BOOT CAMP--Day 3-- A Nightmare Deflated!!

I did not sleep much the night before. Between the concerns about surviving Friday’s Boot Camp and one of my paintings going up on a live auction block on Friday night, I found I just could not sleep very well. I had this recurring nightmare where I got to part of the “circuit” in the Boot Camp where I had to do 20 roll ups and EVERYONE (in the class, from my office, and the bike club) was waiting for me to finish them. I could not seem to even manage the first one, and everyone was getting rather surly with me; and the crowd was getting larger as time went on. I woke up just before 4AM almost 45 minutes before my alarm would have gone off.

This morning, I was the first at the place where the Boot Camp is held. (It’s a disease this being early stuff. I’m currently looking for a support group, and considering taking pills.) As the teacher was turning on lights and unlocked the door, I sat in my car and tried to think Zen thoughts. I tried to calm myself. I thought I have a choice on how this day is going to be. It can be a really stressful day or I can just go with the flow; or at least manage something in between (which is most likely).

Class started at 5:30AM sharp. We start with getting our heart rate up; back to the run in place with high knees. I still can’t get those knees up very far. Then the legs out to the side (Hee Haw!), and then some kick butts where you run in place and try to kick your butt with you heels. My heels don’t even come close to my butt. As we run in place the teacher goes through all of the stations in the circuit and what we will be doing at each station. As if I can remember all of these this early in the morning. I kept on looking at the next person at the station to know what to do next. The teacher timed us at each station then counted down from 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. Switch! Here I go from where I started…

Station #1—Dead Drop Weight- I chose the 10 lbs rather than the 20 lbs. You hold the weights, one in each hand, at you waist and then drop them down to your toes. Keep the back flat and push your butt out and back towards the wall. I managed this one.

Station #2—Weight Push Ups/Presses?- There were two choices of weights- 5 or 10 lbs. I was keeping it easy and chose the 5 lb. weights. You push the weights up from your shoulder to a fully extended up arm. Okay, I could do this one.

Station #3—The Trampoline! Yeah! This was the FUN break. It had been years since I had been on one of these and this was fun. It was fun watching different people jump around while you were at other stations. A couple of times I yelled," Careful! Don't bounce off the wall!" ( I tend to wonder if anyone got my humor this early in the morning.)

Station #4—Cross Vertical Row? I'm not sure what to call this. There were two different choices of exercise bands (one harder, one easier) that you put your shoes together in the middle of then cross the handles. Bending over you pull the handles up and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do it in controlled movements.

Station #5—Side Butt Kicks! Putting your shoes in each end of a figure eight exercise band (two different band choices) you kick your feet up and out towards your butt. I started doing a little dance with this one. The teacher just smiled at me.

Station #6—Arm curls with the exercise bands (two choices of bands again). Put your feet in the middle of the band and grab the ends then curl your arms up. I did a little variation with this doing arms singularly and together. My arms were starting to feel the burn.

Station #7—Jumping around a ladder on the floor. This was a challenge because it required coordination that I don’t naturally possess. The teacher of course made it look very easy and some of the other members in the class also managed to make it look easy too. Along comes the natural klutz (Me) and here I go… Jump in first box, jump with legs off to side of ladder, jump back into box, (jump back into box one up that’s what I was supposed to do-- but …) then jump one box forward. Repeat until at end of ladder and turn around come back. The first circuit I barely managed to get to the end.

Station #8—Triceps’ lift? This was almost a sitting squatting position with your back next to a bar that was about 2 ft off the floor. You have you hands on the bar and slowly lower your butt almost to the floor. Then raise yourself by straightening your arms. Owww! I could really feel the burn!

Station # 9-- Sit Ups! On a foam triangle with your knees being the highest part of the body, and all the blood rushing to your head! It was supposed to be that you were supposed to sit up all the way into a sitting position. I just couldn't do this! I ended up doing just stomach crunches.

Station #10—Jump rope! Now this was something I really could do, and I enjoy doing it. I just whipped right along on this. The teacher commented on how fast I jumped along. What can I say??-- Jumping rope is me in my groove!! Cool! All those PE classes in elementary where I would win the jump rope contest finally paid off!

5, 4, 3, 2, and 1... The first circuit was done, and WOW! I'm still standing! Gee, I got all concerned and worked up for no reason. The teacher had the class take a short one minute break. Then come back to the middle mat area for a couple of exercises. One was like a push up position where you lifted one arm and rotated your body reaching for the ceiling with the other arm. ( Repeat 10 times for each arm. See photo.) Then the other exercise was on your back up on your elbows legs out with scissor legs. Abs-- Can you feel that burn?

Then one more circuit around the stations; trying to do more reps at each station. Then after that take a minute rest and then back to the middle mat. We finished off with some stretching, and we are done. I'm up right and I actually feel pretty good. Cool! Now let's see how the rest of the day goes... And at least I'll be up to wearing heels tonight during the auction!