The Boot Camp Diaries, Day 3 (aka Hitting the Mat)

We were back at the park on Friday, with a guest instructor, Heather, this time. She had us run for about five minutes to warm up, then told us to all go to the tennis courts. Much to my surprise, she told us that Margaret had told her that we'd had a tough week of workouts and needed something a little less strenuous, so she wanted Heather to lead us through yoga for the hour.

I've never taken a yoga class, but I've done some yoga moves in some DVDs, mainly as warm-ups/cool-downs for workouts. I was surprised at how challenging some of the moves were. I'm pretty flexible naturally, but it was still hard to hold some moves for extended periods of time. Heather told us there's a reason they refer to yoga as a "practice"--it takes a while to get the hang of all the moves. Thankfully we didn't have to do any headstands or anything that challenging.

By the end of the class, I felt like I'd had a good workout, but wasn't sweating up a storm like the previous classes. It was a nice way to end the first week of camp, but I know Monday's coming and I'll be back to dripping with sweat as usual.

By the way, remember how on day one I decided to up my frequency to three sessions a week? On the drive home today I started thinking about--can you believe it?--actually going five days a week. Yes, I have lost my mind. I may wait til the last two weeks of camp to go five days a week; I don't want to shock my poor body any more than I have just yet!

The Boot Camp Diaries, Day 2 (aka Upstairs, Downstairs)

Since I'm currently doing boot camp three days a week, I had Tuesday off. And my body was SORE, particularly my thighs from all the squats we did on Monday. I tried to keep moving so I didn't stiffen up too badly, but I definitely felt like I was walking like Frankenstein. I can't imagine how I would have made it through a workout if I'd gone on Tuesday. By Wednesday most of the stiffness was gone and I could move much better, which was a good thing because I had another boot camp session to face.

The boot camp meets at the Capitol on Wednesdays. When Margaret told me that on Monday, I knew it could only mean one thing: running stairs. And boy, was I right. After our warm-up, we began by running up and down the Capitol steps six times. I was too focused on not falling down to count the number of steps; maybe next week I'll remember to do that.

As if running up and down every single step wasn't fun enough, we then ran doubles, meaning we skipped every other step. We mixed in triceps dips, push-ups and mountain climbers to get some upper body strength training in. We walked and ran all the way around the Capitol. We did lunges up the hill. We did a couple more rounds of running stairs six times, although by the last round I was definitely running out of gas and walking it. Thankfully, there are several others who are slower than me, including a pregnant woman. (If she ever outruns me it will burst my ego for sure.)

One camper who's gone through boot camp before told me that Capitol days are her favorite boot camp days. I'm not quite sure I share that sentiment yet, but I suppose it will be fun to have a little "field trip" and go somewhere besides the park for every session.

The Boot Camp Diaries, Day 1 (aka What Was I Thinking?)

For quite some time I've contemplated signing up for a fitness boot camp. I've been working out pretty consistently at home and at work over the past few months, but I knew boot camp would really challenge me in new ways. When I saw a Groupon discount for 8 sessions of boot camp for half price, I decided to bite the bullet and sign up.

The boot camp that I'm going to meets most days at a park about 10 minutes away from my house, so that's the good news--pretty convenient. The bad news? It meets at 5:30 IN THE MORNING. Which means that I need to get up around 5:00 to give my sleepy self a few minutes to stagger into the bathroom and brush my teeth, get dressed, and get out the door.

I was pretty nervous on my first day of boot camp. Although I had a pretty good idea that it would be tough, I didn't exactly know what to expect. Would I be the slowest one there? Would I be the one in the worst shape? Would I pass out mid-push-up from exhaustion?

Before I headed off to my first day of camp, I prayed that a) I wouldn't be the only new person at boot camp and that b) I wouldn't be the slowest one there. As soon as I got out of my car at the park, the woman in the car next to me got out and introduced herself. It was her first boot camp, too, and she was quick to tell me that she would probably be the slowest one out there. Answered prayer right away! :)

Camp was, in a nutshell, TOUGH. We did a few warm-up exercises, then ran a "warm-up" lap around the park. We did about a million squat and jumps. We did shoulder presses and flyes. We ran suicides, which I don't think I've done since high school P.E. class. We did planks and push-ups. After an hour, my clothes were absolutely soaked with sweat. Proudly, I did not throw up or pass out during any of it, so I consider day one quite a success.

There were close to 20 campers there, most of whom seemed to be in fantastic shape already. Talk about intimidation! However, our instructor, Margaret, repeatedly told us to not worry about how we were doing compared to anyone else, but to focus on ourselves and doing the best that we could. Still, it's hard for me to squelch that competitive side of me, but for now, I'm content with being not the fastest one in the bunch but not the slowest one, either.

At lunchtime, I had my pre-boot camp evaluation with Margaret. (She normally does it the Sunday before camp starts but since it was Easter Sunday had moved it to Monday.) She took measurements, weighed me and conducted body fat analysis. It wasn't as bad as I expected. My weight and body fat are still in the "normal" range, but she thinks I can drop about 5% body fat during camp. Although I'd love to drop some actual pounds, I'm more focused on dropping inches and toning up all over, in addition to increased endurance and strength.

I'd originally planned on only using the 8 sessions I bought through Groupon, which would mean coming to boot camp twice a week. After day one, I decided to up it to three times a week and pay for extra sessions. There were times on this first day when my legs were shaky and my lungs felt like they were ready to explode, and yet here I am signing up for more sessions. No wonder people think I'm crazy when I tell them.

In a Rut

I'm feeling a bit restless lately. I'm craving some change--good change, mind you--I'm just not sure what I want.

Perhaps it's time to get back into a small group Bible study. It's been about a month or so since the study I was in concluded, so I'm feeling a desire to dive into one once again, perhaps even at another church to really change things up.

Or maybe I should find a continuing education class to take, just for the fun of it. Or discover a writers' group to join. Or get involved with some sort of community service project or ministry.

I'm ready for my horizons to be broadened, to meet new people. It's all too easy to stick to the familiar (and comfortable) routine of getting up, going to work, coming home, vegging out in front of the TV, and going to bed. But I'm really tired of having no response whenever someone asks me "What's new with you?" I don't want my life to revolve around reality TV; I need a new reality of my own.

So I'm praying for some new opportunities and new people to come into my life. (I know--be careful what you pray for!) I want to stay available for whatever purpose God has for me right now, whether it's something big like moving to a new city or something small like trying out a new Bible study group.

Is anyone else struggling with feeling like you're in a rut? How do you break out of it?

Book Review: Deeper into the Word

My latest review for Bethany House Publishers features the book Deeper into the Word: Reflections on 100 Words from the New Testament by Keri Wyatt Kent.

As the title suggests, the book provides insight and commentary on 100 words and topics found in the New Testament. It provides brief background information on each word, including its original root and meaning and the context in which it was used. The book also includes some of the author's personal reflections on the words, making this more than just a typical reference book.

While I'll most likely use it when I want to dig a little deeper into the meanings of referenced words, the book could also be used as a daily devotional or study guide. It's definitely not the most comprehensive reference work I've seen, but the short passages pack enough information to provide a little more understanding into the use of the words in the New Testament.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”