Jennifer's Journey: Week 3

Written By admin • 4 min read

“I vividly remember Utah in the winter of 2002. The streets were a flurry of activity as the Winter Olympics were in full swing. My family, being from Salt Lake City, were able to attend many events and soak in the atmosphere that surrounded them. One venue that was particularly interesting was the downhill ski jumps at Olympic Park in Park City. Amazing freestyle jumpers from all over the world performed on that stage, and it is now a training facility that sits atop the mountain we drive by everyday on our way to boot camp. Except for Fridays… on Fridays, we stop!

It’s called Olympic Hill Friday and our dedicated trainers drop us off at the bottom of the hill and send us off the starting line with a honk of the 15 passenger van horn! Then we get to jog, walk, crawl or be pushed up to the Olympic Park. It is only one and a half miles, but it is at a fairly steep incline and we are TIMED!!

My first week here everyone talked about it so much that I was terrified! I really wanted to put up a good time, but then heard the following week you are supposed to set a goal to beat it. I figured all I could do was my best and set out. It was hot and I was tired, I walked but I didn’t stop.

When I got about 50 yards away, I was met by Jenny, a fellow camper who had already finished. She walked back down to me and said so sweetly, “Come on, let’s go. Jog it in. Finish strong. You’ve got this”. She then jogged with me to the finish to get my time. It was 28:37. I hugged her, thanked her and tried to get my breath while I watched first Jenny, then others, going back down the hill to bring the others to the finish line!

As soon as I could breathe, I joined them. It was fun to walk down and help everyone else finish strong. This week I knew I had to push myself to beat my previous time. I didn’t jog (mostly because I couldn’t – I think my power walk is faster), but I just pushed as hard as I could. This week I was just ahead of Jenny, so when I got 50 yards out I jogged to the finish line, got my time and turned right back around and went back to help her jog in.

She was wearing a weighted vest and can still jog faster than I can – she is so tough! I don’t know if that helped her, but it made me feel so great! I walked back down and came in with several others. It is uplifting to feel the support of a team even when this is such an individual accomplishment. Oh, and I beat my time…25:17!!

We have been having some very tasty meals here this week. For lunch we had a pork tenderloin with an apple glaze and sweet potatoes. It really makes you feel like you are cheating on a diet when we are served things that have so much flavor! Bonnie keeps telling us all the food we are served fits into our daily caloric intake, so I love that we get a variety of tastes and I can’t wait to make this meal as our Sunday dinner.

That is usually the day that I go all out and make a big dinner, but I think the days of roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, brown sugar glazed carrots, rolls with butter and dessert are in the past for me. With the recipes I have gotten here, we can eat healthy AND feel spoiled!

On Saturday, we had a two hour aqua aerobics class and we convinced Brad to actually get in the pool and join us. He was great – doing a flip into the pool and hanging through the entire class. It was fun, even if I freeze the entire time because I am always cold. Living in the desert and then coming here when they have had rain and a very late spring means everyone teases me because I am always shivering!

At least until we start working out. We also had the opportunity to go back to Olympic Park and watch the aerial ski show on Saturday! It was a lot of fun to watch them ski down the jumps and do all sorts of tricks before landing in the pool at the bottom. This is how a lot of the athletes train in the off season. I thought it a fitting close to week two. I feel like I am taking a huge jump to be here. Today, I felt like I could actually hit the landing!”~Jennifer

I am 37 years old and a mom of 4 beautiful daughters. I am a stay-at-home mom who is never HOME! I do some work from home helping my husband run his business. My weight was not a problem until I got pregnant and began having children. I have never completely lost that weight. I have tried different diets and felt like a yo-yo for the past 8 years! (see me on far right of picture)

A combination of things happened in my life to make me decide to make some major lifestyle changes and putting myself first, making healthy choices for me and my family. Please join me on my journey on several blogs: on the Premier Fitness Blog, on the TimeOutMom Blog, on the Mom It Forward Blog, and on the Today’s Mama Blog, as I do five weeks at the live-in camp and get twelve weeks of coaching and support after I return home. This is going to be life-changing! It is already life-changing!