Blends: Making Fitness Fun!

Hey guys!

I’m so glad you like the foodie recap from this weekend at Blend Retreat…I can’t believe we crammed so much deliciousness into one weekend!

Well, actually…I can.

Because we DEFINITELY earned it.

Starting bright and early Saturday morning with the FitMixer sponsored bootcamp led by Lindsay and Tina:

I have to admit, when they busted out the whistles, I was a little nervous…

But it was so much fun…I guess following the Tuesday Trainer workouts DID pay off! 😉    I even learned a few new moves that I’m going to try incorporating into my own circuit training.

Photo credit: Lauren, Sarah, and Tina

We warmed up with a jog and some dynamic stretching, then Lindsay and Tina took turns taking us through their sets of strength, cardio, and “butt burner” moves. But that wasn’t even the best part…

The best part was when we got to play with BALLS!

Photo credit: Jillian

First, we were separated into teams…

Then we were introduced to our balls and given the breakdown:
1. Each tennis ball has a workout move printed on them
2. Pick a sprinter from the group
3. Sprint to the pile and grab a ball
4. Sprint back to your team
5. Then everyone on the team has 60 seconds to perform that move
with as many reps as possible.

Annnnnnnnnnd GO!

We didn’t have enough time to perform every move, but it was enough to break  out the competition…AND the sweat! 😉

Blame it on the endorphin rush or the fact that I was now STARVING for breakfast, but for some reason I got a little snap happy following the workout…

After our kick ass breakfast, we all headed back to our cabins to change and pack up for our hike in the Flat Irons!

We met back up at the at the main area in front of Chatauqua, picked our Simply Bar flavor (hike sponsors) and got on our way…

As we made our way up to the start of the trails, I could not get over the view…

Um, yeah…we don’t have mountains like this in Tennessee!

And this was no stroll through the hills…

Just check out that incline!

But even with most of us out of breath from either the almost vertical climb or the higher elevation, we made it look GOOD

When we got to Sentinel Pass, I thought we had made it to the top so I started snapping away…

Then, I turned around was shown a sign that our trek had not yet come to an end…

Like literally…I was shown a SIGN! 😉

Then, after the longest 0.23 miles of my life…we finally made it to the top!

And you know what? All that muscle burn, sweating, and huffing and puffing was a distant memory as soon as I saw this:

I love how the horizon just seems t0 fade into the sky! 

I could have stayed perched on that mountain top forever…the breeze was perfect, the view incredible, the company warm.

But after the high wore off, I realized I was dirty and sweaty and one Simply Bar just wasn’t gonna cut it!

So off we went, down the mountain side to get cleaned up for our night on the town which was FULL of deliciousness…I’ve already told you about all of that, but I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to drool over those pics again! 😉

Do you like exercising outdoors?

Have you ever been on a hike…I mean a REAL, climb until your quads are smoking, hike?

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22 Responses to Blends: Making Fitness Fun!

  1. This was definitely the most intense hike I’ve ever done! Our East Coast terminology just doesn’t cut it in Colorado. 🙂 [I’ve heard the same about skiing…]

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Hmm, never tried skiing…me and my accident-prone genes + feet strapped to slats that are as long as I am tall is most definitely the kind of math that equals a hospital visit! Think I’ll just stick to huffing and puffing up the side of a mountain in regular shoes! Haha! 😉

  2. Aw, I love that pic of us in the post bootcamp montage. And that you cropped out my “package” in the photo before the hike. Dang that Spibelt. Haha!

    Miss your face.

    PS – you totally should have titled this post what you originally considered. 😉

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Bahaha! Actually, my photo was only from the waist up…but I saw it on Alyssa’s post! Didn’t even realize it until I read her caption! Haha!

      Miss you too love! And thanks for putting on an incredible boot camp workout!

  3. Um wow, what a gorgeous view! We definitely don’t have hiking trails like that here either. We just have a little escarpment that has 10 minutes of climbing, and then the rest is totally flat. 😛 I did hike a mountain up in northern Ontario before and it was pretty intense! The views are always worth it though.

  4. I LOVE your photo collages (and totally respect the amount of time you put into making them!!) Such good memories. 🙂 I’ll tell you honestly- I was sore already from two days of hiking (since we went Thurs and Fri) and tired and did not feel like boot campin’ it up Saturday morning and was so tempted to just drink coffee on the deck… but man- I’m SO GLAD I went. It was one of the most fun, awesome workouts I’ve ever done!
    I’m obsessed with hiking (part of the reason I want to move to Colorado so much!). My husband and I (and our dogs) go every weekend- we have a few great trails right near our house. I love being able to be out in the woods with no distractions and just the sounds of nature. 🙂

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you, Lauren! It’s definitely work to get them all put together, but I love it! If I wasn’t so indecisive about picture placement, I could probably be done in half the time! Haha!

      I’m totally envious of your access to good hiking trails! We have a small park with a lot of trails right next to my house, but they are NOTHING compared to the trails in Colorado. Heck, after trekking up that mountain, it’s almost a joke to say I have trails to “hike” at home!

  5. Nicole says:

    I love all of these Blend posts! It looks like so much fun!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh girl, it WAS! You should totally think about coming next year! There was such a variety of bloggers there…everyone fit in!

  6. That hike is one of my favorites of all time!! A good push, but doable!

  7. Outdoor exercise with friends always makes it seem like fun not work! But this hike was a challenge for sure.
    Love your collage – and def the photo of us <3 miss you

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Miss you too girlie! I was just thinking last night how I wish you, me, and Sarah had gotten a picture together…the redheaded trio! 😉 Next year for sure!

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  9. All these pictures are awesome!! I thought I took a lot but seeing this…you obviously smoked me in the picture-taking contest. 😉

    That hike was KILLER!

    So glad you made it to the top…our group turned around at the sign and I only 10% regret it. I just know my body too well and I was already really shaky (blaming the elevation). Next time though that m0untain better watch out!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I know! I couldn’t believe how many pictures I ended up with! Well, actually I can…I take about an average of 100 pics a day of just random mundane stuff when I’m at home! 😉

      And honestly, I have NO IDEA how I made it to the top! I felt like I needed to stop and rest like a half dozen times just in that last stretch but I knew if I stopped, I wouldn’t have been able to start again! Haha! Maybe next year we should try smuggling the oxygen masks from our planes before starting the trek! Lol

  10. Katie says:

    Yes!! That’s my chicken scratching handwriting on that workout paper up there – I’m famous! Love to you and am so glad I got to meet you last weekend!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Whatevs! I think you’re handwriting is pretty…and we were in a rush…couldn’t keep those Schweddy balls waiting now could we? 😉

      Ditto Katie! You are such an amazing person! I feel so lucky to have met you! <3

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  12. Janetha says:

    I just love your collages!

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