This morning, I started boot camp. We were to meet at 6 a.m. so since it was the first day, I left my house an hour early so I’d have time to put my things in the locker room before beginning. I arrived at approximately 5:20 a.m.
Firstly, there are about ten other people in the boot camp with me. My goal coming into this was one thing: don’t be last. Thinking back now, maybe that was an unrealistic goal. Yes, I wish I could tell you I didn’t walk. I did. I wish I could tell you I wasn’t last. I was. Worse than that: I was lapped. A few times.
We ran up the hill, around the hill, up the stairs and down the stairs – a lot. Then, we continued to do squats, squat jumps, push-ups, frog leaps, up-and-downs, tricep dips and lunges until I couldn’t really move anymore. I spent most of my mental time focusing on not hurling. I did four years of track & field, four years of basketball and eight years of volleyball – and never once did I throw up at practice. I was never one to throw up after a hard run or workout. Today, I wanted to.
I joke around a lot about working out, eating bad and what this boot camp will do to me. But while I was suffering through the pain this morning on our “jog”, I had a lot of time to think. The first time someone lapped me, I had a realization. I’m not here to beat anyone else. I’m here to beat myself.
After it was over, my competitive brain kept telling me “you could have done better than that.” But my body told me, “trust me, you could not have done better; you gave it your all.” And I know I did the best I could – maybe my best was last – but my heart rate hasn’t accelerated that fast in over a year and a half, I’m taking steps toward a better life and a better diet – and that’s what’s important to me.
Now that I’m re-evaluating the experience, I have set some new, hopefully realistic goals:
1. No eating after 8 p.m. because when I do eat after 8 p.m., 99% of the time, it’s cookies. Not just one cookie either. Eight cookies.
2. Don’t stop, don’t walk. I may be last, but hopefully, I’ll at least be running still.
Looking ahead, today and tomorrow are days of rest. Reese says it will only get harder, but that “your bodies will get used to it.” He said this to the group and I started laughing. No one else laughed. Awkkwwaarrdd…
One down, 12? To go,
Bridget Marie
Firstly, there are about ten other people in the boot camp with me. My goal coming into this was one thing: don’t be last. Thinking back now, maybe that was an unrealistic goal. Yes, I wish I could tell you I didn’t walk. I did. I wish I could tell you I wasn’t last. I was. Worse than that: I was lapped. A few times.
Here is a picture of Federal Hill (from across the harbor). It's steeper than it looks.
We ran up the hill, around the hill, up the stairs and down the stairs – a lot. Then, we continued to do squats, squat jumps, push-ups, frog leaps, up-and-downs, tricep dips and lunges until I couldn’t really move anymore. I spent most of my mental time focusing on not hurling. I did four years of track & field, four years of basketball and eight years of volleyball – and never once did I throw up at practice. I was never one to throw up after a hard run or workout. Today, I wanted to.I joke around a lot about working out, eating bad and what this boot camp will do to me. But while I was suffering through the pain this morning on our “jog”, I had a lot of time to think. The first time someone lapped me, I had a realization. I’m not here to beat anyone else. I’m here to beat myself.
After it was over, my competitive brain kept telling me “you could have done better than that.” But my body told me, “trust me, you could not have done better; you gave it your all.” And I know I did the best I could – maybe my best was last – but my heart rate hasn’t accelerated that fast in over a year and a half, I’m taking steps toward a better life and a better diet – and that’s what’s important to me.
Now that I’m re-evaluating the experience, I have set some new, hopefully realistic goals:
1. No eating after 8 p.m. because when I do eat after 8 p.m., 99% of the time, it’s cookies. Not just one cookie either. Eight cookies.
2. Don’t stop, don’t walk. I may be last, but hopefully, I’ll at least be running still.
Looking ahead, today and tomorrow are days of rest. Reese says it will only get harder, but that “your bodies will get used to it.” He said this to the group and I started laughing. No one else laughed. Awkkwwaarrdd…
One down, 12? To go,
Bridget Marie
I would love to hear from you! Email me at bridget (DOT) forney (AT) gmail.com or find me on Twitter at twitter.com/BridgetForney.
3 Comments:
good realizations! working out after taking time off is reaaallllyyy tough (especially since it seems like you were a pretty competitive athlete for a while).
it will definetly get tougher in the next few days while your body is still screaming from the previous workout, keep it up though! good luck.
So, you were one of the folks getting ready for Boot Camp this morning when I arrived at the gym for my usual morning workout.
I can only offer encouragement. I did the Boot Camp a year ago in Patterson Park at the urging of an ex-girlfriend. It was good to get me back to running again, and it reminded me of long gone days of football practice. I have also heard that the Boot Camp that Reese runs is pretty good. So, I think it's safe to say you are in good hands.
Thank you so much for your post! I had my first bootcamp class yesterday and I will admit, it felt a little too much like P.E. and I got in that mindset. I gave in at one point and said I wouldn't run the laps. Bad idea. He made the whole rest of my class hold a plank position until I finished my laps and got back. Uggh! I was looking at blogs to find some other stories like mine and found your post. I love your goals and my new goal for next class is Don't stop, Don't walk! I can do it! You can do it!
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