Stroller Strides v Baby Boot Camp

Saturday morning I joined the Stroller Strides class recommended by one of my fellow mamas (who is so tiny that you wouldn't think she'd need SS but she does it...good for her staying healthy).

Now with Baby Boot Camp I was able to keep up a bit and my muscles didn't cramp and I didn't feel like an old lady when I finished my classes.  But with Stroller Strides - I got my ass kicked HARD!  Oh and of course I came the day that we were doing hardcore cardio....so yeah...I felt like I was going to puke when we were done.  But that's probably because I was dehydrated, out of shape, and tight.

Let's start from the beginning...

I get to class and meet some of the other  moms before the session begins.  I notice that they're all in the early to mid 30's and are in much better shape than I.  Ok, so they're going to kick my ass at anything we do today. 

Then the instructor arrives.  She's probably in her mid 30's, hot, fit, and just by looking at her you can feel the intense energy inside of her.  Today's class is going to push me to the limits - I can tell.  I mean, the woman walks with perfect posture - I just know she's going to expect me to challenge myself.

Which is why I'm there right?  To challenge myself and get healthy?  Sure. 

So what's our warm up?  Side stepping, grape-vining, and high kicks.  I'm already dizzy and nauseated just by the warm up.  Man I am sooooooo out of shape.

Then our next task is to jog just 1/2 a mile but I'm so chicken and know that those moms are going to beat me with their long legs and toned bodies - so I opt to power walk with the instructor.  She tries to reassure me that Stroller Strides is mainly a walking class with the option of jogging but what mom trying to lose weight just wants to walk around the whole class?  Definitely not the moms in this class.  But I walk anyway and get my heart pumping.

At our next stop we use the exercise bands for some arm toning.  I was able to do the first set of arm workouts but then we were supposed to do another arm workout and my muscles were not prepared for that at all.  So they punished me but cramping and even with my efforts to hydrate - they still whiplashed me into submission.  I had to sit out on the rest of the workout.  Crap.  Now I look and feel like such a pansy.

We do some more jogging/walking - an obstacle course which I could only do 2/3 of because the Bambino started to cry for some milk.  Thanks and dammit Bambino - I was getting into a good rythym by then but I was also feeling like I was going to hurl.  Does that make sense?  Oh well - that's how I felt. 

Finally we ended with some did the Swedish mile or Indian run or whatever you want to call it - it's different with each region and some ab workouts.  I love the Swedish mile and I have a love/hate relationship with ab workouts.  Love them because they lead to sexy abs, hate them because they're soooooooo freaking hard and I'm just not that centered. 

So I'm doing working my abs but then all of the sudden I get a cramp in my stomach that almost feel like labor pains, so I'm moaning and groaning (and not in a good way) because I've NEVER felt my abs cramp up on my like this.  It felt like an alien was kicking and tugging at my innerds and mucles. 

I was done.  D-O-N-E.  Thanks Stroller Strides for kicking my ass.

At the end of the class I chatted with my mama friend and the instructor who is super sweet but really intense (as she should be). 

If I had the finances to do the class I would attend their Saturday morning sessions and stick with Baby Boot Camp's evening classes BUT I don't.

I like both classes for different reasons.  SS is intense and will definitely challenge me to my core and BBC is a bit more gentle but still kicks my bum into gear. 

Let's just hope that I'll be able to afford to do such classes soon.

For now it's back to motivating myself to hit the pavement with the Bambino and stroller on my own.