Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Well & Being and Willow Stream Spa

I started a 90 day membership at the Willow Stream Spa.  They're located in the Fairmont Princess Hotel in North Scottsdale, so close by my home.  Even closer than the Gold's Gym I decided to join earlier this year that I've only been to less than 5 times.  Even closer than the Pilates Studio I join in January that I had to cancel after non-use.  I held on to it so long because of the smoking-hot grand opening membership deal that I would lose if I cancelled.

Well, this one is a 90 day membership and I vowed to use it! I warned the girls at the front desk that they would get tired of seeing me.

Day 1 of  90. Friday, September 13th.
I got a tour of the spa from Stephanie who happened to be one of the TRX instructors.  I plan to link that to my blog on TRX I will be writing later, but for now it's linked to the TRX Training website.

This spa has so many things, but I wanted to keep it simple on the first day.  I really just wanted to relax in the hot tub after a long week of work, but I felt I should at least get a little workout in.  So I headed to the fitness center where there were plenty of machines and weights with not a lot of people.  There was a towel on each machine and most had their own TV screen, but the Livestrong bike caught my eye.  I hopped on the bike, easily walked through the settings on the screen and watched a video of a trainer going through a seated climb program.

I got bored with this after 15 minutes since I didn't have any head phones so I switched it to a location video.  After that I was riding through a Slickrock Divide in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah and then the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming.  Not a bad ride for a Friday night.  After that short work out, I think I deserved some time in the hot tub.

The spa was pretty deserted on a Friday night.  I stepped into the women's steam room and quietly closed the door.  As soon as I sat down, I heard the steam shower starting to gurgle loudly before hissing it's heated breathe.  The room quickly filled up and I could barely see 2 feet in front of me.  I thought this might be the perfect scene in a Jackie Collins novel where a Hollywood starlet might be murdered by being locked in a steamroom that wouldn't stop steaming.  Did I see if the door had locks? Will the steam ever stop? Will an attendant hear me screaming?! It is Friday The 13th, I should have known better than to step into a Steamroom by myself. AAAAAAGH!!
Luckily, I'm not a Hollywood starlet and as far as I know I don't think anyone wants me dead.  I took a deep breathe letting the of the eucalyptus infused air fill and warm my lungs.  I'm supposed to relax...
and relax I did.  I followed up the steam room with the hot tub.  A mini waterfall came out of the wall and the water dropped perfectly at my shoulders.  After that I hopped in for just a quick second in the cold immersion tub at 60 degrees.  Warmed myself up in the dry sauna and washed myself off in the Swiss Showers.

Wow! Not a bad start to my new membership. Not bad at all.