Adventure Boot Camp - here we come.....

My husband challenged me to find out what would motivate me to get in shape and want to lose weight. After surgery in June of 2007 I signed up for Weight Watchers again. Almost immediately a few family issues turned up and I returned back to work and couldn't get in the time to make it to meetings. (Maybe they should have meetings at 5:30 a.m. like our boot camp workouts?) My work schedule continued to be long hours leaving very little family or personal time. I could get in some random hikes or kayaking on the few open weekends we had, but no real getting in shape time.

In 2007 I was walking 15 miles per week and even though I was still overweight, my blood work was good. In January 2008 my walking decreased to about 4 miles per week and by May I had just about dropped it all together just before surgery. I am turning 50 in the 2009 year and decided I wanted to do something significant to celebrate (or maybe counteract) turning half a century old. I kept up my subscription to Women's Adventure Magazine and Canoe and Kayak and wistfully read the articles monthly. Someday I thought....I'll get back to adventure in my life.

I do have a 24 hour gym membership and did 5 sessions with a personal trainer, but I really love being outdoors. I am just not motivated to be inside on an elliptical or treadmill. Why do that when you can walk outside or go on a hike? I know, strength training is important as well, but ugg...those machines! It is just not fun!

My friend (and co-worker) Pat mentioned that she wanted to sign up for Adventure Boot Camp. www.ocbootcamp.com She showed me the website and seemed to be wooed in by the enticement of going on a hike as part of the program. I hated to break the news to her but it probably doesn't involve hiking every single week.....but....at least it would be outdoors. And we could do it together. And they had a 3 day a week program. And it cost much less than a personal trainer at the gym. And it includes cardio and strength training. And it wouldn't interfere with family time or work time. What? It's 5:30 a.m. in the morning? Are we allowed to be driving on the roads at that time in the morning? Is Starbucks open?

We signed up (deciding our bodies could ONLY take 3 days per week) and made our pre-assessment appointment with the lovely Samantha (and thin I might add) at the camp offices. She gently told us stuff about our bodies that we already knew. I was a bit concerned that there might be some hard selling involved about the meal plan or signing a big contract for more days per week or longer program, but there was none of that. I was encouraged that the camp is designed for four weeks because most everyone can commit to that and most everyone can get some type of results from that. Samantha provided a reasonable goal that really seem achievable instead of trying to push us for major results. We got a range. She even let me jump up to the next age category since it was a more for forgiving range, after all I will be turning 50 this year. We are ready to go!