Weeks

I'm trying to take things a week at a time. It's working well so far.

Sunday: In the morning I had the Professor's hike (3.5 mile mountain hike). And then I assisted with the men's circuit training class and then the regular circuit training class after that. Then I had open weight room. After which I headed to the states for church. I've been a total ward crasher, showing up to random wards and telling everyone my interesting "story." Last week I went to the San Diego singles ward. And I always enjoy my Sunday afternoons with Amber.

Monday/Tuesday: Relaxing time with Amber and Maria. Singles' ward family home evening. Bowling and friends. Breakfast at The Yellow Deli. Wonderful.

Wednesday: Started my morning assisting the "Par Cour" obstacle course. Then I helped with the set-up for the Hydro-Fit class. Craig Stuart, the founder of Hydro-Fit, was here for the week. His classes are very full because he is a great teacher. He is also one of the main reasons I am here at the Ranch. Thanks to Mom who works for Hydro-Fit and has done lots of things with Craig, he was my connection. I also assisted with the Ranch Bootcamp class and lastly I had sand volleyball in the afternoon.

Thursday: Professor's hike in the morning. Then I took H20 Sports Conditioning and The Wave. Great classes by Craig. Thursday was Britta's last day of her internship so we went to tacos for lunch with Kevin, Marcos, and Manuel (they call it "the crew"). And lastly, I had open weight room until it closed.

Friday: I didn't have to do anything in the morning, so I took that time to work on my online class. Then I had circuit training, water polo on the noodle, and open weight room.

Saturday: It was "Saturdays at the Ranch" day. This means that people from San Diego or surrounding areas can come down to the Ranch for one day and see what it's like. So on these days, there are more classes and hikes than there usually are on Saturdays. So I had a pretty busy schedule. I taught stretch class in the morning, checked and restocked the first aid packs, Navigator program, afternoon Woodlands hike, and posting the guest sign-up sheets.

Sunday: Morning Professor's hike, assisted the circuit training class, and open weight room. Then I headed to San Diego for church. And at church I found an old friend from my recreation management classes. She just moved down to San Diego for her internship, crazy coincidence! She was nice enough to let me hang out at her place for a little while and have dinner. Once again, thank goodness for wonderful members of the church.

Monday: Me and Maria ventured to Legoland! It was so cool! There were amazing sculptures and "cities" made out of legos. There were even some pretty fun rides. More pictures will be on Facebook.

Busy?

Sorry about the delay in posts! I guess you could say I've actually been busy. But don't wory, I made up for it with pictures. Here's a day-by-day of this past week.

Sunday: I opened the weight room bright and early and then I was off on the Quail hike. I also assisted a stretch class and assisted a circuit class. A little side tangent...Kevin is an instructor and trainer here at the Ranch. He has kind of been my "buddy" or "big brother" here because he basically took me under his wing when I first arrived. And to be honest, he is one of the most "normal" staff members here so I am extremely grateful for our friendship.
After class I was able to pack up and head to San Diego. I did some research to try and find a ward that held church in the afternoon and I found a couple of options. So once I crossed the border I drove to Chula Vista and just crashed their ward. At first I think they thought I was an investigator or something...but the 1st counselor and his wife were very welcoming and happy I was there and told me to call them if I ever needed anything. Man, I love Mormons! I was also able to go to great fireside with Amber that evening.

Monday/Tuesday: I spent some time with Maria. We had ourselves a beach day. IHOP for breakfast, searching for seashells at the beach, and a little walking around the mall. Great girl time. We also baked muffins, went to a little park, and ate kettle corn at the farmer's market. There was a little boy and his dad making a sand castle next to us, I thought it was cute.

Wednesday: No hike this morning. But after breakfast I watched a "Smart Weight Training" class. This class is designed for people who don't really know anything about strength training and it gives them a basic full-body workout with instruction on form and such. I then took the "H2O Sports Conditioning" class, which I love because its slightly more challenging than the other water classes. I also attended/audited the "Ranch Bootcamp" class. We ran sprints, steps, jumps, medicine balls, abs, etc. I was drenched in sweat and my booty was sore the next day. In the afternoon I led the circuit class...all by myself! And I also had sand volleyball and open weight room duty. Here's a shot of the weight room, also known as Azteca gym.

Thursday: I had to make the breakfast announcements. I get on the microphone in the dining hall and read the paper that tells the guests to plan their departure time with the concierge desk. And then...drumroll please...I taught my very first stretch class! And they loved it...I got multiple compliments afterwards and I was very proud. And I also taught circuit class. I love that they are giving me more independent responsibility because I get more experience and I feel more important than "just the intern." I then went to the Hydro-Fit Deep water class. I also attended a nutrition workshop on eating mindfully. Very interesting. It was also Mexican Independence Day, so the Ranch had a little festival at dinner. They had a booth with artisan wine and beer, they also had hot chocolate and a dessert table complete with churros! That kind of thing is a VERY rare occasion at this facility. And dinner was a Mexican combination of a tamale, enchilada, and tostada (all vegetarian and in small portions, of course). Here you can see a bit of the setup, including the line of people off to the right for the beer and wine.

Friday: Started my morning with the Alex's Oak hike. I was the shepherd and of course, there were two ladies who hike very slow. I guess I'm learning patience. I had another circuit class and then I attended the H20 Sports Conditioning class. While it sounds so general, going to classes every day, but I'm taking in everything along the way. I'm learning new things, teaching strategies, class formats, exercise routines and choreography, and new exercises all the time. But I also helped with the "L.A.B. Circuit" class, which stands for legs, abs, and back. It's a 30 minute workout with about 10 stations that focus on legs, abs, and back. And lastly I had open weight room and then I locked it up for the night.

Saturday: This morning I was the shepherd for the Professor's hike, a 3.5 miles mountain hike. And surprisingly we had a group of very quick hikers. It was also a great hike because it was slightly chilly and overcast, which happens very seldom (picture below). But the clouds never last, they are always gone by 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning. Sometimes I would just like a rainy day, ya know? But after the hike I posted the new week's schedule and posters around the resort. I also taught a circuit class and had open weight room duty. For lunch I went out for tacos with Britta and then later I went to a movie with one of the instructors and returned to the Ranch for dinner. That makes 7 weeks down!

Polo

Friday morning I was shepherd for the Alex Oak hike (picture of me at the Oak tree below). At breakfast, I made the morning announcements over the microphone in the dining hall. Good thing I'm not microphone shy! Then I went to the Hydro-Fit Wave class, which is a shallow water workout. In the afternoon I had "Water Polo on a Noodle" duty. I set up the equipment, lead the activity, give instructions/rules, and keep score. It's entertaining. Afterwards I swam a few laps and got a little sun.

Today was a pretty good day. Saturdays are the arrival and departure day here at the Ranch. So we say goodbye to a lot of people and then welcome a bunch of new people. First thing this morning I was the shepherd for the Woodlands hike (the easiest of all the hikes). Then I assisted the Circuit Training class. After lunch, I was scheduled for the "Navigator Program" where guests sign up to meet with a Fitness staff to kind of schedule out their week and ask questions and what not. I like when they actually give me a job that actually requires some knowledge and experience because I feel more valuable. And once again, I had water polo duty, but there wasn't enough participants to actually play a game. This evening, two other instructors and I went out to La Mision, a local restaurant. I ordered the carne asada and it was delicious! Complete with guacamole, tortillas, beans, rice, and an enchilada...not to mention a Diet Coke to top it off. Perfect. And when I returned I had to post the guest sign up sheets for the week. Sign-up sheets are for classes that have limited spaces and/or equipment, so the guests have to sign up in advance.
6 weeks down...8 weeks to go!

Blackout

I had full intentions of updating the blog last night until a major blackout swept the southwest. Areas of San Diego, Orange County, Tijuana, and others were without electricity for most of the evening yesterday. But let's catch up.
Monday and Tuesday I had off, so I went to Valley Center to spend some time with my girls. Amber, Maria, and I took an adventure to the little town of Julian where we ate pie, shopped in the little stores, and just enjoyed each others company. Afterwards we went to a BBQ/pool party followed by some self-serve frozen yogurt that evening. Tuesday we made waffles for breakfast, painted nails, and watched Grey's Anatomy. Then I went with a friend to Oceanside beach and we saw a movie and got dinner at Rubio's. Yum!

Wednesday back at the Ranch I had open weight room duty first thing in the morning. After lunch I attended a nutrition presentation about reducing and managing stress via your health. And then in the afternoon I audited the "Nia" dance class...once again, not my favorite but it wasn't as bad the second time. I was also scheduled for sand volleyball, but only one person showed up, so no volleyball. And once again I had open weight room, so I worked out to pass the time.
Thursday I was the leader of the Quail hike. I was even the main leader, who leads the Quail 2 hike, I'm movin' up in the ranks! I then attended a stretch class, followed by a yoga class, and then I headed to the pool for the Hydro-Fit Deep water class. After lunch I attended a nutrition presentation about grocery shopping for people who want to lose weight. Then I had a one-on-one time scheduled with one of the instructors to practice my teaching for the Cardio Muscle Blast class. Shortly after this, the power went out, and the last few days have been extremely hot (high 90's) and it was miserable without the fan.
But here's your Ranch picture of the day. Friday nights in the summer they serve dinner around the central pool and have a live band with dancing. Friday is also the only time they serve wine and beer.

Oh, Mexico...

It's back to the "grind" in Mexico. I know, I know, I have it pretty "cush" here...but it's not all it's cracked up to be somedays. I flew into San Diego on Friday and then I drove back to the Ranch Saturday night because I had been told that I had Saturday off. But I pick up my schedule last night on the way to my room and I was supposed to work...oops...too late now. Luckily, I was only scheduled for things like open weight room, and a couple other things that weren't highly requiring of my presence. I feel bad that I missed my shifts, but I also wasn't informed correctly and I can't really do anything about it now.

Today I had the Quail hike, I was leader of Quail 1 and I had some quick hikers, which was nice to be able to zoom through the easy hike. Then I audited the "Nia" (Knee-uh) dance class. Nia stands for Neuromuscular Integrative Action. It's kind of an African-based, low-impact dance that is supposed to be somewhat therapeutic. Honestly, I found it extremely strange and I didn't really enjoy it. There was a lot of "feel what your body wants to do" and strange flailing of the arms and such. Not my style. Afterwards, I attended the "Release and Mobilize" class. This class uses tennis balls to massage out tension and trigger points on the body. I had only heard rave reviews about the class from guests, so I thought I'd try it out. Once again, I have to be completely honest, I didn't like it. You just rub your muscles with a tennis ball, and I don't really think that's worthy of an entire class on it's own. Am I being too critical?

This afternoon I audited Zumba. I haven't been teaching Zumba these two weeks because there is a guest instructor here to teach it. So I went to her class today and it was pretty fun, pretty simple (it kind of has to be for the guests here). Every Zumba instructor is very different in their teaching, choreography, and their style...so its interesting, because my class is very different than hers. Then I had open weight room duty, so I did some lifting. And then one of the instructors was doing a private training session so I stayed and observed a little to get ideas, increase my knowledge, and learn from an experienced professional. That's what I'm here for, right?

Since I still have my usual days off (Mondays and Tuesdays), I'm heading up to San Diego in the morning for a girls' day with my Amber and Maria. Awesome!

Idaho?

Well...with the help of the Wright brothers and Southwest Airlines, I am currently sitting in Nampa, Idaho. Grandma left this world on Friday night and I took a little emergency trip home for the funeral. So, there will be no updates this week, but I wanted to catch up on the couple of days before leaving the Ranch.
Saturday morning I was the leader of the Woodlands hike, which is even easier than the Quail, it's more like a nature walk. But it's been extremely hot and never really cools down at night, so I came back drenched in sweat. Then I had open weight room duty, where I was planning to workout, but I was a bit in a mental haze from the bad news and the stress of the emergency travel plans. Next, I was assigned the first aid duty, which means I go through all of the first aid packs that are taken on hikes and make sure the supplies are replenished and I rinse and refill the water bottles that are used for wound cleaning. Once finished with that, I observed how the "Navigator Program" is run on arrival day (guests usually arrive on Saturdays). This program is great for brand new guests to the Ranch because they get to meet with a fitness instructor and look at the schedule for the week. At that point, they can schedule out their week, making sure to try and get what they want to achieve during their stay. And then, while I was sitting at lunch, one of the instructors invited me to go into town with her. Just what I needed! We went into Tecate and hit up the dollar store, got Mexican popsicles, went to the bakery, and she gave me a little tour of the town. That night I got my dinner to go and went to the staff lounge and watched a movie with another instructor.
Sunday morning I was the shepherd for the Quail 2 hike. Once again, I returned from the hike literally drenched in sweat because of the heat an humidity. And then I was the assistant for the 9:00 circuit class as well as the 10:00 circuit class. However, there were only a few people for the 10:00 class and the instructor that I was assisting knew I was catching a flight so he let me leave. That was great because I was able to get to Escondido for the last half of the singles' ward and then Amber took me to the airport. And now I'm home...in Idaho...weird.

Fotos

By popular demand, I have taken a few photos...but don't worry, there's more to come. First, however, you have to read the update. Well, I mean, I guess you don't have to.
Yesterday I started my morning with the Professor's hike, which is a 3.5 mile mountain hike. I was shepherd, which is starting to become my least favorite position because I always get stuck with some slow old ladies who chit chat and take pictures the entire time. And sometimes, its physically impossible for me to hike as slow as they do, so I'll wait a few minutes to let them get ahead and then catch up, over and over again. After breakfast I attended a stretch class, gathering ideas for my own stretch class that I will be teaching soon. Then I attended "Cardio Muscle Blast" not only because I love the workout, but because I am teaching that in the near future as well. I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room because it has been extremely hot here this week, high 90's every day, so I took a break from the elements. Last night some of the instructors were going to movie at the local movie theater in Tecate. The theater is actually really nice, they play a lot of movies in English, and it only costs like $3. We saw "Midnight in Paris" which I would not suggest, unless you really like Woody Allen films.

Today I hiked the Alex's Oak hike, which is a 2 mile slow-paced mountain hike. There was only three participants and two staff, making it a very small group. Later in the morning I sat in on a Cardio Hip Hop dance class. Once again, much different than Zumba. They just teach a sequence of about 6-8 moves and practice those over and over until they have a final product. I don't think I'm a fan of this format, but it's good research. This afternoon I taught Zumba (video below), then I had "Water Polo on a Noodle" duty. However, nobody showed because word of mouth is that the participants have been playing there own water polo almost everyday this week. So I went into the weight room to enjoy the nice air conditioning and conveniently I had open weight room duty next. I read a book, did some lifting, and then locked up the weight room.

Kuchumaa (Koo-choo-ma) Gym--where I teach Zumba and they hold other dance and aerobic classes.

And here's a song I choreographed. Keep in mind, most of the people that come here have never done Zumba and aren't extremely great with dancing and choreography, so I kept it extremely simple.

Miercoles

I can't believe its already Wednesday! But then again, I find myself saying "It's only Wednesday?!"
Monday I technically had off because of my messed up schedule last week. However, I just stayed at the Ranch because I had just returned from Escondido on Saturday and with the wait at the border, and gas, and well, what was I going to do in one day? So I slept in, worked out (which technically is part of my internship because I was taking a class I'm interested in teaching). The class is called "Cardio Muscle Blast" and it's an interval style workout that mixes cardio intervals with strength intervals. I'm super sore, it was a great workout! Then later I went out for tacos with Britta (the German intern). I love me some tacos.
Tuesday was a full day! I started my morning off with the Quail hike. I was leader of Quail 1, the easier route. And after breakfast I assisted with a stretch class. Next I was supposed to assist with the circuit class, however, there were only about 4 people so the instructor didn't need help. So I decided to run on the treadmill for like 30 minutes. Then I was scheduled to audit the "Gliding" class. Gliders are a pretty cool workout toy. They are small plastic discs that slide on the ground (made for both hard wood and carpet) and you place them under your feet and/or hands for different moves and exercises. And finally, in the afternoon I assisted with the "L.A.B. Circuit" class. This stands for legs, abs, and back. It's just a 30 minute class that has 10 stations with various exercises for the legs, abs, and back. But I wasn't done yet! I played sand volleyball with the "Policia" team that night. I was pooped!
This morning I went on the Organic Vegetable Garden Breakfast Hike. This hike takes the participants out to the Ranch's very own organic garden where they also have a kitchen and dining room. The hike is about 2 miles out and 2 miles back. We leave at 6:00 in the morning, hike out there, and eat breakfast at the kitchen. After eating, the gardener gives a little tour of the garden and then we head back to the Ranch. There is also an option for guests to stay and do hands-on gardening. The kitchen out there is also where they hold cooking classes and have guest chefs come and present. Luckily I didn't have anything else scheduled that morning, so I showered and took a nap until lunch. Then this afternoon I was in charge of sand volleyball, however, no guests showed up, so I went and got a healthy smoothie instead. Tonight I think Britta and I might go out to a restaurant in town. Hope it's good!

Beach

Sorry for the delay in updates! I mean...I know you all check every day for a new post...right?!?! Just kidding.
But I have officially been here for THREE weeks, going on four. So let's catch up. Thursday I wasn't scheduled for hardly anything...in fact, only one thing. I just had open weight room duty in the afternoon. And then I attended a "Fitball" class, which is a class that uses an exercise ball for the entire workout.
Friday morning I headed up to Escondido to visit friends. Friday afternoon I went shooting at the shooting range (I know I just went shooting on Monday with Xanning's family...weird coincidence). That evening there were some people from Amber's singles' ward going on a night hike and then swimming at somebody's house, however, it ended up just being a movie night. Saturday morning Amber made me waffles, ran some errands, did a little shopping, and met Maria for lunch. After lunch I went to La Jolla cove...a very beautiful beach. Saw fish, crabs, seals (or sea lions? I don't know the difference) and swam and adventured through the rocks in the cove. That evening I ventured back to the border and returned to Mexico.
Today has been pretty busy. I had the Quail hike this morning. I was actually one of the leaders instead of one of the shepherds. To clarify, on the Quail hike, there is actually two hikes: Quail 1 and Quail 2...clever names, I know. So usually there is two leaders and two shepherds, but the entire group leaves together and then during the hike there is a split. Quail 2 is slightly harder, climbing up a small hill and adding an extra half mile while Quail 1 is an easy hike back to the Ranch. Today I was leader of Quail 1...I'm movin' up in the ranks! Ha.
But then after breakfast I assisted with a stretch class and the circuit training class. I like helping with the circuit class because the participants simply go from one machine/station to the next and I walk around and help them get set up and do the lift/exercise correctly. There are 25 stations, 1 minute at each station, 15 minutes of warm-up cardio before, and 5 minutes of stretching afterwards.
After lunch I was scheduled to audit the Pilates orientation because I'm also scheduled to audit a bunch of other Pilates classes this week. I told them I'd like to try it out, so we will see if I like it or not! Then I was also scheduled to audit the "Ay Caramba!" dance/aerobics class. Fun stuff...it was a Latin, salsa based routine. Now, you would think...isn't that Zumba? Zumba is choreographed to music and has moves that go with the song, and it incorporates a lot of international dances and music. So in this class, the instructor breaks down the parts of one main dance routine, adding on as we go, and then we eventually have one final, full salsa routine at the end. So it was interesting to see the different format.
It's really easy to forget that it's Sunday when you don't get to go to church, have to work, and aren't surrounded by family or friends that are Mormon. So I'm trying extremely hard to keep the Sabbath day holy in my heart, watching General Conference talks online, playing church music, etc.. But it's just not quite the same as going to a church building to feel the Spirit and partake of the sacrament. Maybe I will be able to ask for a Sunday off soon...but I am just the intern, so I'm pretty much the lowest person on the totem pole. Anyway...look forward to more updates this week! Nat, I'll be sure to go take some pictures just for you! ;)

Pescado

Like I said before, the Ranch is completely organic, vegetarian, calorie-controlled cuisine. One thing that keeps me sane is that they serve fish most nights for dinner. Also, there is always cold milk and cereal available for breakfast. Now, if only I could convince them to serve me cereal for dinner. ;)

Tuesday morning I was a shepherd for the Quail hike. Then I helped with a stretch class. Later I attended a Hydro-fit deep water class and a "Sculpt and Strength" class. I also finally got to meet my actual supervisor because he's been on vacation for two weeks. He seems pretty nice, I haven't had a lot of time with him yet, so we will see. 

Today I did not have to hike, which was kind of nice because I was able to sleep in a little later. And then I helped in the office. I helped with proofing the schedule, printing out and organizing posters and sign-up sheets. After lunch I taught Zumba to a class with a grand total of 4 participants. Ha. And my supervisor came and watched for a few minutes which was kind of nerve-racking but I think it went fine. Afterwards I helped out with sand volleyball and then jumped in the pool because I was so hot. Still working on that tan!