Instant Gratification

WEEK 4 REPORT: Still no buns of steel...

Seriously, am I asking for too much, here?

For Pete's sake... I feel "the burn". Everyone in the class feels "the burn".

After all, we have just spent the last 4 weeks OUTDOORS in ARIZONA from 6:59 PM (because there's extra torture - namely, Mountain Climbers - for those who fall victim to afternoon rush hour traffic and arrive 1 second past 7PM) to 8:30 PM.

We Lunge and Squat on concrete that has absorbed the sun's rays all day long only to radiate that ungodly heat back at us from below. If The Wall isn't melting the rubber soles off our sneakers, it's burning the top layer of skin off our hands during those evil Raised Wall Push-Ups. And the metallic park benches (yeah, I wanna know who's genius idea those were) sizzle whatever skin is left on those same scorched palms with each and every Dip.

Let me be perfectly clear (especially for those of you who have moved away from the Valley of the Sun and conveniently "forgotten" what it's like to have FORD branded on your thigh by your seat belt): If we were "nuts", the evening Boot Camp session would classify as the "oven-roasted" variety.

We are exercising, no scratch that... We are strenuously exercising in temperatures that puts Bikram Yoga to shame. And, as we hear it told in the evenings, the morning Boot Campers have whined about 78 degrees.

WHINED ABOUT 78 DEGREES?!?

How could you possibly whine about 78 degrees? What? Are you COLD or something?

And, don't even try to tell me that you ladies have it sooo much harder because it's early...

You're talking to the Queen of Early Rising! Last year I was up at 3:30 AM and jumping into an icy pool to swim laps at 4AM for 2 hours every morning. (And yes, many friends questioned my sanity.)

Admittedly, this year, I've taken it easy on myself and I am now getting up with the Hubby's alarm clock. But his alarm goes off at 4:30 AM and I'm in the pool for laps by 5 AM - in addition to Boot Camp. (And yes, my friends are questioning my sanity again thanks to Boot Camp.)

As I hear it, I think the only real complaint that the morning Boot Campers could possibly have has something to do with Stadium Steps, and for anything regarding "stairs" you have my empathy.

So, I realized this morning that Monday, June 25th, marked the 3rd Anniversary of "The New Me".

Three years ago, I left dinner with the BandGirl and her mom and I signed a 2-year gym contract, making a lasting (and expensive) commitment to improve my health (before pregnancy).

The first thing I did was jump into a water aerobics class. I quickly realized that I was horribly out of shape when "The Water Ladies" (a group of senior citizens who were in the 6AM Aqua Aerobics class 5 days a week) danced circles around me while chatting and I was breathless and struggled to last the full 55 minutes of the class.

One month later, I was heading to the gym 5-days a week on my way to work and working with a personal trainer who helped me re-program my brain to believe that fitness was more "fun" and less "chore". Within 6 months, I was a full-fledged gym-junkie (6-7 days a week!), annoyed and irritable if I didn't get my daily dose of endorphins.

When the gym closed down, I bounced around until I found my new home-away-from-home at LA Fitness. That's when I discovered a REAL lap pool (and how exhausting it is to swim it!). After just two months of laps, I swam my first full mile freestyle and one year ago (on the 4th of July weekend) I swam 3 miles in about 2.5 hours. I had the time, and I simply wanted to see "how far I could go". Honestly, I only stopped because I figured I was so pruned that my fingertips wouldn't un-pucker for about a week (and people were lining up to use the lanes).

So now I'm here... 3 years later and 50 pounds less.

I am graduating my first Boot Camp Session tomorrow.

More importantly, I am already signed up for the next one.

And MOST importantly, I am trying to remember that I can't expect to see changes overnight - even though I want to.