And Then There Were 4!

First, thanks Carol, for clarifying Lisa going home last week.  Not sure what I was thinking.  I knew Lisa went home, but my brain gave out on me!   As soon as I looked at the line-up of the final six last night, I realized I had been incorrect in my blog…This being human thing reminds me every day of the flaws we have.

So there they were…Frado, Mark, Brendan, Patrick, Ada and Elizabeth competing for a spot in the final 4.  Last night there would be a red line and a yellow line, sending 2 people home.  Before the “pop” challenge, we see that Olympic medalist Nastia Liukin is there, but that was pretty much all we saw of her. The first challenge, was safe and a great way to show all the cardio equipment they use at the ranch.  I did not think it was “gender” fair, however, and had the order of challenges been different, there would have been a different outcome.  There was no way Ada could row as hard and fast as the guys, as women just don’t have comparable upper body strength.  Had the jump roping come before it, Ada would have made it through another round, passing those boys right by.  Oh well, just another case of life not being fair.  In the end of that challenge, Brenden would emerge the last one standing and win $10,000 from Subway who apparently not only sponsors the show, but has entire segments created around them.  Gives product placement advertising all new meaning!  It was nice of Brenden to donate $1000 of it back to a charity that became close to the contestants hearts.

I loved the next challenge, where the contestants load up with their “lost” pounds and then get to remove them in the order they lost them over the season, with each 100 steps they completed.  The winner would get the coveted one pound advantage at the weigh in and that would be Ada.  She weighed in first and lost 5 pounds, plus her 1 pound advantage.  Frado, who actually struggled through much of the challenge, lost a whopping 15 pounds which is crazy at this point!  Actually everyone had a decent week on the scale, but Brenden would fall below the red line, with a 5 pound weight loss, and immediately be eliminated.  Elizabeth and Mark fell below the yellow line, and once again, Elizabeth, who has struggled through the entire season and hence poses NO threat, would be kept on the ranch, sending Mark (who looked great) home.  The final 4…Frado, Patrick, Ada and Elizabeth.

Mark is currently down 173 pounds and Brenden, 125 pounds.  Looking at the video of Brenden with his students before the show, it’s incredible what a difference a few months can make!  In doing some research, Ada is far and wide, the predicted winner.  Frado, Patrick, Ada, they all deserve to win.  Elizabeth, though I feel for her, slid by, in my opinion, because she posed the least threat.  I worry about how Ada will do at home.  She is so physically and emotionally strong, but that issue of not doing and being enough will possibly haunt her forever.  I hope I am wrong.  If Patrick can figure out a way to go home, be dad, find work and still get in his workouts, I think he has the best chance of winning it all.  He certainly still has plenty of weight to lose, he is young and has everything to push for.

Time will tell.  2 more weeks and we will have a season 10 winner.  For now, it’s time to get ready for my work day.  Have lots to prepare later, before we light the first Chanukah candle, tonight.  Can anyone tell me where 2010 went?  Enjoy what’s left of it, because when you blink your eyes, it will be over!