For those of you who I haven't told, I have taken on 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!  

A few observations before I fill you in on today's results:

- I'm not cut out to get up at 5 in the morning.  I know millions of Americans do it each day, but I'm not one of them.  I didn't get home until after 9:30 last night from baseball.  I didn't want to go right to bed even though I knew I needed to.  I checked email and then laid in bed.  I finally forced myself to get to sleep sometime after 11.  5 in the morning came very early.

- I wasn't nearly as sore this morning as I was the past two mornings.  I assume that's a good thing.

- I'm still not thrilled with the idea that I'm going to gain weight from this process.  Honestly, I was hoping that I would lose weight.  My muscles are so pathetic after 10 years of being ignored, I know they're going to get bigger (and heavier), although I doubt the untrained eye will notice.  Seems unfair......

OK.  On to today.  Today was an easy day.  We had our first PT test.  Push-ups, Sit-ups, and the 2-mile run.  As Chuck put it, "It's only 38 minutes of exercise".  How bad can that be, right?

First we partnered up and did our push-up test.  This would definitely be the low-point in my morning.  Of course, my side of the line went first.  My arms weren't necessarily sore, but they did feel weak.  I only managed to do 11 push-ups in two minutes.  My arms gave out.  I was ashamed.  The middle-aged mother of three did three times as many as I did.  To be fair, I was lifting at least twice the amount she was.  But still......    Here's the kicker, though.  I watched the second group do their push-ups and there were a TON of cheaters.  I went all the way to ground (nearly touching my nose) because that's how I was taught to do push-ups!  The people in group two barely went down at all - maybe two inches for most of them.  One person stuck their butt in the air and basically moved their head up and down.  It was totally not fair.  Watching group two made me feel a little better about my 11.  But it was still only 11.  Much work to be done.

Next was sit-ups.  I knew this one would be better for me.  Hauling my fat butt off the couch and out of bed had to count for some sort of training.  I guess it did.  I can't remember how many I did.  I'm pretty sure it was either 28 or 29 in two minutes.  I managed to do more than a lot of people on my side of the line.  I think I was in the top third of the class.  I thought I would be able to do more, but I didn't.  Still - I'll take the top third. 

Finally we did our two-mile run.  Now Fletcher and Chuck said that they thought it was more than two miles.  I have absolutely no clue when it comes to judging distance for running or walking.  I judge distance by parking spaces, not miles.  The "course" is running from the YMCA to the entrance of  the elementary school.  Running there and back twice was the course.  I think I can honestly say that I've never really run distances.  I had to run a lot once at baseball practice, but I don't think it was more than a mile and a half.  (I still haven't forgiven Coach Gil for that one - who makes someone run for being on a field trip?)  The thing that really sucked about the course was that it was uphill to get to the school.  That hardly seems fair for someone as out of shape as I am.

Anyway, I did OK running.  I was about in the middle of the pack after the first lap (mile).  Maybe 10-13 of the 35 people were ahead of me.  I thought that was pretty good.  As I started off on the second mile, I made it my goal not to get lapped.  I started up the hill again and peeked back.  No one behind me.  I'm thinking "Pretty sweet - I built myself a cushion!"  I did walk a little bit during the second mile, but I tried to walk quickly and keep the walking to a minimum.  I ran some more and then walked for about 50 feet.  During my second walk, I peeked back.  Still no one behind me.  Again, I'm thinking "I must not be as bad of shape as everyone else!  I'm not going to finish last!  SWEET!"  I run to the elementary school and turn around to complete the last lap.  The instructor at the elementary school is encouraging me.  Everything is going wonderfully.

And then it happened......   About half-way through the last part of the last lap, the instructor drives by me.  He rolls down his window and shouts some more encouragement.  Since he's supposed to stay at the elementary school until we're all done, I ask why he's leaving.  He then tells me that the other half of the class did not start the second lap because it was getting late.  WTF?!?!?!?  I then ask him the time.  He says 6:43.  Class was supposed to be over at 6:40.  I still have a quarter of a mile to run!  UGH!  I finish the run with a little more motivation.  And even though I didn't tell them this morning, I really appreciated Chuck and Fletcher waiting for me to get done with the run.  They were the only class members left.

So I finished last in the run.  ugh.  I think there were about 10-12 people to finish the run before me, but I still finished last.  :-(  Time of run:  26:34.  A 13-minute mile hardly sounds good to me.  I did feel a little better when the instructor said that he thought a 20-minute time would be pretty good given the uphill nature of the course.  If I believe he wasn't just being nice, then I'm not too upset to be six and a half minutes off of a decent time.  If I don't believe him, then I stink.  But at least I finished - unlike the other slackers in the class.  ;-)  (just kidding Ms. Sabrina)

PT Totals for Week #1:  Push-ups:  11  (ugh)   Sit-ups:  28   2-mile run:  26:34.

I'll let you know how I manage next week.