This week's blog is written by a devoted kick boxer and loyal M2 supporter, which I very much appreciate…:)) When I first saw Charley I saw this big, tall guy . . . in his little athletic shorts, matching tank, and headband and thought "Hmmm, who do we have here . . . Semi-Pro?"…;)) And I should say that it is with Charley's permission, that I am publishing his nickname, which I very affectionately gave him (in my head) in those first few weeks. He started off his first class in the front row, right by my stage - which, as most of you know, is where the regulars take their place in kickboxing class. And I'm proud to say, it is where he continues to stand 3 or 4 times a week, faithfully and consistently . . . rarely missing a class.
Charley is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. Very generous, kind, thoughtful and always available to share his wisdom . . . as he has done so this week. Thank you, Charley. Happy Birthday, my friend. And when I grow up, I want to be just like you.
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I turn 60 this month, always a sobering age for reflection. Blessed with good health and reasonably strong physique, the lessons learned are as follow. Start off with good genes (thanks Mom and Dad) and build on that with a very dedicated exercise program. I was a tennis, football, and soccer player in high school but did little in college or grad school aside from lots of tennis. While living in Johannesburg, South Africa in a high rise with a dog, I started running. Running and tennis at 6000 feet makes one very sound from a cardio perspective. Returning to Texas in 1981, I hated the climate for running because of the heat and cold relative to JoBurg’s superb climate. What to do to stay in shape?
My girlfriend at the time dragged me into Jazzercise but she moved on to a new thing that was a Dallas copy of Jane Fonda’s Workout, high impact group aerobics. She said it would kick my ass. Not one to shrink from a challenge, I tried to join; they were not taking any men but I was persistent. It was very difficult at first because a) I am not very coordinated and b) it was a very advanced class with some really fit young ladies (after six months, one of them said to me, “Still here?”). I got better, stronger, and more coordinated. Moving around the country to San Antonio, Hartford, Indianapolis, and Denver, head up on my list of first things to find was the best instructor with the most challenging class. What works for me is a group class at specific times. Those times go into my electronic calendar and I don’t skip classes unless a dire emergency. My friends, family, and co-workers think me more than a little compulsive about it. Guilty as charged.
I came to Spectrum from doing TurboKick in Denver. THAT at 5300 feet above sea level showed that my body could be strengthened despite age. When we moved back to Bandera, the search began. Manny at Bandera Pointe said that Margie has enormous energy and a near cult following. As a proud member of Margie’s fan club, it is no “near cult”! She exemplifies what I look for in an instructor: a great physique, a personality that reaches inside of me to drag out my best, and a seemingly never-ending range of challenging routines that maintain great conditioning but throw a few curves each week lest I get complacent. That and she really loves what she does and watches over our progress to greater fitness. Having done these classes with lots of really good instructors, I am a total snob when it comes to a new instructor. Margie is my all time favorite. Thank you for that!
Lessons learned? Try to do a minimum 3 times a week (when I went from two classes a week to four, the improvement was big). Be very disciplined about coming to class. As we age, tone, strength, and lung capacity fall off quickly away from class. It is also a fact that getting back in shape takes longer than it used to! I have two compressed lower discs. These classes which do so much for core strength amaze my orthopedic surgeon. At a loss to account for why I can do what I do with a bad back, she said simply “Keep it up; I can’t do anything as good for you on the operating table”. The stress management is also a big part of my “positive addiction” to F2M2 kick-boxing. Coordination much improved. Now if I can just learn to quit hitting like a girl.
