Ice, Ice Baby

A few weeks ago, I attended the last bridal shower in (what I now affectionately call the 6 weddings that dominated my social calendar between President's Day and Memorial Weekend) the "2007 Marital Bliss Marathon."

So at this shower, I was seated at the kitchen counter snacking on my plate of tasteless veggies, miserably avoiding direct eye-contact with the 3 - yes, THREE! - plates of See's Candies, and chatting with my newest cousin-to-be, but since she's got the rock I'll skip the "2B" formalities.

In our conversation, we discovered that we have some things in common:

1. A clothing-driven motivation for improving our overall health and fitness - of course, her focus is on all things "bridal" while mine is on all things "baby",

2. A day planner which blatantly reveals our secret love affair with [the] 'Gym', (apologies to Hubby and Future-Hubby!)

3. A membership to LA Fitness, which means that we can hang out weeknights and sweat next to someone we know and love on the "Dreadmill", and, most importantly,

4. A little sense of adventure when it comes to fitness.

It didn't take long for her to figure out that when I am (slightly) apprehensive about trying something new, she can pretty much coax me INTO and THROUGH just about anything... (i.e.: my two attempts at jogging last week AND last Thursday's Zumba class - an aerobic Latin dance class - and to be perfectly clear... I LACK ANY ZUMBA TALENT.)

Within our first week of gmail conversations, our sense of adventure got the better of us and we signed up for a Ladies' Fitness Boot Camp program. SuperCuz* and I are determined to withstand a full 12 weeks of sheer butt-kicking workouts - and yes, that is meant in the most literal form. (At this point, my only hope for escape is pregnancy...)

This group meets 3 times a week. Outside. 90 minutes. In the sweltering heat of June, July and August right here in the Arizona desert. In the dark. Where no one will hear us cry out in pain, "This feels AWESOME!" until we just can't do one more fire-hydrant leg lift without the biggest muscle in our body cramping right then and there.

We can't cuss. We can't say "can't". No matter how much it hurts. All we can say to the reigning Boot Camp Guru is that she's "awesome" - but she didn't say we had to smile when we say it.

So, we survived our first session last night, and although we have lived to tell about it, first I desperately need a shower, and several Motrin, and a lot more water, and a really good stretch and a whole bunch of ice packs for my butt. And since SuperCuz and I go back tomorrow for more "adventure", I think I need a little rest now, too.

Feel free to check in for more Boot Camp Body updates, because I'll be sure to post how "AWESOME" SuperCuz and I look and feel throughout this little adventure. And yes, I'll probably be typing from a frosty perch of ice packs.

Erica

*This name has been changed to protect the innocent (and because I fear that someday she will be counting my push-ups and might "accidentally" lose count if I reveal her true identity at this point in time).