For those of you who I haven't told, I have taken the challenge of a Fitness Boot Camp.  Boot Camp Web Site  I started the five-week program on April 7th.  Here is my account of the experience.  Hope you enjoy!

Well, time for another update.

Let me start by saying I had to change the title of the email update.  Even though today was the second day of the program, it is unfair to dismiss the pain and suffering I experienced yesterday.  I knew I would be sore, and I was.  I never realized how many stairs I encounter in my daily routine.  Stairs for school.  Stairs for home.  There are even three steps to get into my freakin' house.  What's up with that?

Anyway, for today's festivities.

We started with some jogging in place.  Normally this wouldn't have been too bad.  My legs were still very sore from Day #1, though.  I even tried to "run out the pain" yesterday by running with the baseball players after practice.  This only transferred the pain from my thighs to my lower legs.  (shins, calves)  I digress....

After jogging in place, our drill sergeant decided that it would be good for us to stretch.  Smart man.  I stretched muscles I had long forgotten about.

After stretching, we jogged some more.  At this point in time he wasn't "pleased" with the group's oral response to his questions.  To make himself happy, he decided to throw some push-ups on us.  (Which was dirty, because he had informed us we wouldn't be doing push-ups today.  Heck, when he asked how many people were sore, I could only point to him to spare my arms from being raised over my shoulder.)

Anyhow, we did some push-ups.  After the push-ups, he introduced a new form of torture, the "Mountain Climber".  We basically were in a push-up position and ran our legs back and forth.  Fun times at the YMCA gym.

Next we did some up-downs.  For those of you not familiar with up-downs, you run in place and then drop to the ground at the sound of the whistle and then spring back up on your feet and continue running.  After years of dishing these out to football players, I almost felt guilty when I struggled to do them.  Almost.......

Next we ran some sprints in the gym.  I thought things were going well, but apparently some members of the group weren't giving good enough effort in their sprints.  Therefore, he decided we should do some squat-leaps across the gym.  Basically, you squat down and then jump out as far as you can.  I can only imagine what I looked like while performing these.  Probably like a retarded frog with a weight tied to his back.  But, I made it.....

After some more sprints, we decided to go outside to run some more.  We ran some "Last Man Standing" races, which we used to call the "Indian Races" where the person at the back of the line has to run to the front of the line and it continues.  Next time I need to get in a group with fewer heroes.  I need to take advantage of those middle-aged women in the group.  (Of course, some of them were beating me - but not all them!) 

After that we did some 60-yard sprints.  And I use the term sprint lightly.  At this point in the day, my goal was to continue running without stopping.  I could never consider what I was doing "sprinting".

To finish off, we went back inside, ran one more time around the gym (with stairs) and then went home.

Well, two sessions down.  I knew I'd be sore.  I know I'll be more sore tomorrow.  Overall, though, it's not too bad.  Of course, when I have to get Christie to brush my hair after the push-up test tomorrow, I may have to reconsider my position.  I only said a few nasty things about Fletcher today.  I probably said more stuff about him yesterday when I was running on the baseball field.

Tomorrow we run 2 miles and test ourselves on push-ups and sit-ups.  I can't imagine that it's going to be pretty.

I'll keep you posted.