Ken: Making the Most of a Scorching Summer Day

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If you’ve been active during the summer this year, like me, you know it’s been hot! From surfing to lifting weights, I’ve been enjoying the hot weather by going out every day and enjoying that sun. My chums, however, don’t like it as much as I do. As I’ll explain, my chums aren’t very fond of the summer season. Many of the activities we did weren’t as fun for them as they were for me. Instead, they would rather stay in the shade and stay cool by munching on ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. But we did enjoy a couple of activities together, even in the summer heat.

It all started when my chums and I decided to go to the local beach to cool off from the summer heat. I brought my beach blanket and sunscreen to protect myself from the harsh sun. Stefan got a fan to cool himself off and a water bottle. Emma kept herself cool with a sun hat and a cooling towel. Henri only brought a pair of sunglasses, which he found out later was a big mistake. When we found our beach spot, we decided to play a game of volleyball together. When we walked over to the designated volleyball spot on the beach, we grabbed a ball that wasn’t inflated properly. It was a minor inconvenience, but we decided to play with it. We quickly discovered that the sand was scorching hot, which made our feet very uncomfortable. It was like we were stepping on the surface of the sun! We served up the ball to each other, trying our best to rally back and forth. We only played for a while until we got tired and decided to find a better activity to try together.

I suggested next for us to try and lift some weights. Working out would help us prepare for the upcoming tennis tournaments we’ll join by strengthening our forearms for better serves. There was an area right off the beach that had weights, treadmills, and bench presses for others to use. I started with resistance bands before trying out some of the dumbbells. Stefan followed my lead by starting with resistance bands and trying dumbbells. However, when he used the heavier set of dumbbells, he quickly began to feel sore in his muscles. He decided to stop so he wouldn’t injure any of his muscles. Emma was quick to try both dumbbells and kettlebells that were available. She quickly moved on after trying them to the bench press and lastly cardio. She completed all three of her workouts before any of us finished ours! She got bored of trying all the different equipment and wanted to find something more enjoyable for a workout. Henri wasn’t a big fan of any of the equipment. He struggled to lift the heavier weights, especially as the sun peaked with its hot temperature. Seeing how he was struggling, I decided that then would be a good time for us to get a treat after playing volleyball and working out.

Since it was such a hot day, many ice cream trucks were out for everyone to enjoy. Henri got a grape-flavored snow cone, Emma got an ice cream sandwich, and Stefan got an orange-flavored popsicle. I got myself an ice cream cup to enjoy with my chums. We sat near a shady tree, enjoyed our treats, and talked about our day out. While my chums have had a rough time with some of the activities we did, they all enjoyed being together and hanging out as a group. I was pleased to hear that my friends persevered despite the challenges they encountered and made the most of the day. Unfortunately for Henri, he got sunburnt because he forgot his sunscreen. “Don’t mistake me for a Red Panda!” he jokingly told me. I’m so lucky to have such a caring group of chums who all enjoy each other’s company. While it was a hot day out, we were able to make the most of it together!

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