03/11/2020 - lair - Route 21 and 11:11- Wilson’s FiAversary and VQ

BackBlast:

I was lucky enough to do my VQ on a dry, warm morning with five amazing women! Thank you for showing up and encouraging me!!

Back Story:

Before I attended my first beatdown, with Partly Cloudy as the Q at Foxtrot on 3/14/19, I couldn’t appreciate how amazing FiA is and how drastically FiA would change my life. Partly Cloudy had been persistently inviting me to a beatdown for seven months- I had every excuse in the books (work schedules, kid schedules, a busted shoulder, blah, blah, blah) and finally, one day, I decided to lay my clothes out and set an alarm and step out of my comfort zone. I showed up and was embraced immediately and my life changed. I learned that I mattered. My health and happiness mattered. I needed to make myself a priority. There are women who love and encourage and hold each other accountable. These are my people. You are my people.

My VQ was postponed by a few setbacks…a knee surgery and a shoulder surgery within 3 weeks of each other. Rehab from the surgeries has been an up and down journey, but I feel like I’m getting back to my old self. What better time to tackle my VQ than my upcoming FiAversary.

At my first beatdown, I learned about Lieutenant Dan and 11’s. I wanted to bring my FiA history to my first Q.

The Thang:

We warmed up with a quick lap around the outer loop of the parking lot and some stretches (Michael Phelps, quads, hamstrings, and groins) then we got to work.

Route 21: A modification of Route 66, one of the workouts that some call a “warm-up”, for which I have a love-hate relationship. There are six light posts in the lower parking lot that were numbered to correspond to the number of burpees. We ran to the first post and did 1 burpee, ran to the second post and did 2 burpees, ran to the third post and did 3 burpees…and so on, completing a total of 21 burpees and another loop around the parking lot.

11’s on the 11th…11:11: The first set of 11’s was HARD and time-consuming (and evoked the stripping of layers, some grumbling, and choice words- even by me).

• Exercise 1: Merkins
• Travel: Lieutenant Dans
• Exercise 2: Shoulder Press
• Travel: Run

We all finished the first set of 11’s and then were able to start the second set of 11’s. We were only able to complete 3 rounds before the time was up for the beatdown.

• Exercise: Big Girl Sit-Ups
• Travel: Grapevine
• Exercise: Bicep Curls
• Travel: Grapevine

We ended the beatdown with the COT and prayers. We prayed especially for all of the mamas out there and their kiddos- for peace, love, wisdom, and protection. I also shared that at my conference last week at Mayo Clinic, there was a speaker on longevity, particularly for women. He is a geriatrician (doctor for old folks) and highlighted the key indicators of living a long and healthy life. The two main things he addressed were the importance of having a sense of purpose and having a “tribe”. I have tribes from all across my life- high school and college, and the various cities I have lived in, but I am especially grateful for my FiA tribe!! Let’s grow old together. #bettertogether

~Wilson