested in teaching pump? Well, I was interested but I did not have any teaching experience, except my synchro coaching experience for many years. They still wanted me to do so, so I went to the Les Mills instructor training for Bodypump. An amazing 3 days in which I have learned so much and which helped me getting started as a pump instructor. Ofcouse I was nervous for every single class I had to teach, but thanks to the quarterly workshops and masterclasses, I kept learning on my teaching skills. Now a few years later I'm also teaching Bodycombat and Bodyattack. I love all 3 programs and each program has things I enjoy. As for all Les Mills programs I like the fixed format, for me as an intructor, but also when I started as a member. It gives you the opportunity to really enjoy your class, instead of keep on worrying about the choreography and thinking on what to do next. The programs are put together in a way it is possible for everyone to follow the classes, have a good work out and most important: to have fun!!

Sunday - BODYPUMPday

It had been a while since I was able to teach my sunday morning Pump class, due meetings and ofcourse my holiday, but this morning I finally got to teach my sunday morning pump class again. Sunday morning is one of favourite times to teach. Why? Well first of all, that's the class I started with when I started teaching pump, and all the members are still with me since I took over the class :-). 2nd of all it makes you feel happy as an instructor when you get good response from the people during and after the class and this is a really enthousiastic and outgoing group. I guess this is the fitness magic we all like as instructors. And 3rd of all, it just gives a great feeling when you have been working out in the morning for the rest of your day. So for all of these reasons and many more I was happy to teach this class again. Unfortunately I did not have a lot of time to chat with my pump people as had to leave right after class. We had some try outs for new instructors right after my class at our other gym in the city and I was part of the presenting and assessment team for that. It was a good try out and I think we did good and will probably have a few people with good potential.

I'm pretty tired now, so I will probably head for bed early. Yesterday my 2 best friends came over and it was pretty late when I finally went to bed. I have shown them my New Zealand pictures, and I bought them a little present which I got to give them. I'm glad they liked it. B4 I go to bed I still have to prepare my classes for tomorrow evening, so I will start with that right now. Combat people, be prepared for the battle - we'll push play and go! Fight....

New Job

When I came home I also started my new job with the airline. Since I have been working for the airline I have always been working in the office, sitting most of the time behind my desk. Since I am a person who really likes to move around, I still don't understand how I ended up like that, but anyway, since monday I started with the same airline, but now I am going to work at he airport. This month is still training, but today I got the possibility to check it out for a day at the airport and just sit with a mentor. It was really nice (and early 6am) and I can hardly wait to actually start doing something myself.

Tonight I have been doing some Combat training and practise with my collegue. It 's allways good to help eachother out as instructors and it's fun to train together. I also like to team-teach, as you get to 'play around a lot with eachother and enjoy the members in the class that way.

Tomorrow morning I am taking over 2 classes of a collegue of mine. Bodyattack and Bodypump. I think teaching Bodyattack in the morning is the most difficult thing, as for Bodyattack you have to be really energized. I usually am, but in the morning it always takes some time before I wake up..... ooeefff

Back home

It was a long flight back home, especially since I hardly slept during the flights. I'm glad I'm back, but I miss New Zealand already. I had a wonderful time during my holiday and it was a great experience being able to teach at Les Mills Auckland. But it was also very good to teach my own classes again yesterday evening. Those are the people I know and it was nice to see all the familiar faces again. And ofcourse the new quarter started, so new pump, combat and attack to be done at the gym. I also started my new job yesterday, so I have been quite busy since I'm back. It kind a feels like I'm back for over 2 weeks already, but it's only since 2 1/2 days.....

One really bad thing of being back ... it's COLD here. I miss being able to wear shorts and being able to walk from the gym to my car in my shorts. I made a mistake yesterday of wearing my combat pants to the gym, then changed to shorts for my other class and then have no more clothes left to go home in...... uh I tried to run to the car just wearing my shorts, but I almost frooze. This morning I could understand why... It got really close to 0 celcius.