Boot Camp – Day Twenty – Washout

Today was the last day of Boot Camp. Unfortunately, there was no camp because it was pouring this morning and the indoor facility we use is closed for Shavuot. Surprisingly, when I woke up around 5:00am hearing pounding rain, I was sorely disappointed. I was really looking forward to what our trainer called “Graduation Day,” mostly because she seemed so excited about it. Plus, I want my t-shirt! I guess I can make up the day next week or something, or during a future session. Yes, I will sign up for a future session! My thoughts on the experience after the jump.

I joined Boot Camp because I wanted to try something new — something out of my comfort zone — and “reboot” my exercise routine. For the past month, I’ve gotten up at 5:00am every single weekday, including Memorial Day.

As with anything new, there are positives and negatives. After the first week and a half, my body began adjusting and most of the muscle soreness went away. Which was astounding to me. I honestly thought I would hurt every day for the entire month.

Pluses:

• I love having my workout done by 7:00am.
• I enjoy the group atmosphere, even though there isn’t much time for socializing.
• Seeing Beth every morning!
• Our instructor was both motivating and supportive.
• The feeling of satisfaction after pushing myself physically further than I thought I could go, every day.
• I’ve learned a lot of new exercises that I can continue doing here at home.
• Exchanged numbers with a girl who lives in my area, so we can go walking and biking together.

Minuses:

• Going to bed at 9:00pm most nights is boring.
• I found myself tired, a lot.
• An ankle injury that manifested late last week.
• The incredible frustration of not being able to keep up with the majority of the group sometimes.
• Not magically losing 20 pounds and sprouting Michelle Obama triceps. (Hey, a girl can dream…)
• Our trainer’s limited iPod playlist. I won’t be able to listen to the Indigo Girls again without wanting to bust into a set of bicep curls.

As for my body, things have definitely changed. I know my strength has increased a lot since that first day, especially my upper body. I stayed after class yesterday and had our trainer do my measurements again, to compare from the first week. Although my weight remained pretty much the same, I converted several pounds of fat to muscle. No small feat. I also lost a few inches total — in my hips, thighs and chest. I’ll be honest, I was hoping for a more dramatic change, but this is only the beginning, right?

So was it worth it? Definitely. Is it something I want to do every day for the rest of my life? Definitely not. But I’ll do it again, soon.

Related posts:

1. Back to Boot Camp
2. Boot Camp, Take 3
3. Boot Camp – Day One
4. Boot Camp – Day Ten
5. Boot Camp – Day Fifteen