Today in my blog I am occupied with the CULT OF the AMERICAN PHYSICALITY.
One thing that is on my list of to do here in Iowa City is to make a sport.
There is outside lovely swimming pool near to our hotel.
There is also a great offer for us - writers - to go for free to the FITNESS STUDIO.
It´s just 5 Min. walk! As I discovered this studio I was completely amazed how huge it is! One big building!
In Berlin I used to go to the McFit - for Berlin´s circumstances it´s the hugest (I suppose) fitness studio in the city/Germany. Some voices of people around me just refuse to go in this big studio, they prefer a small one, where is very limited choice of the maschines. In the comparison to this /American studio is the German McFit (which already seems to be very American as the name is...) tinny, small studio. Normal. As well known in America is almost everything huge so that I am not so much suprised, when I walk through the three floors and besides are two swimming pools, one is quite as big as an olympic size and the other is just smaller for a refreshment. There is also playground for a basketball and tenis.
I feel comfortable with one floor - with the 2nd floor - it´s enough good for me, there is everything what I need.
I like the craft training but I won´t exagerate in the dimension of my workouts and in the choice of the maschine, there are really plenty!!! I could spend there three hours. The mood is nice all around. People are occupied with themselves very concentrated on their exercises. Right.
What I mainly ADMIRE is how people exercise - workout here!! What a lovely view on all of them!!! They have in their faces huble and healthy, happy believe in their physical abilities. I feel beside them OUT OF SHAPE! Men & women catter here to extreme fitness buffs, heading toward strength training AND almost -it seems to me as a militaristic exercise. It seems sometimes its a military´s special workout they do. I look at the Men of Steel. Supermen are training here for hours of pumping iron. And this is very inspirational: If I am surrounded by substandart people, I´m not going to workthat hard myself. Here I do! I learn with them to discover the love of pushing myself beyond my notions of limits!!!
I am not used to do it so first of all I must train my mind then my body. Before I go to the fitness studio I am interested in training my mind in physical workout which comes...I am preparing for the completion of my 2 hours SPORT. Mind and body and soul should be connected. Mega-pumped!
It is extreme tough how they exercise, they do it as extreme as America can be. I haven´t ever seen such a joy and an imaginative "creative" workout as here. People seem to be happy with their extreme military way of the workouts! Yes, I like their fit, slim, great bodies! They are not fat at all!! So when they eat hamburgers, Frech fries or chicken wings with a big portion of the ice cream or cakes, it´s OK. They can eat that, they lose weight through their hard exercise already here. So I don´t really see fat people here as it´s common to say about the Americans. That´s Iowa City!!? Yes, maybe. The generall food is really horrible, fat pizzas, hamburgers etc. But with such a fitness studio and a personal steel will they can allow it to eat it. I think we cannot . I cannot. I had to culminate in this studio in tears and sweat but still I am not as extreme as they are. I might be critical, that´s alright, that´s the new goal: American extreme toughness! With the new motto: "Don´t complain if the work si too hard, or if you pass out, drop a barbell on your head, kettle bell on your toes."
Another SPORT I could admire here was a RODEO.
We went out of the city by the car. It took two hours to arrive to the RODEO ARENA. Sure, Iowa isn´t the capital country of the rodeo races but neverthless for the starter-fans as me it is good enough to enlarge the imagination of this American sport.
I bought immediatly a real cowboy hut - I was drawn into the wild atmosphere of the Western - see below. I wouldn´t say I become a fan, but I will speak about it with a kind of an adoration for COWBOYS and COWGIRLS athletes. Cowgirls were really amazing strong, riding the horse in a high speed! It was terrifying! Crazy, they risk their life. But again there is a cult of physicality!
I just argue about the animal cruelty.
Well, everybody knows the iconic silhouette image of a "Bucking Horse and Rider" is a federal and state-registered trademark.
Actually I haven´t seen anything of that before - life. Something on the TV but this was immediatly life and really frighting and terrifying.
On the programm was: Tie -down roping, Steer wrestling, Saddle bronc riding, Barebacl Bronc-Riding, Barrel racing (which did also small children 3-8 years old!!) and Bull riding. The event was divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events.
The wild horses trying to shake down the cowboy. Uff, it was very dramatic... I was shouting and trembling about them. As a part of audience I was feeling the adrenalin in me going high by every new wild horse and the strong and crazy cowboy who risks his life. One had felt on the ground and seemed to be breathless.
As a Middleuropean woman I haven´t seen any such kind risk sports as this one or others are. We don´t have such extremes sport - just football /socce, voleyball, basketball etc. Killing or using animals for races isn´t familiar to me. So. I was glad that this isn´t sport about the killing the animals - the cruelty and the stress was enough - enough stress had the baby calfs who were tortured by running and then tied by the lariat of the cowboy - Tie-down-roping- discipline.
Roping competitions are based on the tasks of a working cowboy, who often had to capture calves and adult cattle for branding, medical treatment and other purposes. The cowboy must throw a type of rope with a loop, known as a lariat or lasso, over the head of a calf or onto the horns and around the hind legs of adult cattle, and secure the animal in a fashion dictated by its size and age.
My favorite discipline was: ROUGH STOCK - BRONC RIDING - Competition.
The risky riding on the wild horse or bull...
Bronc riding is - I read about - , where the rider uses a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) and hangs onto a heavy lead rope, called a bronc rein, which is attached to a halter on the horse...and rides!
That was a beautiful show I would say. We all enjoyed it!
Back to IOWA CITY full of our passive adventure!! Still admiring the physicality of the Cowboys/Cowgirls!!
Till yet we have had a very beautiful weather here, good to make sport along the IOWA RIVER just next our hotel.
I am jogging and meditating here at the river and in this small city full of little surprises!!
Today 11/9 - Indian Summer and everywhere in the ground small American flags. I like that patriotic SPORT! Honour to own people who die for the country.
It´s a sweet cult of the love.
YEAH! RODEO GIRL!!!
OUR TEAM ON RODEO!
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