Day 52

The Picture on the left is of Glenn Packard and me and on the right is Keith Darby and me.  This was taken today at the VERY WINDY Miami Beach right before boxing class.

So it's my 3rd day in Miami.  I got up this morning and had to meet Glenn at Crunch at 9:30.  Well I didn't remember where Crunch was so I just asked the concierge where it was.  Well he sent me to a Crunch on Alton Street which is about a mile away.  So I think no problem, I have plenty of time to get there.  As I was walking it seemed like it was a lot further away than the Crunch I was at yesterday.  So I get to the Crunch on Alton and I KNOW there is no way this is the same place as yesterday.  So I asked someone and sure enough, there is a 2nd Crunch that was right by my hotel.  So I had to walk ALL the way back to the other Crunch.  In the end I walked for an hour.  Then once I got to Crunch Glenn had me go on the stairmaster for 10 mins.  UGH!!!  My legs!  Then we did a Spin class for an hour which I LOVED!!!!  I couldn't do everything they did but I never stopped spinning.  The sweat was just pouring off of me in that class.  I definitely want to do more spinning classes in the future.  I burned 1200 calories in that one class.  AMAZING!!!  I have a two hour break and then I'm going to meet up with Danny at Crunch to train with him.  I'll post more later!


Danny wasn't able to meet up with me this afternoon and I was grateful for that.  It gave me the opportunity to walk around this incredible city.  South Beach is such a beautiful, tropical place to visit.  It's so healing to be outside and smell the ocean and feel the breeze and see palm trees.  I LOVE IT!!!


So tonight when I got home I took a shower and I just stood in that shower and the tears started flowing.  I just cried and cried and I couldn't stop.  Finally when I did and I came out and I have really thought about those tears and why they came.  I know why.  My BFF Sara helped me realize that I was home.  That I had returned to my birthplace and that I was starting over.  It's so true.  I came here to start a new life for myself, to create a healthy lifestyle and to not only change physically, but mentally also and I am doing just that.  I came into this life in Miami Beach and now 39 1/2 years later I have come back to my birthplace and I am renewing my life and starting over.  I feel SO BLESSED.  This entire experience has been ineffable (meaning "incapable of being expressed in words") to me.  I hope and pray that Glenn, Zalmi, Keith, Danny, Viktoria and all the other instructors that have truly inspired me, pushed me, taught me, encouraged me, showed friendship to me know how much I appreciate and love each of them and all that they are doing to help me along on this journey.  I have NEVER been a person to ask anyone for help, but now I am grateful for the help and the love and the encouragement that each person has given me.  It has made all the difference to me.  So why are the tears flowing you ask?  It is because just a few years ago I had a stroke and was mostly paralyzed on my right side, I have gone through 39 operations in my life, 18 of them were shoulder surgeries and today I walked for miles and miles, I rode a bike for an hour straight in spin class, I took a boxing class on the beach, I RAN on the beach, I have taken boot camp, I have taken an ab class, I did pool aerobics, I amazed myself.  I am doing it!  My mind is in the best place it has ever been in.  I feel worthy to be skinny.  I feel worthy to shed this weight once and for all.  I feel worthy to be happy and to feel joy in my life.  I know I am loved and I know I am strong and can endure so much.  I love my life.  I love my family and friends.  I hope each of you know that when you write me the comments on facebook and you write me your personal messages of encouragement it just brings so much light and joy into my life.  It's so amazing to have the support of so many people.  I am blessed.  I love each of you dearly.  Thank you for your love and support that you continually show me.  It lifts me up each and everyday.


So tonight was Boxing on the Beach with Alex Brenes.  Everyone needs to go to his webiste www.bo-xingfitness.com.  He has an incredible DVD series of boxing fitness.  He was an incredible teacher.  You want a crazy workout, get his DVD.  Honestly, just watching him show us what to do was incredible.  I did modified versions of a lot of the workout, but I did it.  I even ran on the beach tonight.  Not a long distance by any means, but I still ran and I jump roped.  Again, not a lot, but I still did it.  I think I got 17 straight jumps.  Then after the workout Glenn offered to drive me back to my hotel but I opted to walk to burn a few extra calories.  Well let me tell you, halfway back to the hotel I was wishing I had taken Glenn up on his offer.  The wind was insane and of course I was walking into the wind.  It was just pure JOY!  But I made it back, I took a LONG emotional shower and now I'm trying to write my blog for the night.

Alex Brenes & Me

This trip has been life changing and I still have 3 days to go.  Thank you again to everyone for helping along on my journey.  I love you!

Food

Breakfast

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles with Fresh Banana & Pineapple Cottage Cheese

Lunch

Peppered Pastrami ; Corned beef on Seven Grain Bread with Tomato, Lettuce ; Deli Mustard

Dinner

New York Strip Steak with Mango BBQ Sauce with Spanish Style Brown Rice and Haricot Vert

Snack

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Dessert

Honey Almond Cheese Cake