Life Lessons Learned at Boot Camp

A week ago, I completed my month-long fitness boot camp and since then I’ve been eager to share my thoughts on the experience. If only daily life would stop getting in the way of my desire to update my blog…

I signed up for a women-only fitness boot camp for the month of June after quite a bit of contemplation and weighing of what I perceived to be the pros and cons. I asked several friends if they would like to join me for the experience and while a few said they would if they had the money or if it didn’t conflict with their husband’s work schedule, others flat-out told me “You’re crazy, but good luck!” or my personal favorite response “I’d rather drive bamboo into my fingernails!” You have to appreciate honesty, right? I couldn’t blame any of them. After all, I had my doubts as well. This class met from 5:30-6:30 in the MORNING. I previously made it a firm habit never to be awake at 5:30 in the morning. I’m a night owl by nature. I love staying up late, often to the chagrin of my poor husband and certainly to the detriment of my sleep cycle. I couldn’t help it, though. I’ve been a night owl since the time I was old enough to choose my own bedtime (high school) and old habits are indeed hard to break.

It was with a nervous heart that I would head to my first boot camp class alone. The alarm went off at 4:50 a.m. and I got up, dressed and tiptoed out the door at 5:15 while the rest of my family slept peacefully in their beds. There were thick clouds in the sky and the weather was chilly, but I was proud of myself for making it there on time. A group of thirty women gathered in the park, some of them with a friend but others on their own like me. Early into our workout, a few raindrops began to fall. No big deal. Then a few more started falling and a few more and by the last 15 minutes of class, while we were lying on our mats in the parking lot doing abdominal exercises, the rain poured down on us. All I could do was laugh. I paid money for this?? To get rained on while doing intensive exercises at 5:30 in the morning. Maybe I really was crazy.

On the way home that first morning, a feeling of empowerment came over me. In just one class, I had accomplished things I didn’t know I had in me, from getting up before dawn to exercising with a bunch of women I didn’t know in the pouring rain. It was the beginning of what developed into a great experience. I’ll never forget my husband’s face when I walked in the door, water dripping off my hair and my clothes soaked to my skin. His expression was a mixture of admiration and pity. I could tell he had as much pride in me as I had in myself, though, and I was ready for more of this crazy adventure.

A photo Steve took of me when I got home that first morning:

Four weeks later, we said our goodbyes to boot camp. I missed only one of my 16 classes (due to illness). I discovered I had shin splints, but I worked through the pain. I pushed myself hard at every class. I wasn’t new to exercise, but we did things in boot camp that really challenged me during every single class. I learned a few valuable “life lessons” from the experience as well:

*Sunrises are stunning. I’ve always been a sunset kind of girl, but I discovered that sunrises are worth waking up for and a beautiful way to start the day.

*Women are wonderful at bonding and supporting each other in any situation. Thirty women, many of them strangers, cheered for and encouraged each other and became fast friends with a shared purpose.

*It IS possible to create new habits. I was definitely not a morning person, but I got up at 4:50 in the morning 15 times during the month of June and I lived to tell about it.

*Getting my exercise done early in the morning gives me more energy and starts my day off with a sense of accomplishment right off the bat. I loved the days where I was done exercising, home and showered before the kids even woke up.

*Consistency and a “can do” attitude really do make a difference in any situation.

*Compare yourself to no one. Compete against only yourself. In our camp, we had women of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. It wasn’t a competition. I loved seeing people accomplish new things and I loved pushing myself to see what I could do in each new situation.

In the end, I had a great sense of accomplishment. I lost a little weight and my clothes are looser. I haven’t re-taken my measurements yet, but I know I lost inches. During the first week, we ran a mile and did as many push-ups as we could. We did that again on the last day to see our progress. I did 30 push-ups on my toes! The first week, I did 24 (also on my toes). My arms were already pretty strong, so I was happy to see that progress. I was especially amazed at my progress in the mile, though. I have a history of asthma and knee problems, but on that last day I took just under two minutes off my time in the mile! I can remember times during the month when I would push myself to reach various milestones along the walking/jogging path. The first day, I was lucky if I jogged an eighth of a mile without having to take a break and walk for a bit. On the last day, I went almost a half mile before I needed to walk for a bit…and I was able to start running again after just a short walking break! To some, that might not seem far, but to a girl who has never been a fan of running and who had to wear two knee braces and try not to have an asthma attack on that last day, it was a huge accomplishment!

I am so glad I took on the boot camp challenge for myself. It changed me in some of the ways I’d hoped it would and in others I never expected. Yes, it was a great challenge for my “year of turning 40” and the life lessons I learned will always be with me.