Yesterday I hit a new level of Wendy sweaty-ness.  It was pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

In the morning the pups (Riggins, Asscher & Shadow) took off to Griffith Park for a hike.  This trio is really easy to hike with and are great together which gave me the freedom to explore a couple new trails.  We took a trailhead I had been eyeing but never tried before.  About 10 ft. in a teen passed us going the other way.  After the appropriate “hi” we passed and kept walking.  A few seconds back and he called to me.  It was as if he had been thinking if he should say something and having an inner fight with himself on if it was a good idea or not.  Here is how the conversation played out:

Teen:  Umm yah.  Have you gone that way before?

Wendy:  Nope.

Teen:  Ummmm … it’s really steep.  You should turn back.

Wendy:  We will be ok but thanks.

Teen:  Ummm …. but the dogs.

Wendy:  Yah.  Thanks for the heads up.

Teen:  Ummmm …. Especially with the dogs.

Wendy:  We will be fine.  Thanks.

You know I have an issue with being told what to do and CERTAINLY wasn’t going to let some punk tell me the dogs and I couldn’t do something.  He had no idea what we were capable of.  I had a rough idea where the trail was going to end up and figured we were going to be a-okay.  A little bit in, the road got steep and I mocked the punk in my head, “Ha!  This is nothing … I can do this AND still hold on to 3 leashes.”  A little while later the path got steeper but worse than that the ground got soft and unstable … ummmm …. We all battled our way up until we came upon a log that had fallen across the path.  I pushed my butt up and flipped my legs up and over and looked down at the dogs.  I let go of their leashes and Shadow jumped up without even thinking.  Asscher and Riggins stared at me like I had finally lost my mind.  I showed Asscher how to get up around the log and she made her way up.  It was Riggins turn.  His answer was “no.”  I called.  I offered treats.  I offered water and kisses.  I showed him the easier Asscher route and he just stood there and gave me a look like not only was he not going up and over but this adventure was now officially over.  He turned around and started heading back down the path.  Just like in a scary movie when that one kid decides he isn’t brave enough to enter the haunted house and hightails it out of there.  Sigh … I had to follow with Asscher and Shadow, back over the log, on my heels.  We caught up with Riggins and I gave him a good talking to and dragged them all back.  By then they were all thinking Riggins had the right idea.  I WASN’T GOING TO LET THAT PUNK WIN.  WE WERE MAKING IT TO THE TOP.  This time everyone got over and around the log with no problems and continued up.  It would have been easier if I could have let go of everyone’s leashes.  Something I would normally do but I gathered them back up after log jumping simply because it is rattlesnake season and I know they are out there ready to ruin my day.  After a break in the shade we made it to the top!!!  We were all filthy.  It wasn’t that long of a hike but we looked like we had rolled up the hill vs. walked up.

After a water break we took a steep windy path down.  A new one to me too.  I cautiously held on to 3 dog leashes and more than once had to tell Asscher to slow down so she wouldn’t drag me down to the bottom.  Lucky for me they are all such good dogs they knew that it was high alert time and listened to every thing I said very carefully.  We eventually got back to the car.  Everyone was beyond pooped.  The hike wasn’t the longest we have taken nor the hardest.  It wasn’t the steepest and not the hottest of days.  It was hot, it was steep and it was hard but nowhere near anyone’s limit.  Still we we all looked and acted like we had been through war.  I think it was a mixture of the soft dirt that we had to wade through and the fact that we were all on a heightened alert.   It was exhausting!

After a nap I headed off to Bar Method.  I had planned to help my friend that evening unpack from a recent move so I juggled my schedule to attend an earlier class than normal.  This meant a (gasp) new instructor.  You know my feelings toward new teachers at my Bar Method studio.  I don’t like them.  (****** Now let’s pause here for a second.  The new teacher is VERY nice, super sweet and a dozen or so other positive descriptive words.  Give me a month or two and I’m sure she will be one of my favorites.  ******)  This was my second time with this instructor and after my first I had sworn I would never go back until she got some more classes under he belt.  Unfortunately I had no choice.  It was her class or nothing.

My first time with her the class was brought to you by the letter W.  As in there were so many Wendy corrections being called out I felt like it was the letter of the day.  My second time I tried to go in with an open mind and within the first 5 minutes wanted to walk out.  I had to give myself a stern talking to.  “Stop being such a barre prima donna!”  I hate barre divas.  You probably have something similar in whatever work out class you take.  That one person who is so good he/she doesn’t need instructors.  He/she does what she wants even if his/her form is off because he/she knows better.  He/she will go into random stretches for no good reason just cause she/he feels like it or jumps into the next exercise before the instructor has even gotten the name of the exercise out let alone the set up.  They annoy me.  I’m proud of my non-prima donna status.  I try really hard to not anticipate what the teacher is going to say and instead follow his/her set up instructions for each exercise.  After all they are constantly being tweaked and updated to make them more effective and/or safer.  I don’t want to miss out on anything new.  I’m also constantly trying to get better and better form and going through the set up each time helps me do that.

I was a little better after my self inflected scolding but still caught myself rolling my eyes more than once when being corrected.   I think the new girl caught my eye rolls because her tone with me changed dramatically 1/2 way through class.  I also wanted to paint Right and Left on her hands.  Isn’t that horribly mean of me?  Every instructor I have ever had (and every student I’ve ever watched … myself included) mixes up right and left now and then.  Usually there is some self teasing and you move on.  This poor girl is so afraid of making a mistake she just plows through despite having said left when she made right.  I wasn’t paying attention and did what she said and …. had to be corrected.  I can’t think of what leg I should be on …. I’m too busy trying not to pass out from my labor like breathing and the pain.

No worries though.  New girl or not my body ached post work out just as much as it would with any other instructor.  Today I can definitely feel post work out pain in my thighs and triceps.  I suppose that means she really does know what she is doing.  Even if I don’t want to admit that she does!

UPDATE:  I just received a text from Asscher’s mom that Asscher had foxtails stuck in her skin along with ticks.  NOPE …. NO… UH UH… FORGET THAT.  Foxtails are asshole weeds and are a pain in the butt to any dog owner.   They can cause big issues but are almost unavoidable if you go outside in So Cal this time of year.  Ticks?  Ticks can go f*** off.  I HATE ticks.  Blood thirsty gross ugly bugs.  Why do they exist?  Why?  They serve zero purpose except to creep me out.  Bastard bugs  That’s what they are.  Asscher could have gotten both of these things on our new trail hike although she did go swimming for a long time in a friend’s pool last night so it is also possible she got them at the dog park we visited today.  To be safe I will be banning both from my list of activity locations for the foreseeable future.  Now excuse me while I go check the other dogs, change my sheets, and burn the clothes I wore the past few days.