So there. Challenge completed.
(If you don't know what a burpee is, please take a moment to google it. There are 101 different videos that will show you thirteen different versions of "the burpee." I chose the "squat thrust with jump up" version myself. There's your visual.)
I stumbled onto this fitness challenge as I stumble upon most of them, scrolling through Twitter one day. I was in the middle of training for my 2nd half marathon, and hating every minute of it. In January, I had completed a plank-a-day challenge, and was feeling pretty confident about *that.* So the #100daysof burpees challenge seemed like a good next option, and something that would keep me from feeling like such a failure at my race training.
The gist of it was very simple: on day 1, i did 1 burpee. On day 2, i did 2 burpees. And so forth.
Some days, the burpees were the entirety of my workout. Although, I quickly found that if you're going to wrestle into a sports bra for the burpees, you might as well get in another workout. I mean, why go through that effort for nothing?
Some days, the burpees were part of another workout.
On day 17, I ran a half marathon, and then did 17 burpees back in my hotel room.
On day 60, I did 30 burpees as part of my TRX class, and then did 30 more back at home.
On day 86, I did 10 burpees in the middle of a mud run race, and 76 more when I got home. (I might add, those were the UGLIEST burpees you ever did see!)
Sometimes Jack did burpees with me. Sometimes I managed to get them done before work. Most of the times, I watched old episodes of The Office on Netflix to distract me.
Sometimes, I cried. Once, I almost threw up.
I never missed a day, never missed a burpee. On Saturday, June 8th, I did 100 burpees. and on Sunday, June 9th, I spent one entire blissed out day sans sports bra.
After the half marathon, in March, I purposefully took myself "off the road" for 90 days. That's right, no running (except for a few races I already had lined up.) The burpees challenge proved to be a fantastic gateway to some other serious cross training during this time. (And, in fact, the burpees challenge took 18 days longer to complete than my official training program for my first half marathon last year!)
In summary:
5,050 burpees completed
18 lbs lost
11.5 inches toned away
16.50 dropped on the BMI chart
2+ minute PR in the Lighthouse 10K
1 mental roadblock against running CLEARED
Somewhere in there (day 27? day 74? who knows?) i started to look forward to running again. I officially transferred my November half marathon registration to a full marathon. I've been caught checking out my biceps a time or two. I even added 25 burpees to my workout today, because i *gasp* missed doing them!!
I'm actively searching for my next challenge (as if training for a marathon over the summer isn't enough.) Maybe you've got one for me? Maybe you'll join me?
