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! 

Hello again all.  I think I could have pretty much predicted that the daily updates would become weekly updates.  The combination of actually having to teach again (the intern teacher from USC finished up last week) and the general craziness with the end of the year has been keeping me busy.

I'll break this week's "festivities" into three categories: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The Good:

- Since Fletcher has been slacking off in Maine since Tuesday, I have no longer been picked on by guilt-by-association.  Ronnie (our drill sergeant) was amused by the text he received from Fletcher during class on Wednesday, though.

- I have done more push-ups this week than I perhaps ever have in my life.  I managed to make it through most of them. 

- I have lost four pounds from this process.  Not too bad, even though it seems like it should be more.  Perhaps it was that cheeseburger I ate last night.  :-(

- We didn't run as much this week - which is a very good thing for me.  I really need to practice my running, though.  I'm torn.  I want to do better, but I hate running.  I just don't see the point.  ha ha.

- Apparently some of the staff at the YMCA told some people who signed up for the class that it was a six-week class.  I was always under the impression that it was a five-week class (as it's supposed to be).  Ronnie said that they were going to honor the six-week promise and add another week!  More torture?  Yes.  But at least it feels like it's free.

The Bad:

- Holy smokes - we did a ton of cardio and full-body stuff this week.  It was pretty cool in the morning a few of the days, so going to outside was not an option.  Ronnie warned us to stretch well on Wednesday because he was going to kill our muscles.  He did.  My butt was so sore Wednesday night. (literally & figuratively)  Actually, it's kind of good.  I hadn't been sore since the first week, so I guess it's good that I'm still working muscles that are hiding somewhere in my body.  Unfortunately, my butt hasn't been hiding for anywhere for quite some time.

- My hands are getting numb at the end of class.  I think it's all the weight I have to put on them while doing push-ups.  Same thing happened last summer while laying tile in the kitchen.  Surely this is a sign of getting old.  I'll have to stay off of my hands this weekend to allow them to recover.

- Getting up early really sucks.  Each day I'm hitting the snooze a little longer.  Can't imagine what it's going to be like during Week #6.  I definitely don't want to be late, though.  You get it good if you're late.  It's bad enough that only half of the people can see me struggle through a workout.  I don't need to be in front of everyone!

The Ugly:

- Pretty much every exercise I did this week was ugly.  I used to think that I was semi-coordinated, but now I'm beginning to wonder.  The vision I have of myself doing these activities isn't all that graceful.  Maybe one day I can set up a camera in the gym and watch myself jump up and down and kick my own butt.

- The resistance push-ups we did today (Thursday) were DEFINITELY ugly.  The idea is that your partner pushes down on you while you're doing push-ups to build up strength.  There were 25 people in the class today, so guess who the odd man out was......(I've been last person picked before, but I really blame Fletcher for this - building off of the "guilt-by-association" theme)  Anyway, the instructor (who weighs WAY more than I do) was the one giving me resistance.   He definitely put some resistance down on my back!!  The last set of push-ups, he was laying on my back.  Not a pretty site.  I did about half of a push-up - I was more concerned about keeping the position. 

- The ugliest part of the week - he tried to get us to do a group push-up.  Basically, we all lined up in a single-file line and then got in push-up position.  We had to get on our hands and place our feet on the shoulders of the person behind us.  (I was behind Chuck - way closer to Chuck than I ever hoped to be - no offense Chuck)  We failed miserably.  Ronnie swears this is going to happen before we go.  I swear that if Chuck passes gas during the group push-up, I'm going to be pretty offended.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on next week's fun and games!  ha ha.