Camp Nerd Fitness: An Unexpected and Strange New World

Three days ago, I returned home from Camp Nerd Fitness 2016, a 5-day gathering of self-selecting people who care about fitness and diet and who love various “nerdy” things from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings to video games and comics, and more.

At Nerd Fitness, the motto is “Level Up Your Life,” and CNF is a crash course in that art. So, what exactly did I learn at Camp? Here’s a sample:

I learned that I need to widen my stance when squatting so that I don’t have as much of a problem supinating, or leaning on the outside of my feet.
I learned that we should be able to move each finger individually, but most of us — myself included — can’t. I then learned some exercises to make that dexterity possible in the future.
I learned how little I know about truly nerdy topics like “Video Game Soundtracks” at Team Trivia night and that I’m okay with that.
I learned how fun it is to dress up as the grunge princess I had always wanted to be in high school; I’m looking forward to figuring out more opportunities to show off a slip dress, paint-spotted flannel shirt, torn tights, and a bad attitude to go along with that paler face and smoky eye.
I learned how to row properly! I did not see that one coming but am excited about it.
I learned about nutrient-rich recipes I can eat if my chronic illness flares.
I learned that I need an Instant Pot, especially since I’ve committed to the Whole 30 program for the month of October. (The Bluetooth one I ordered is on its way.)
I learned my personal “power phrase” to use whenever I need courage to face a challenging moment. (No, I’m not going to tell you what it is.)
I learned an amazing Venn Diagram for figuring out how you might make a career out of something you love to do.
I learned that, as an extrovert, I can sometimes read introverts’ reserve as rejection when it’s not about me at all.
I learned, “Life is long. You have time.”

Learning is only the beginning. All of these insights, lessons, advice are really the foundations of “quests” — another NF term that I like because it stresses the journey as much as the arrival — to change my life for the better. So, if the above list is what I learned, here are the corresponding quests and practices to make those lessons stick:

I had previously squatted as much as 125lbs but was overextending my low back. So I’m starting over with just the bar. As I patiently practice nailing perfect form at the lowest weight until it becomes rote, I will widen my stance so that I don’t supinate.
I will practice some finger flexion or range-of-motion exercise daily, along with my growing list of other daily exercises (ball walkouts, burpees, hamstring curls on the ball, side planks, etc.).
I will continue to be okay with my lack of knowledge about video game soundtracks.
I will find excuses to go grunge princess again; after all, it’s back in style! And I’ll take the best part of that attitude — speaking truth to power, a refusal to care what anyone thinks, and a love for the best music of the 90s — and flaunt it.
I’ll keep rowing properly, even if it means that I now take 2 more minutes than before to row 2km.
I’ll make use of my Instant Pot and learn to make flavorful bone broth, my new go-to dish whenever I’m not feeling up to a fiber-rich meal.
I’ll use that power phrase (no, still not going to tell you what it is) on the daily so that I feel like a badass as much as possible. (Just used it now, in fact.)
I’ll keep filling in that Venn Diagram.
I’ll keep putting my friendliest face forward (unless it’s grunge princess time) while remembering that it’s not about me.
I’ll keep remembering that I have the time I need to build the future I want to live.

It’s incredible to see how much I learned at camp, while also knowing I could make this list twice as long.

Moreover, I haven’t even gotten to the most important part: the support and love that the campers, staff, headmasters, and volunteers effusively brought with them.

I have NEVER seen a group of people so willing to listen to and support people as they bravely let their vulnerabilities show. As I reflect on my experience, I realize that, as an extrovert who occasionally needs solitude, I reined myself in this past week. I wanted to give space for others who needed to hear themselves speak more than I, and I also found that I wanted some time to myself each day to think (and to do my French and German lessons). I therefore didn’t get to meet as many people as I might have.

Thanks to the Facebook group, though, I know I can can connect at any time and receive the same support and encouragement I witnessed and received at camp. Those relationships, too, are only at the beginning stage, and of all the quests, the one that matters most is to be as supportive, open, excited, encouraging, honest, courageous, and vulnerable as my fellow campers. It’s a quest that begins with this blog post dedicated to them.

Originally posted on September 28th, 2016.

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Hello, I’m Sara!

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