Fall is about to turn into winter which means that the fall 90-day challenge is almost over.
With about a month left of the second GFC challenge we are looking back and are filled with admiration and pride for all the participants who have taken the challenge and kept themselves accountable.
During the month of October we had plenty of fun from the Get Fit Doggy costume contest, to our yoga in the park and the inaugural GFC Fest.
Caitie Reeg, GFC founder, loves Halloween, which is why she knew she had to do a Halloween themed meet-up for Get Fit Clovis. She poured all of her enthusiasm into planning for it and thought that she was ahead of the game when she had it all figured out on paper, or, computer screen rather.
Of course, nothing ever goes as planned. Her original concept involved having the meet-up at a pumpkin patch, a very seasonal and festive venue. So imagine her dismay when none were popping up in Clovis during the first week of October.
When she approached some of the participants with this issue they were quick to offer solutions, and we landed on a great one. If we couldn’t go to the pumpkin patch, the pumpkin patch would come to us! We would change the location to a Clovis park, where we usually have the meet-ups, but participants would all bring their own pumpkins.
So that’s what we did, and it went off wonderfully.
The workout we lovingly dubbed “Pumpin’ Pumpkins” involved switching out conventional weights for pumpkins during a strengthening and conditioning circuit. Participants cycled through 10 stations, including uneven push-up, goblet squat, twisting lunge, sit-ups, standing wood-chop and more.
“I thought it was awesome. I didn’t think lifting pumpkins would give me quite a workout but, man, I was sore for three days,” said Ed Borjas, a GFC participant. “I kept telling my wife, ‘I didn’t know pumpkin lifting was that strenuous.’ I felt it all on the back of my thighs and all my triceps.”
Then, we had special guest A.J. Lacuesta to instruct us through a fun dance workout to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Participants were walking like zombies and laughing the whole time.
“We were just excited because we got to dance outside in a park and everybody was looking at us and I was like, ‘yeah, we have it going on,’” said Jana Quiocho, another GFC participant. “I loved the dancing and the coach was really good. It was a lot of fun and different.”
To round out the meet-up, we put in 3 miles on the beautiful Clovis Old Town Trail. The trees lining the trail with their changing leaves making for the seasonal and festive element Reeg had desired.
“I loved it, it was so exciting and so motivating. I didn’t know what we were going to do with the pumpkins but it was a good concept,” said Diane Gaytan, another GFC participant. “What I love about it was that even if you are a beginner like me or you are more advanced, everyone can workout at their own pace; that’s what’s so good about it. And the dance, I loved it.”
Everyone left in lifted spirits, which is always our goal with every meet-up. Reeg feels confident we will put this event on again next year.
Along with the new annual event GFC also decided to partner up with Lacuesta and plan a flash mob. This will be the 10th flash mob Lacuesta coordinates and teaches, but to him, he said, this one will be different because in the past he has only had Fresno State students participate – this time it’s all ages.
“I never taught the “Thriller” before and you guys gave me the opportunity to teach it,” Lacuesta said. “It makes it fun to bring all these people together, especially people who have never danced before or they have never danced with their kids before. I just hope people see that anyone can do it. People get timid to dance in public but I help people put their fears aside when I bring them together for flash mobs and I just make them realize that it’s good to dance and it’s something fun to do.”
The next GFC 90-day challenge will begin January 1. For this challenge the theme will be “No Excuses,” featuring unconventional workouts where we will be learning about alternative ways to exercise which can include archery, Tai Chi, trampoline fitness and much more. Participants will be taught that lifting weights is not the only way to get fit.