Brian Hagbo's Pain Camp

I guess I should probably talk a bit about the sessions we had aboard the boat as that's one of the primary reasons we all go to conferences and conventions in the first place. The first session of the convention was the one that had the most impact on me - both physically and mentally. I've heard alot about heart rate monitors since I've been working here at AAHPERD, but I'd never had the opportunity to really find out what they're all about. I do know they're a VERY hot item for P.E. teachers nowadays, and they're perhaps one of the most coveted on the high end equipment list. Thankfully, Brian Hagbo was on board to tell us all about them and give us the opportunity to try them out.

I'd met Brian up at Mary and Lauree's camp on day one of the trip, and he told me he'd be doing a session for Polar (the company that makes the heart rate monitors everyone wants so much), and so I made a point to get out of bed and show up for this one. After a short presentation on the monitors and what they do, we all picked one up, put it on and got started. Brian ran us through a series of exercises to get our heart rates revved up, selected a few individuals and downloaded their monitors' information to show us how the software works. All in all this was a fun and productive workshop, and I left a happy camper. I was a happy camper all through that day.... in fact, I was happy right up until I got up the next morning.

Mind you, I was on the top bunk in my little cabin, and so my leg muscles needed to be in good use quite early in the morning. I got up somewhat early the next day so that we could hop off in Ketchican and have a look around. I realized, upon stepping down on the ladder that my VMOs were extremely unhappy about the previous day's activities. I clutched the ladder tightly and made my way down.... very, very slowly. I pulled myself together and we went out to wait in line with the rest of the schlubs trying to get off the boat at 7am. Everything was fine and dandy until it came time to walk down the stairs and off the boat. This was a task that I was quite unprepared for, but I clutched the railing and lowered myself as easily as possible down the ridiculously long flight of stairs. On my way down someone behind me says, "is that from my session?" Clearly this was Brian, laughing at me, and I said, "yes, damn you, this is from your session." I proceeded to hobble around the rest of the day, and inevitably the rest of the trip. Even on Wednesday morning, long after the boat, and Juneau, and the day on the plane - I still had TONS of medial knee pain.

I've since recovered, but would like to thank Brian Hagbo and his pain camp, for teaching me the finer points of how not to exercise early in the morning.