Fifty!

I turned fifty two days ago. It wasn't as traumatic as I feared it might be.

In fact, it was a whole lot of fun.

The Hubster kept asking me, in the weeks leading up to my birthday, what I wanted to do.  I always said the same thing: be at the cabin with him, my parents, my sister Energizer Bunny and her husband Sherpa Boy, and also my best friend from college.

Since this is exactly what had been planned for my birthday for, oh, the last six months, I figured this should be quite a clear direction, and easy to accomplish.

So, we went to the cabin.  We hiked.  We ate.  We laughed.  We hiked some more, ate some more, and laughed some more.

Oh, and we did Burpees.  Lots and lots of Burpees.

It started with this email from CrossFit SISU:
Happy birthday Kaari, SISU has a special gift for you. A Birthday WOD, 100 Burpees for time. 3 2 1...GO!

Make it great day!

PS- Don't forget to record your score as a Thank YOU!

The CrossFit Sisu Coaching TEAM!

And it ended with, well, I'll copy the email I sent back:

Dear CrossFit Sisu Sadists Coaches,

Thank you so much for the lovely birthday WOD gift. While it was a bit large--"50 Burpees" is a better size for me--I do appreciate the thought.  And although it's likely that it was intended to be a gag gift, I can't resist a challenge--even one that may have been issued in jest.  Besides, what better way than 100 Burpees to ensure that I start the next 50 years of my life off on the right foot (or, more accurately, face down on the ground)?

So October 19, my 50th birthday, we held the inaugural "Burpees on the Beach Burpday Challenge" at our cabin on Lake Superior.  Unfortunately, inclement weather forced the competition off the beach and into our half-renovated sauna, but the view out the window was spectacular nonetheless.

 (BTW, there is no view fabulous enough to make up for the fact that Burpees Suck).

My family rocks.  Not only did my husband, sister and brother-in-law cheer me on—they did the 100 Burpees with me!  In fact, you may want to consider trying to recruit my sister to CrossFit; she’s 52 but beat my time of 12:15 by almost three full minutes—then after completing  her 100 Burpees she did 20 more with me as I finished mine, to “keep me company.”  What a bitch supportive sister!

     

          100!

Post Burpee Euphoria

We all enjoyed the “Burpees on the Beach” so much that we’re planning to do it again.

In another 50 years.

(Thanks for helping me in my quest to “Unsuck Myself” as I enter my 50’s.  And remember—“Strong is the new 50!”)

Kaari  

So fifty was fun; a lot of fun.  And there's more to look forward to: I haven't done my fifty laps yet (maybe Milwaukee in a couple of weeks?), and I want to review some goals I wrote in the early spring, when the 2013-14 preseason was just starting.  And maybe I should wax eloquent about the marvels of living for a half-century, and what it means and what I've learned and what I hope to accomplish in the next 50 years.

Or, I could go eat another piece of cake and plan my workouts for the week.