For many of us, Friday is our moment of weakness. The day we say ‘yes’ to beer and motown music in the office (in my case), extended Friday happy hours, and ‘no’ to our fitness goals. Fitness goals, what fitness goals?

Alexa Stanley: Friday Fitness Guest Blogger, Basking in Post Race After Glow

Alexa Stanley, rising senior at Davidson College is here to change that. She is devoting Fridays on The Cusp to lighting that fire under your ass that will get you pumping iron and sweating out the stress before enjoying your weekend!

What can you expect on Fitness Fridays? Just your average Alexa paced work out designed to inspire and get your butt off the couch! Ahem, my butt off the couch. Hopefully I am not the only one that benefits from this Friday practice. She will also be chronicling the sure to be hilarious endeavor of our training for this event.  Which I signed on to do with her (potentially questionable decision making). So without further adieu, I tip off my hat to Alexa Stanley:

 The Weekly Workout Move is…

The Power Plank Row (10-lb weight, 15 REPS each side, 2 SETS)

(Editor’s note: ^the above woman is not Alexa…just some woman I found on YouTube)

Muscles Worked:

Upper Back

Shoulders

Core

Lift up the opposite leg as your weight-lifting arm and you’ll get in your Glutes, too

Black Beard Race Update

I believe fitness should be fun and exciting, hence convincing Gen to sign up for this wild undertaking. While we haven’t consulted our fellow male housemate on this, Every Friday, I’ll post our in-house progress. By that I mean our fitness progress/ workouts for the week (male house mate included). For the readers who don’t know me, I am a crunchy Colorado-an, and I am always looking for fun ‘get-fit’ suggestions. Write me at alexa.stanley@yahoo.com if you’ve got a good one or you want to share a motivating Fitness Friday short story.)

A little bit about our own motivation: the Blackbeard Adventure Race…

It’s a 45 mile, 8-hour race through scenic Nag’s Head, Outer Banks, North Carolina withmountain biking, trail running, sea kayaking, coasteering, and orienteering. Perhaps most importantly, it’s pirate themed. So I’ll be getting out my Halloween costume earlier this year. (October 6th at 8 in the morning)

As for any other details, they don’t exist. I even badgered the organizers with emails asking them what to expect. They told me anything from 6 mile beach runs to repelling from a hotel rooftop, but what exactly we’re up for is under wraps. “It spoils the fun,” the organizer said. And I’d have to agree.

They provide the kayak and a few other missing parts, but here’s what we will be responsible for bringing with us:

Topographical map

Compass

Rescue whistle

emergency space blanket

Knife with a 3” blade

50’ rescue line

Duct tape

Fully charge cell phone with a waterproof case

And the usual (first aid kits, backpacks, Gortex jackets, etc.)

I was never a boy scout and I’ve never used a compass so aside from upping the work out regime, I’ll be practicing my forestry skills in the next three months.

Editors note: So I am reading Alexa’s post here…had no idea that I signed on for 45 miles. yikes :/ wish me luck!