In case your wondering why we haven't posted in a while - we are at the tail end of a year long kitchen remodeling project! New counter tops are coming in 2 weeks and the cabinets need to be refinished before they install - floor needs to go down - painting, cabinet doors, etc! If anyone has ever remodeled their own kitchen you know what I'm talking about! Plus - Craig and I have signed up to do the 'Marine Corp Mud Run' (mudrun.com) in Salem, VA on Sept. 17. It's only a 5K but the best part is when you get to the end and you HAVE to crawl on hands and knees through mud! So - we have been trying to run in the evenings to get ready but it has been so hot we tend to find other things to do...like the kitchen!

Now - on to BP related issues. I need to find out if you guys regularly participate in the Instructor Challenge. I know at our club - we have only done so a few times but had a lot of fun doing it. I have been put in charge of pulling this thing together, which I had done a year ago. The first time was great. The second time, everyone managed to have other things to do. This is not only a time for us to challenge ourselves physically - but it gives us a great opportunity to get to know the instructors and even brainstorm ideas for launches, etc. Yes it's hard - and the first time I did it when training for BP I thought I was gonna die! But when I was done - I was proud of myself for getting through it. For pushing myself as hard as I could - I had never been through anything like that! Plus - the excitment from my classmates cheering me on was awesome. What made it great too was - and I hate to admit this - but I was the oldest one in class! Not to mention on that first day of training I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep. Craig and I had been in New Jersey for a conference. We were supposed to catch a flight back to Backsburg but it was cancelled with no other flights leaving till Saturday. So - Craig rented a car and we drove all night making it to Blacksburg about 3am. But - I still did it. The point is - we NEED to challenge ourselves! Push ourselves to the limit sometimes. Do what you think you can't do!

That being said - does anyone have some ideas about getting instructors together? How to make it something no one wants to miss? Our club is making it mandatory - but, I still think we should WANT to come. After all it's for our own benefit that we do this. To remain in top physical condition so we can look good while teaching and not get winded while lifting our bars!

Keep pumping!