EPISODE 2 - LEARNING TO GET ALONG

EPISODE 2
We are starting today in Willimantic. It is the beginning of stage two and everyone seems to be pretty jacked from having a day off for the challenge, everyone but Anthony. His feet did not have the luxury of rest and it is really showing. I have never seen blisters and scabs like what is on the bottom of his feet. Even though we have lost two marchers the cash prize is still at a huge share of 80,000 dollars a piece. I haven’t determined in my mind how much the money is playing a part to motivate them to continue. I want to think that everyone is here to learn how to change their life or save it. Not to play for TV recognition or cash. But at the end of the day, I guess I am just glad that they are here. Even if under false pretense, I am glad they are giving me a chance to win them over to a healthy life style.

Over the last couple of days I have noticed Chantal flirting with ostracizing herself form the group. Lorrie is really trying hard to instill a team approach and Chantal is fine with that but she is not wanting to be a part of it (the team). Mike and some of the others are growing weary with Chantal’s antics. Chantal is destroying her body, pushing to come in first day after day. I can see the psychology behind having to be first and what it means to her, but if she puts that in everyone’s face she will be endanger of being voted off. From a trainer’s perspective I am worried about her hurting herself and not being able to continue and I am also worried about her bringing down the team by her having to be first at all cost. Many of the marches are deciding to go back to help the slower walkers. Our stronger walkers are completing the walks at a blazing pace and then walking sometimes up to 5 miles back to help Will or Anthony finish. That is amazing. That is true team work. The team is not going to give up on anyone, even if they have given up on themselves. I like to think they learned that from Lorrie and I.

This Stage was challenging for a lot of reasons. Terrain was hellacious; the weather showed some mercy but was still brutal at times. The amount of miles we were walking and the speed we walked was incredibly fatiguing. And if this wasn’t e big enough lesson to learn, we added a bit more. Half way through this stage Lorrie and I called in for Pizza and Wings for dinner. The marchers have had no decision in what to eat for almost a month and this night we are going to see will power… or not. Nutritious choices were available but no limits were put on the marchers. They were allowed to eat however their big hearts desired.

I was amazed to see what happened. Most everyone ate very well. A piece of fish, a little rice and some broccoli. But of course Big Will went straight for the Wings and Pizza. At first glance my heart sunk as I saw a major mistake playing out right in front of me. Lorrie got very firm with Will. Many of the team joined in and put their two cents in as well. I laid back just to observe the entire dinner…and this was my take. I was proud of Will. 4 weeks ago he would have plowed that pizza over. But tonight, instead of the fish, Will had one piece of pizza and a few wings on his plate. Then Will cuts his slice of pizza in half and shared it with Chantal, I think he even gave her a couple of his wings. What I tell you next may never happen again, but I found myself sticking up for the once competitive eater. I congratulated him for his portion control and restraint. I agree with the team that he is not getting the same amount of nutrition as the rest of them need for the next day’s walk, but he did well in what I call “damage control”. One big step for the team… One giant step for BIG WILL.

The marchers are starting to become very close with each other. As they are getting more and more comfortable some of the pleasantries, that I would call manors, have dissipated into the past. In other words, the honey moon is over. The great thing about this is the marchers are starting to become more themselves. They are becoming more and more vulnerable with one another and this is really helping them to take a good look and evaluate each others shortcomings. Not to judge each other but to try and help each other face some personal areas that may need improving. The inherent problem with this is people often get their feeling hurt when someone shares something in a harsh or unloving way. As we all got close tempers also flared a little more. Why are we always so coarse with the people we are closest to. This stage proved to be the hardest adjustment when it came to personality. During the first two weeks many of the marchers just turned the other cheek when they were offended. Now the layers are starting to be peeled away and what you are left with is raw and real. If the group makes it through this adjustment they can make it to DC.