It’s (challenge) time

Sooooo…

I’m done with my 3 1/2 month STS rotation.

I’m not (yet) signed up for another half marathon (but trust me, I’m definitely doing at least one if not more races this spring).

It’s time.

Challenge time.

I alluded to it my STS wrap-up post that my sis and I had concocted a new challenge to take on.

And we’ve found it.

It’s called the Core Fusion 30-day challenge, which is *totally* inspired by Dori‘s incredible experience with the “original” 30-day challenge that Exhale Spa created.

My sis and I have decided that it’s HIGH time that we build a strong core. While we’re athletes and all (*wink*), we have NEVER had a strong core. We both have a hard time committing the time needed to strengthen it and invariably always end up frustrated and we give up (yes, you read that right – we give UP!).

So it’s about time we got over that. And thankfully, we’ve finally found a core/pilates/yoga inspired core workout that we both love to death (and are challenged, like whoa, by it).

Here’s how it’s gonna go down:

• Starting next week, for the month of February we’ll do some form of Core Fusion 4-5 days per week
• That could mean taking a live class at Exhale Spa in Boston (maybe next time founder Fred DeVito stops by to teach again  *hint! hint!*)
• Or, it could mean popping in one of these bad boys. We now both own a handful of the Core Fusion DVDs including: Boot Camp (this one is the most cardio based of them all…no joke either, nearly killed me last night!); Body Sculpt; Pilates Abs, Glutes & Thighs; and Long & Lean.
• In tandem, we’ll do *some* cardio via running (via intervals on the treadmill, or outside if weather permits) or spinning, primarily (maybe 1-2 days per week).
• But no other strength training whatsoever, aside from what the body weight-based strength work and light hand weights that some of the Core Fusion DVDs include.
• We’ll take one rest day entirely, as usual.
• And – we’ll document our progress here on the blog with some guest appearances by my sis (yippee!).

And at the end of this month, what do we hope to accomplish?

It’s not what you think.

Yes, we want a strong core but we’re not aspiring to some crazy 6-pack or something. Quite the opposite. We’re both simply in this to build an overall stronger core that will carry us through whatever other crazy challenges we take on next. Because your core is INTEGRAL to so many aspects of life that to have a weak one is just wrong.

So that’s it. Simple as that. A stronger core. Anything on top of that is gravy. Really and truly.

I don’t know about you sis, but I say BRING IT ON. I am so ready for this Core Fusion Challenge, like whoa-ly. 😉

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<Fitblogger confession alert>

The one thing that will take some adjusting to? Not doing an intense (i.e. heavy) weight training workout. And shifting my mindset as it relates to yoga/pilates inspired workouts. I fall into the “if I didn’t sweat buckets, I didn’t workout hard enough” camp. And that’s got to change. Core Fusion is an intense workout but in a very different way than say, a speedy run or an hour of a heavy weight training routine. But it’s different in exactly the way I need it to be and I need to accept that a Core Fusion workout indeed “counts” as a workout! So that’s my one fitblogger “confession” as part of all of this as crazy as that might sound. This sure falls into the “getting uncomfortable” portion of my 2011 resolutions, indeed.