A Maniac's Manic Monday

manic |ˈmanik|
adjective : Showing wild and apparently deranged excitement and energy.

maniac |ˈmānēˌak|
noun informal : A person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, esp. when violent and dangerous.


I never realized there was such a short trip from manic to maniac. I think I have got the simple hop, skip and a jump down to a science.

I'm wondering which is a clearer sign that I am a manic maniac: the fact that I am now actually "friends" with a DOG on Facebook or the fact that I have officially started the painful, I mean Ultimate Body Challenge.

It's sort of a fine line, isn't it?

Seriously, I am intrigued to get to know my great-nephew's dog, Ava. I wonder how much commenting she will do on my always witty or inspirational Facebook posts. Oh, I forgot humble. More importantly, I can't wait to see what photos and news she has to share with her friends. Should be fun.

I am hoping the other project is fun, too. Not just painful.

Basically, the Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC) is a 10-week fitness course that combines fitness kickboxing, resistance training and an "easy to follow" nutritional plan that anyone can follow (except those of us who can't get enough eggnog, ice cream, pizza or Christmas cookies in their diets). But that's how I got to this point!

Some "older" friends from church have done this program with much success. I figure if they can handle it at 60, this 40-something sloth can, too! They took me as their guest on Friday and Saturday mornings to see how I'd like it. And I do! By Sunday morning, my apparently seldom-used triceps were screaming after Saturday's strength & resistance session. But other than that, no pain I can't handle. Yet.

So I took my freelance funds and Christmas cash, pulled the trigger and signed up. Each of the Monday through Saturday sessions offer a different workout so I definitely won't get bored. Today – my official first day – was cardio kickboxing. Tough workout but I absolutely loved it. We'll see how I feel when I have to roll out of bed for tomorrow's 5:40 a.m. class.

Yup. This program has all kinds of challenges for Robyn!

Actually, the fact that I can do it and still get to work around the same time is part of the reason I was attracted to it. I can't do classes that start at 7 a.m. (too late) or 4:30 or 5 pm. (too early). So we'll see how the early to rise part goes, says the manic maniac.

I do feel positive about what it can do for me and my expanding physical well-being. I won't show you a "before" picture unless I have a decent "after" one, that's for sure. I'll get back to you in 10 weeks.

By then, Ava the Dog may be my best friend – and I should be able to keep up with her.