#40 - Do a Bootcamp

Fancy those images of fit people doing hardcore exercise with their perfect bodies, their perfect smiles, their perfect Lorna Jane outfits, laughing as though they're actually enjoying it with not a hair out of place?  No?  Neither do I.  Personally I prefer to do my exercise in an old t-shirt, a pair of faded shorts and shitty sneakers.  This was not the case with the particular boot camp I selected for my month-long torture.  As part of our package - $275 for 4 weeks of one hour long boxing / boot camp sessions 3 times per week - we received a singlet with the boxing studio's name and contact details plastered all over it.  A walking, sweaty, smelly advertisement.  Please note that the first week of boot camp coincided with #82 on my list, Do Not Say a Single Swear Word for a Week hence my deluge of 'shits' later in that particular week.

Boot camp popularity has soared in recent years.  Perhaps the thought of doing strenuous gut-busting exercise to the sound track of some hardened, tougher-than-nails ex-boxer type with a crew cut, croaky voice and biceps bigger than your mum whilst yelling in your face seems appealing.  At least that's the perception.  The particular boot camp I chose was scheduled for 6:30 - 7:30am Monday, Wednesday and Friday with 3 different instructors and 3 different styles of training.  They worked us hard, we pushed ourselves through the pain and at the end of each session we all felt pretty chuffed that we survived.

Am I fitter?  You bet!  Did I enjoy the boot camp?  Overall, yes.  Did I lose any weight?  Are you kidding??  OF COURSE I DIDN'T!!!  Exercise provides the perfect excuse to justify mid-morning muffins, desserts after dinner and Sundaes on a Sunday.

I must say I surprised myself by training harder, longer and more enthusiastically than what I have before and I'm sure the other boot camp participants did as well.  We trained in the rain for about 5 of the sessions, got muddy and soaked right through.  There was zero sympathy from our trainers and my shitty sneakers are now even shittier than ever before.