Joanna and Naomi do Bootcamp

Today we focused on legs. Run run run, skipping, lunges and squats – who knew such harmless sounding exercises could be so evil? By the end of the class, we were both feeling nauseated – not the best feeling in the world, even though you know there’s nothing in your stomach, so really, what’s going to happen…but it still feels like ugh.

We’ve both come to the conclusion that we will not be joining the next boot camp group. I’m sure we came to our own conclusions on that. I’m not shunning it because I don’t like it – energy wise, it’s great, it’s nice to be outside (well, most of the time), I’ve become super organized (well, most of the time. Unlike today, wherein I forget lunch, breakfast and my wallet at home. Smooth.) etc, etc…

But when you’re debating on whether or not you can do something, without breaking the 9 pm curfew you’ve imposed on yourself, especially after a few weeks, bootcamp wears thin. Very thin. It would be nice to have a life past 8 pm.

Then again, that’s only for 5 day a week bootcamp. I think you can do “drop-in” type class…hrmmm…

Tomorrow, we’re talking about feelings. No, lies. We’re talking about nutrition. And I’m sure the trainers will have us in a plank position, or headstands, or something else as ridiculous while we do it.

I didn’t go again, today. It’s getting pretty bad. And I’ve heard it’s going to rain for the next 5 days, so that means a wet Monday-Wednesday next week to look forwards to. I’m being punished for my lax attendance.

This does mean I’ll try to get to spinning tomorrow, as one of our trainers (who actually wasn’t working this week) also runs dryland courses at the municipal gyms. She’s pretty hardcore, so I’ve been begging off her classes while bootcamp is on – but when I’m not going to bootcamp…something’s got to give.

bootcamp:19, Joanna: -2, impending ass-kicking workout: sooner than I’d like.

That’s right. I didn’t make it to bootcamp this morning. Not going was actually pretty spectacular – I read the newspaper, I washed the dishes after breakfast, instead of letting them sit all day, and I didn’t have to shower at work. Okay, so it was spectacular in a morning-type of way. It’s not showy like a Vegas spectacular, but it has it’s own type of quiet wonderful-ness. 

Speaking of work, I just started a new job on Monday that has radically changed my morning routine. I’m fond of routines, so it did slightly stress me out. I now drive directly to work post bootcamp, with my day clothes, breakfast and lunch packed, and hopefully a towel. It’s more organization than I’d like; since I can’t hardly swoop back home for a hairbrush, or pair of socks…And strangely enough, the hour of bootcamp is now a calm oasis in the middle of my mornings.

How did that ever happen? I wake up, rushed to be organized. I worry about arriving on time. Then I stop thinking for an entire hour, apart from the stray snarky comment and eye roll to show the trainers they’re not the boss of me. Then I hurry back to my car, dreading the thought that a car accident could be somewhere along my route, slowing me down. And I haven’t gotten over the weirdness of showering at work. 

Bootcamp: 0, Joanna: plus one million sleep-is-awesome points, the sound of one hand clapping: priceless.

Ah, the week of no posts. I knew this would start happening, the laziness would creep up until days had past without a word written. I need a bootcamp for posting – “sit down and give me 300 words!”

Week three and there’s an end in sight! We’re at the hump, it’s all downhill from here. Naomi and I have started to compare our progress after ‘camp, in what has to be the most neanderthal method possible.

You guessed it: a round robin of arm wrestling, Friday night. Two guys, three girls, and one table. No clear winner; Naomi assumed her bf wasn’t unleashing his full strength, she and I came to a stalemate on the left arm, and no one really kept track of who beat who.

Back to camp -there were many push ups this week. How many? I kept count to try to focus my mind from the pain. 106 on Wednesday, 155 on Thursday. That’s right. That’s more than the summation I’ve done in my entire life. I’m not even exaggerating. I couldn’t figure out why the sides of my ribs, directly beneath my shoulder blades were stiff on Thursday morning, until we started pushups again. Ah yes, I thought- that’s the reason.

We’ve started to intersperse sprints into our morning jogs, and have amped up the number of burpies, straight arm forwards and straight arm side raises from almost bearable to unbearable. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Fridays are becoming my respite. No one’s particularly good at running up hills and flights of stairs, I’m not bad at it, comparatively, so I get house odds. Thank god for the small favours of previous workouts.

Burpie clarification: I don’t even know if I’m spelling it right, frankly it should be spelt s-u-c-k-s. (I know! I’m 9 years old!) What you basically do is lay your hands on the ground in front of your body, then spring back into a high plank position, feet slightly apart. Using your stomach muscles, you jump back to a crouched position, drawing your legs close to your arms, and spring up into a straightened position, optionally jumping with hands high in the air for extra marks. And repeat. Ad nausea. (Ha!) Speed is a big key in this particular exercise, as well as a non-slippery surface to ensure your feet don’t slide from beneath you in plank position. Then you end up in a belly flop, sans water. Not as refreshing.