Week 1Strong? You bet. I carry a camera and a tripod nearly every day.
Conditioned? Please. I run 10+ miles four times a week. I’m a reporter, always on the go and a long distance (long distance, meaning treadmill) runner, so yes, I consider myself “in shape.” But in the same week, earlier this month, I finally took my run outside and lifted my first sandbag.
It was in that same week, I quickly realized that “in shape,” probably isn’t the best way to describe my overall fitness.
The pavement gave me shin splints, I couldn’t cover nearly as many miles with hills involved and those 40 lb sandbags might as well have been filled with lead.
And THAT’S why I enrolled in FitCamp. I don’t want to be intimidated by weight-lifting anymore. My 10 mile run on a flat, air conditioned treadmill is getting boring. I want to be MORE fit, feel stronger and gain a new appreciation for more than just “a good run”. And…let’s be honest… a swimsuit is much more appealing with muscle definition.
Week 1? I have nothing to show but a funny-looking walk from a sore bum – no – a sore EVERYTHING – and dark circles under my eyes from a new (and an extremely detested) 5:30 AM alarm.
-Jess
Week 2
I’m only beginning Week 2, but things are happening, people!
No six pack (yet!) and the push-ups? Dips? Yuck…just as difficult. But I woke up today, actually EXCITED for Camp.
From tires, cones, giant jump ropes, obstacle courses and sand bags. It’s a playground for adults. The workout is NEVER the same but ALWAYS challenging. Perhaps the best part? The group of people I’m working with.
Let’s start with the instructor: Grace.
Tiny little thing. Not intimidating, whatsoever, but her energy is contagious. With her, it’s not about a good “butt-kicking,” (although…the Camp is kicking my butt) it’s about encouraging you to reach your personal best. She’s a motivating, happy medium between “Good job!” and “Come on, I know you can lift those legs, higher!”
My group: The best! NONE of us are at the same physical level, and none of us are what you’d see on a “Muscle Milk” ad…and that’s what’s great. Competitive? Maybe at times, but the positive atmosphere is more about pushing each other to FINISH and at our hardest.
Yes, it’s true…I’m in love with a workout that doesn’t involve 60 minutes at 7 mph. But…tomorrow calls for a withdrawal fix. I had a dream last night I was running on a treadmill. Seriously. Who does that?!
WEEK 2…CONFESSIONS
I have a confession to make. I skipped the last day of week 2. Woke up with slight stomach issues but I’ll be honest: that 5:30 alarm is really my excuse. It’s wearing on me. We’re talking waking up to nails on a chalkboard – no, that “most annoying sound in the world,” scene from Dumb and Dumber - in the middle of a real good sleep session – REM good.
Up until now, I wasn’t feeling too guilty about it, but fessing up to all my fellow, faithful, Y members…kind of makes me feel like a failure. This blogging thing is a powerful accountability factor. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t make it up to maybe the three people that are actually reading this. SO…my penance? A hard 12 miles the next day, reps of “mountain climbers,” “jump squats,” and “V crunches.” (All new tricks I learned from FitCamp, of course.)
So maybe working out isn’t your thing. Maybe it is. Maybe you want to be a better cook, learn a new language or quit smoking. Whatever the goal…try blogging. Honest blogging. Use it to put you back on track when you slip and to tout (oh yeah, you’re allowed to) your accomplishments.
(BIG sigh) I feel much better. And I’m making a vow to finish these last two weeks off STRONG. You heard it here, folks. Until next time.
-Jess
WEEK 3
Just when I think there’s no more muscles left to be recruited in my body…a new week of FitCamp begins. There was no name given to this new “exercise,” we encountered this week. And rightfully so. “Towel Torcher,” “The 5 Day Afterburn,” or “Death By Ramp,” just wouldn’t do it justice. Don’t try this at home:
If you’ve ever been inside LongLines Family Rec. Center, you’ve seen the ramps leading up to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Harmless, right? Before you answer, add a 25 lb dumbbell plate wrapped in a towel. Push it up the ramp while sprinting and pull it back down. Repeat.
That, my friends, is a recipe for four days of goofy walking (or waddling) and wall assistance while using the restroom (no one said these blogs would be glamorous). So how did I make it through the rest of the week? One word: Ibuprofen. And…the delay brew setting on my Mr. Coffee.
Aside from the waking up early and sore muscles, FitCamp has given me positive results. I feel more toned in more areas of my body. My legs don’t get fatigued as easily as they used to during long runs. My endurance has improved. I sleep better/harder at night. I have a new appreciation for early morning sweat sessions. And for a girl who LOVES her routine, I’ve developed a new one:
5:30 am – Wake up
5:45 am – Coffee and KSUX on the drive in
6:00 am – CAMP
7:00 am – Morning errands
8:00 am – Breakfast / Nap
1:30-10:30 – Reporting the News
- Jess
WEEK 4 – THE FINISH LINE
I suppose I assumed I’d see improvement, but holy upper body strength!
In every test, from the infamous obstacle course to “burpee’s” and “the killer,” I shaved off time and increased reps, but perhaps the most astonishing improvement was in my pushups. In one minute the first day, I went from 34 reps to 52 in a minute the last day.
Numbers, shmumbers. I know what you really want to know. It’s what many people have continued to ask me throughout this entire month: Was it worth it, and do you recommend it? I’ll be honest, I miss my regular running schedule. A lot. I really didn’t lose any weight (but…I didn’t really have any to lose, and nor did I try) and I wouldn’t say I’m “chiseled.”
But simply put: Yes, it was beyond worth it. Truth is, I got out of it, what I wanted to. And the way the program is designed, I think that can be true for anyone.
I wanted a challenge. I wanted to break out of my comfort zone, outdoors and off the treadmill. I wanted to gain strength and I wanted some definition. And I know I wouldn’t have stuck with it on my own.
I’m still not a fan of waking up before 90% of society, but there’s something so empowering about “pushing it” with the sunrise…using the outside world as your “treadmill,” and tapping into that perceived impossible (yes, like pushing a car around a parking lot with the help of one other person).
So what? You want to lose inches? Pounds? Inhibitions? FitCamp provides the foundation…but your results ultimately depend on you.
Still debating about participating in next month’s session? Stop. Do it. What do you have to lose?
- Jess