I've come to the obvious conclusion that I am not a runner! Ha. Who knew? Well, my high school gym teacher knew, and most of my athletic friends have figured it out along the way. I think I was in denial, however. Now I complained about running on Tuesday...cardio day, but the running doesn't just belong to Tuesdays. We have to run every day...for a long time...very fast. Fortunately, if you're in a hunched position gasping for air (believe me, I'm not the only one) Instructor Richins will turn a blind eye...unless, of course, your gasping continues for more than ten seconds...in which case he demands you start running again.
Today was my last day for the week...well, technically. We meet Fridays to "support" the newbies through their last day of Hell-week. Since I could never be considered "supportive" during such a torturous event I run my pants off alone on Saturday mornings. So I'll have a break tomorrow but I'll feel the self-inflicted burn on Saturday morning.
Until then...
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Week two: Day three
Back and Biceps.
Today was difficult. No surprise there, huh? Fortunately, I've convinced Instructor Richins to let me run on the elliptical instead of the tread-mill, so I can actually keep running the full 50 minutes instead of having to stop and take breaks every two minutes.
We did so many arm/back exercises, I'll be dang surprised if I don't have bulging muscles by the end of this six weeks.
I keep thinking it'll get easier. It doesn't.
Today was difficult. No surprise there, huh? Fortunately, I've convinced Instructor Richins to let me run on the elliptical instead of the tread-mill, so I can actually keep running the full 50 minutes instead of having to stop and take breaks every two minutes.
We did so many arm/back exercises, I'll be dang surprised if I don't have bulging muscles by the end of this six weeks.
I keep thinking it'll get easier. It doesn't.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Week two: Day two
Holy. Hannah.
Today was cardio. We ran. Uphill. Fast! We climbed mountains and ran some more. We basically ran for 50 minutes and then worked our abs to the point where we all wanted to throw up and then we were dismissed.
I do not. Like. Cardio.
Today was cardio. We ran. Uphill. Fast! We climbed mountains and ran some more. We basically ran for 50 minutes and then worked our abs to the point where we all wanted to throw up and then we were dismissed.
I do not. Like. Cardio.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Back to Camp
Ok, so you might be wondering where I went...let me fill you in. Last Friday, the last day of my hell week, I could hardly walk. I hurt so bad that I was limping and huddled over like an old man. I went to work still, because I'm a tough cookie, and just took a little extra time with my shoots because I couldn't move much faster.
During one shoot, I was down on my belly with a baby and my camera was on the floor to my left. After I'd positioned the baby I was holding her with my left hand and reached for my camera with my right hand. In the process something POPPED in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. I can only describe the pain as a lightning bolt through my belly. It was all I could do to finish the shoot and then hide in my office and wait for the pain to subside. Well, the pain continued through the weekend and finally, on my birthday when a sneeze just about made me explode, I decided to see the doctor. She concluded that I'd ruptured an ovarian cyst but the ultrasound was inconclusive. I spent the rest of the week hobbling around and trying my best to make the pain go away.
Today, I went back to boot camp and I've concluded that I pulled a muscle. I don't believe it was a cyst. It was still terribly painful during some of the exercises but Instructor Richins is very understanding and has helped me adjust some of the workout to accommodate the pain.
So, I'm back in the swing of things. The 30-pound vest is off so, I think mentally it's a little easier but physically, it might even be more challenging. They still push us and I still hurt and there were times today I thought I might pass out...but I did it!
During one shoot, I was down on my belly with a baby and my camera was on the floor to my left. After I'd positioned the baby I was holding her with my left hand and reached for my camera with my right hand. In the process something POPPED in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen. I can only describe the pain as a lightning bolt through my belly. It was all I could do to finish the shoot and then hide in my office and wait for the pain to subside. Well, the pain continued through the weekend and finally, on my birthday when a sneeze just about made me explode, I decided to see the doctor. She concluded that I'd ruptured an ovarian cyst but the ultrasound was inconclusive. I spent the rest of the week hobbling around and trying my best to make the pain go away.
Today, I went back to boot camp and I've concluded that I pulled a muscle. I don't believe it was a cyst. It was still terribly painful during some of the exercises but Instructor Richins is very understanding and has helped me adjust some of the workout to accommodate the pain.
So, I'm back in the swing of things. The 30-pound vest is off so, I think mentally it's a little easier but physically, it might even be more challenging. They still push us and I still hurt and there were times today I thought I might pass out...but I did it!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The weekend
Well it's been a terrible weekend.
Put aside all of the personal crap...my calves are hard as rock and so sore I can't possibly think of anything to compare them to. I'm limping everywhere and worse even yet, I think I pulled an abdominal muscle while trying to compensate for my lack of working legs.
Sigh...please let tomorrow be easier!
Put aside all of the personal crap...my calves are hard as rock and so sore I can't possibly think of anything to compare them to. I'm limping everywhere and worse even yet, I think I pulled an abdominal muscle while trying to compensate for my lack of working legs.
Sigh...please let tomorrow be easier!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Day Five
Today was just as terrible as I imagined! Let me give you the lowdown.
We arrived at Hillcrest High School at ten to 6am for our last day of Hell Week. First, we donned our thirty-pound vests. Then, we lined up and started our rounds around the track...running. I don't run. Did you know that? I certainly don't run with shin splints. So, 1 3/4 way around the track, with the girl in front of me falling behind and pushing me behind, I get yanked out of line and told to drop and give 'em ten. Then I'm told to catch up, which I can guarantee you is not going to happen. I'm shuffling (a light run) all the way around the track for the third time...yeah...THREE!! One more time I had to drop and give them ten because I wasn't shuffling fast enough...ha!
As soon as I catch up we're told to run the bleachers, up and down, up and down, up and down about um....thirty times, I think. I'm dying at that point and COULD NOT catch my breath...COULD NOT! As soon as I finish that and take a 60 second break to try and catch my breath we're told to "run the hill." This hill is fondly referred to as ass-hole hill by the phase 2ers. Now I know why. We ran up the hill and down the bleachers, up the hill and down the bleachers. We were told to do ten laps, I made it through eight before being told to start my sit-ups. Seventy-five sit-ups later, we had to top it off with seventy-five push-ups.
Yup...that was hell week. I made it but I don't know if I'm embarrassed about my poor performance or just thrilled that I survived. Here comes the weekend! WOOT!
We arrived at Hillcrest High School at ten to 6am for our last day of Hell Week. First, we donned our thirty-pound vests. Then, we lined up and started our rounds around the track...running. I don't run. Did you know that? I certainly don't run with shin splints. So, 1 3/4 way around the track, with the girl in front of me falling behind and pushing me behind, I get yanked out of line and told to drop and give 'em ten. Then I'm told to catch up, which I can guarantee you is not going to happen. I'm shuffling (a light run) all the way around the track for the third time...yeah...THREE!! One more time I had to drop and give them ten because I wasn't shuffling fast enough...ha!
As soon as I catch up we're told to run the bleachers, up and down, up and down, up and down about um....thirty times, I think. I'm dying at that point and COULD NOT catch my breath...COULD NOT! As soon as I finish that and take a 60 second break to try and catch my breath we're told to "run the hill." This hill is fondly referred to as ass-hole hill by the phase 2ers. Now I know why. We ran up the hill and down the bleachers, up the hill and down the bleachers. We were told to do ten laps, I made it through eight before being told to start my sit-ups. Seventy-five sit-ups later, we had to top it off with seventy-five push-ups.
Yup...that was hell week. I made it but I don't know if I'm embarrassed about my poor performance or just thrilled that I survived. Here comes the weekend! WOOT!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Day Four
Today was definitely the hardest day yet. Its strange, because the days I'm most nervous turn out to be not so terrible, and the days I go in thinking, "this is going to be great" I come home nearly in tears.
Today we worked legs. And did I mention that I have shin splints from hell?!? Try working your legs with shin splints!! We did leg curls and the medicine ball and OH YES...leaps of faith. Meanwhile, I'm still wearing a thirty-pound vest. I just about keeled over and died during the "leaps of faith" and even though I'm sure Instructor Richins could see that, he still made me finish two full laps (one lap short of everyone else...but I so didn't care at that point).
During the leg curls I kept stopping because my legs were literally BURNING when Instructor Richins yelled, "PT STOUT IF YOU TAKE ONE MORE BREAK YOU'RE GIVING ME TWENTY PUSH-UPS!" Oh, no I am not, I thought, and that's when all my senses literally quit on me and I can't quite remember what happened between #5 and #27. All I remember is, "You're done. Get back on that treadmill." And I did just that.
We ended with the dead cockroach again, and I think I'm getting pretty good at blocking out the pain...maybe this is better than lamaze training for childbirth! :)
I'm so nervous about tomorrow I'm sick to my stomach. I can't eat and I'm surely developing an ulcer...I fear as much for my dignity as I do for my poor, overweight body.
Today we worked legs. And did I mention that I have shin splints from hell?!? Try working your legs with shin splints!! We did leg curls and the medicine ball and OH YES...leaps of faith. Meanwhile, I'm still wearing a thirty-pound vest. I just about keeled over and died during the "leaps of faith" and even though I'm sure Instructor Richins could see that, he still made me finish two full laps (one lap short of everyone else...but I so didn't care at that point).
During the leg curls I kept stopping because my legs were literally BURNING when Instructor Richins yelled, "PT STOUT IF YOU TAKE ONE MORE BREAK YOU'RE GIVING ME TWENTY PUSH-UPS!" Oh, no I am not, I thought, and that's when all my senses literally quit on me and I can't quite remember what happened between #5 and #27. All I remember is, "You're done. Get back on that treadmill." And I did just that.
We ended with the dead cockroach again, and I think I'm getting pretty good at blocking out the pain...maybe this is better than lamaze training for childbirth! :)
I'm so nervous about tomorrow I'm sick to my stomach. I can't eat and I'm surely developing an ulcer...I fear as much for my dignity as I do for my poor, overweight body.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Day Three
Nothing spectacular to discuss today. One funny story...
While on the treadmill we are told (multiple times) that we are NOT to push the RED STOP BUTTON. IF we do, it's twenty push-ups. Now, twenty push-ups on day one is nothing...but today...twenty push-ups would have been the death of me, seeing how sore I am and all. Well, our cadences are printed on a laminated piece of paper for us to memorize and are set on the treadmill, making it easy to read and run/walk. Today, the fan was placed directly in front of my treadmill. Obviously the fan was blowing the cadences, and despite my best ability to keep the piece of paper upright and on the treadmill, it eventually blew away. I panicked and grabbed for the paper and in doing so, slammed the RED STOP BUTTON! I immediately came to a halt right as my instructor turned around. "TWENTY PUSH-UPS PT STOUT!" "No, no no no no no," I said, "The cadences!" I said, pointing to the laminated piece of paper on the floor behind me, my hair whipping in the wind. PHEW! The panic...I tell ya! He picked the cadences up, turned the treadmill back on (about twice the pace I was at originally, I swear), turned the fan, and demanded I start walking again. Lucky break!
Tonight I have shin splints from hell. Tomorrow we're working legs so I'm a little weary about how that's going to feel. I got a massage today and asked the masseuse to target the shins but these things don't go away overnight unfortunately.
Diet's going well. No dairy, bread, pasta, or soda. So far so good...of course, it's only been three days. Ask me how the diets going in two weeks. ;)
While on the treadmill we are told (multiple times) that we are NOT to push the RED STOP BUTTON. IF we do, it's twenty push-ups. Now, twenty push-ups on day one is nothing...but today...twenty push-ups would have been the death of me, seeing how sore I am and all. Well, our cadences are printed on a laminated piece of paper for us to memorize and are set on the treadmill, making it easy to read and run/walk. Today, the fan was placed directly in front of my treadmill. Obviously the fan was blowing the cadences, and despite my best ability to keep the piece of paper upright and on the treadmill, it eventually blew away. I panicked and grabbed for the paper and in doing so, slammed the RED STOP BUTTON! I immediately came to a halt right as my instructor turned around. "TWENTY PUSH-UPS PT STOUT!" "No, no no no no no," I said, "The cadences!" I said, pointing to the laminated piece of paper on the floor behind me, my hair whipping in the wind. PHEW! The panic...I tell ya! He picked the cadences up, turned the treadmill back on (about twice the pace I was at originally, I swear), turned the fan, and demanded I start walking again. Lucky break!
Tonight I have shin splints from hell. Tomorrow we're working legs so I'm a little weary about how that's going to feel. I got a massage today and asked the masseuse to target the shins but these things don't go away overnight unfortunately.
Diet's going well. No dairy, bread, pasta, or soda. So far so good...of course, it's only been three days. Ask me how the diets going in two weeks. ;)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Day Two
I woke up at 0420 and had to literally roll my body out of bed. My arms wouldn't bend, my legs wouldn't bend and the last thing I could possibly imagine doing was going to the gym for more. But I did. I walked over three miles with sporadic chest presses and "leaps of faith" intermingled. I even sang cadences! I can't even begin to describe what a "leap of faith" is but you never want to do them. Ever!
I don't know if you can see my sweat in these pictures, but basically the entire front of my t-shirt and all but my shoulder-blades in the back are soaked with sweat. Mmm...yummy!
I don't know if you can see my sweat in these pictures, but basically the entire front of my t-shirt and all but my shoulder-blades in the back are soaked with sweat. Mmm...yummy!
Monday, August 11, 2008
First Day of Hell Week
Heaven. Help. Me.
Apparently wakin' up at 0430 was not what I needed to worry about. It's a quarter to seven and I'm back in bed, shakin' in my pants. Ok, not really...but, kind of.
I've done so many push-ups this morning, if it continues like this for six weeks I'll have popeye arms by September! My body aches, I nearly threw-up twice, and the instructor ended with, "when you sleep tonight you'll hurt like hell." Oh, yeah, thanks! As they yelled at me about what I ate and made me do ten push-ups for everything bad on my food list (did you know hard-boiled eggs are bad?), they smeared camouflage on all of our faces, so not only did I look like the most out-of-shape person in the gym, I now looked like this...
Looking at the older PTs on phase II I'm encouraged that I'm going to have a rockin' body soon...but I'm already dreading tomorrow. I told the new PTs as soon as they plop that thirty-pound vest on my already-sore shoulders tomorrow I'm sure to collapse. Keep your fingers crossed that doesn't actually happen!
Apparently wakin' up at 0430 was not what I needed to worry about. It's a quarter to seven and I'm back in bed, shakin' in my pants. Ok, not really...but, kind of.
I've done so many push-ups this morning, if it continues like this for six weeks I'll have popeye arms by September! My body aches, I nearly threw-up twice, and the instructor ended with, "when you sleep tonight you'll hurt like hell." Oh, yeah, thanks! As they yelled at me about what I ate and made me do ten push-ups for everything bad on my food list (did you know hard-boiled eggs are bad?), they smeared camouflage on all of our faces, so not only did I look like the most out-of-shape person in the gym, I now looked like this...
Looking at the older PTs on phase II I'm encouraged that I'm going to have a rockin' body soon...but I'm already dreading tomorrow. I told the new PTs as soon as they plop that thirty-pound vest on my already-sore shoulders tomorrow I'm sure to collapse. Keep your fingers crossed that doesn't actually happen!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The decision
Maybe you didn't know but I've recently made the decision to have my @$$ kicked at 0500 every morning for the next six weeks. You may have noticed that I've been growing lately...around the middle. No, I'm not pregnant. Just fat. So I heard about this program Boot Camp With Jess that is conveniently located ten minutes from my house. As I researched it a little more I came to the conclusion that it was exactly what I needed.
So I've signed up and tomorrow is my first day. I would share my "before" picture with you now, but it's kinda of X-rated. If the "before" and "after" is impressive enough, I might share some censored version of it with you in six weeks.
Strangely enough, the part I'm most nervous for is waking up at 0430. Apparently you're "punished" with push-ups for being late...I don't need any more "punishment" than I'm already due for being "fat and frumpy."
Wish me luck!
So I've signed up and tomorrow is my first day. I would share my "before" picture with you now, but it's kinda of X-rated. If the "before" and "after" is impressive enough, I might share some censored version of it with you in six weeks.
Strangely enough, the part I'm most nervous for is waking up at 0430. Apparently you're "punished" with push-ups for being late...I don't need any more "punishment" than I'm already due for being "fat and frumpy."
Wish me luck!
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