What do you mean we aren't allow to sweat?

Boy, has it been two hard working mornings. I think Roy forgot there are new girls. I also didn't realize we had to be able to count. I just get distracted thinking about my breathing in and out and doing the particular move right. On Monday, we did some tests so we can compare at the end of the camp. Back and forth across the basketball court touching the lines. Then some squat presses. We finished the morning off with an Indian run. What....the new girls are suppose to like this group thing. I wondered how many we would lose by the second day.

By Tuesday we were still working hard on strength and training and the plank, over and over again, you would think that Roy was trying to put in hard wood floors. But I really do feel stronger each week. If I remember back to the very first week of boot camp I had to do the plank from my knees, now I can do a full on one and hold it. Ok maybe not the full time but almost.

What's the purpose of doing a plank, besides I guess just the ab-core strength thing. Roy said the reason it's good to be accomplished at the plank is when Barb and I are camping in the Amazon jungle and we have to make an emergency exit from our tent, army crawling and we come to a river that is filled with floating mines we can easily lift our torsos over the mines safely. Hmmmm...worth training for? Maybe.

I still am really loving the variety we get in our work out each morning. Even the jump ropes and the parking lot are so dreaded anymore. This weekend I turn 50 (yeah, already). I definitely feel fitter and am committed to keep going. I'll see how much working out I can do while I am in Eagan for the next 3 days. At least the early morning in Aliso Viejo got me use to the daily weather in Minnesota.

Let's do some real cardio!

I have the two best workout buddies in the whole world. Ok besides Jessy and my husband. I love being outside, so the gym just does NOT inspire me like it does my single friends who may be oogling all the cute guys. Course most guys in the gym are not noticing because they are so focused on themselves. Then when you do meet a nice guy, like the one on Tuesday who gave us some pointers on using the ab leg lift equipment....he is way too young....or Pat says, "Maybe not..."

So this morning instead of heading to the gym, we decided to meet at Concourse Park at the border of Lake Forest and Trabucco Canyon and take a hike. Let's get our hearts pumping, burn some fat and use our leg muscles. We could still talk but I didn't feel as guilty as when we talk at the gym and could be "fake" working out. We hiked 2.3 miles total out and back along Concourse road into Whiting Ranch. At the turnaround point we had a great view overlooking the foothill ranch area including the Oakley building.

I saw a cottontail rabbit and a domesticated golden retriever. But, we did talk about the cougars, coyotes and rattle snakes that do inhabit the area which I guess doesn't count as "sighting" wildlife.

By 7 a.m. we had an hour's workout in. This was definitely worth doing again. Maybe we can get Roy to hold camp there one morning?

We had our post assessment with Sam this afternoon. 3 inches overall loss and down 5 pounds. Definitely headed in the right direction.

Week off

Mmmmm....... we really miss those daily emails from Roy. It's really hard to drag yourself out of bed to exercise on your own. Barb, Pat and I did meet at the gym on Tuesday after taking a Monday off. I did walk on Sunday. But being in the gym is just not the same as the varied work outs we get from boot camp. On my drive to the gym, after cuddling way too long in bed, I saw amazing sun rise. It was gorgeous outside and just begging for some outside time. Instead we did some weights inside. Maybe on Thursday we can go for a walk instead.

We made it!

Ok, I guess someone must be reading, because Marlee let me know I was behind on my blog. I was so faithful to update it after every workout. But this week getting up at 4:50 a.m. every morning for 5 days and Roy really kicking our butts, has made it a little difficult. I think this was Indian run week. Maybe if we tell him that we really like them, he will decide not to have us do them. I think Roy just gets a kick out of us running around basketball courts.

On Wednesday, my daughter, Jessy joined us. It was very cold on the back side of the school and we had to go up the hill twice! That's when we knew it was a tough week. The partner stuff was fun. Barb's knee seems to be getting better and Tiffany keeps smiling always.

Thursday was a killer killer. We kept moving, jogged the parking lot. Did the bands on the pull up bars, jump roped and jump roped and push ups.

Friday was testing day again. Everyone improved especially on the overhead presses with weights. It was a little confusing at first because most of us had gone up in weight size over the last 4 weeks, so it was a scramble to get every one the right set of weights so we could truly compare scores. One last Indian run and then it was off to Starbucks for some girl gossip time. Oh yeah, Roy was there too, but he's pretty good at the girl stuff as well. After all his fav color is pink I heard.

Now, it's a week off from camp, although we will be trying to maintain some kind of routine and stay active. I really am going to miss seeing my Barb every morning. Now I can't seem to wait until the next session starts.

Back at Bootcamp!

Wow....what have those girls been doing while I have been gone? They are all able to do the 12 pound weights and they told Roy their favorite is the Indian runs. We did 3 sets of them this morning. It was exhausting but definitely doable since I tried to stay active on my vacation. The morning was still very early even though I spent a week in another time zone. But hmmm..... that low 50 degree weather didn't seem very cold.


Barb looks really strong. I think it's because if she ends up working at night, she does another "in-the-gym" workout right after boot camp in the morning. She is really dedicated.

We now have learned Roy's age and his favorite color. We may need to save the information for blackmail in case we have to do anymore of the burpee specialties. At least he keeps varying it up.

Is this how you do a burbee?













Watch for the Team Roy at the Spectrum event this weekend. Roy's girls should at least get the best enthusiasm award.

Fresh Powder!

The sun finally came out today after 5 days of snowing. Today we decided to go out and go all the way to the top. The runs were not groomed and it was quite the site coming down. At least with the sun shining when you sat in the snow you didn't get cold. And it was soft to fall in. Here I am buried after one of the falls down the steep face full of powder.

Jessy and I did our boot camp stretches this morning before going out and I used my foam roller when I got back. My quads were not sore at all. All that boot camp conditioning really made a difference.

For those of you who really know me, I count my vacations as successful by the amount of wild life I see. We have had blue birds visit our patio each morning and squirrels regularly pass our paths while we are skiing. But....Friday night while we were sitting at the table after dinner looking across at the mountain, what came jogging down the road? A coyote. I guess he was on the look out for a bunny for his dinner. You can see him in the photo on the far side of the road just to the left of the tree. Shortly after this he circled around on the snow and you could really make him out against the white blanket of snow. Yep....going to be a fun week.

What? There is no vacation from boot camp?

I forgot to mention the only thing I don't like about boot camp besides getting up so early. It's that I don't get to spend it with my husband. We have shared almost all exercise activities since I was 16. I love the fact that it's just women and I think it makes more sense for what we are trying to accomplish and I love spending time with my boot camp buddies, but it's hard to get out of that nice warm bed in the morning with him still in it.

I do have the most awesome husband in the whole world. Not only does he support me in going to boot camp, but this morning he got up early and came with me so he could take some photos for my blog.

Roy even knows about nutrition. He is always up for any questions or concerns we have. He said No to my question, but Jessy is going to ask Sam and see what she thinks, "Does a chocolate peanut butter egg count as protein?" So I guess when they say to make sure and eat some protein in the morning, that won't count.

Pat and I are still doing the stress eating thing. So much for having a partner to keep you accountable, now we just help each other out. (sorry about buying the Almond Joy egg as well).

This morning's workout was my last before a week plus 1 day skiing vacation in Snowbird, Utah. Since my husband was vacationing from work today, he drove the trip to Aliso Viejo with me and then we drove home for showers and off to the airport to fly to Salt Lake City. The flight was short but my legs were aching to walk and seemed a bit tight from our jump roping and jogging this morning. I am so glad that Roy always cools us down before we leave, but I did spend some time on the foam roller this afternoon to work out some tight spots.

Now we will have 7 days of fresh powder! Should be some good quad, glute, and cardio work outs without stress eating.

Is he trying to killl us????

Must be that sinister laugh....Or when he says, let me know if you don't feel it....then he tortures us some more.

The last two days have seemed brutal but I try and push myself through every exercise. Roy seems to keep us moving with lots of cardio and circuit work interspersed with weights and then the core balance thing. I guess one thing is for sure, when we finish this session we should be able to pass a sobriety test.

For all my followers out there, please pray for Pat's mom who is in the hospital. She (Pat, not her mom) didn't make it to boot camp this morning because she spent 5 hours waiting in emergency with her mom during the night before they admitted her. Pat will be trying to help her mom make some decisions on next steps when she gets discharged.

Check out the YouTube video to see the flexibility and strength we hope to someday get by going through these camps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejg0aBjBLvw

One more day this week and then I'm off to Utah for some skiing. I'll definitely get in cardio everyday and hopefully some flexibility work, but I don't want to loose any of my strength work.
My daughter Jessy will help me while she is there until Monday.

Some interesting notes: While I was traveling it was really hard to make right food choices. But on the mornings I do boot camp, it seems easy for me to consistently make good choices. Except when Pat is stressing an really wants the breaded chick-fil-a sandwich instead of the grilled one on the whole wheat bun. (Course, she didn't do boot camp this morning mmmm..) Oh well sometimes we need little treats.

Also, my husband I did our Saturday morning regular 15 mile ride this last weekend. With years of riding experience, I can always make the distance, but over the last couple of months with inconsistent riding it has been exhausting and I always am ready for it to be over and I want a nap afterwards. During this last weekend's ride, even though I haven't ridden in several months, it was actually easy. I had good speed throughout, the hills didn't kill me and I was upbeat and cheery afterwards. The additional fitness I've gained from Boot Camp has really paid off even though it's not the same exercise/muscle groups being used. Now if only the mirror, scale and clothes fitting thing would pay off. I forgot how much I love my bike!

2nd Session Week 1 Day 5

Ok for me it was really only day 3 of the week, since I was out of the office for two days. Barb said she couldn't believe week 1 was already over, only 3 more weeks of session 2. We can do this.

Our workouts remind me of the Friday night rides we use to do after work. Real fast sprints, all flat up and back the river trail. We had to pack riding stuff and load the bikes, don't forget a water bottle in the morning before work. Then sometimes after a tough day at work you just didn't feel like going. However we went ahead and met at the ride starting point, thinking maybe we would just take it easy and not push, but then in the excitement of the group ride and the pace line after a warm-up we would get up to speed and spend the hour working hard. Afterwards, we were always glad we had done the ride. We went to dinner with the group and always slept well.

Friday morning's work out was a lot like that. Ugg... early morning again? Roy really had us pushing (but he always warms us up). Lots of jump roping, jogging the basketball courts, weird straps from the push-up bars, up the mini-hill, kung fu hand weights. I was really sweating and breathing hard. But afterward, I felt so good and was glad I had showed up and really pushed.

I can't wait to see what Roy has planned for us next week.

Let's do 5 days per week.

Monday, March 23rd was the start of a new boot camp session. Pat, Barb and I were committed to do being there 5 days per week. Barb said it was easy as she was already doing it from the last camp session, but she didn't have to go directly to work after each morning work out. I prepared my work clothes the night before but I also had to pack a suitcase because I found out Friday I needed to travel for work. I purposefully scheduled my flights so I would miss as few boot camp days as possible which was Tuesday and Wednesday.

4:50 a.m. Monday sure seemed really early. Will I really be able to do it for 5 days? We had some new faces at camp. Roy said this session we would be working on strength, flexibility and balance so we did some tests which included what seemed like sobriety testing. You could hear the giggles around the court as we each concentrated on the moves Roy requested.

I did pack my workout clothes and resistance tubes for my trip and asked for 6 a.m. wake up calls. However with the late flights (1 a.m. Tuesday morning arrival) and all day meeting and I supposed not having my friends counting on me to show up I didn't work it in. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to get my clothes organized and make the Thursday morning boot camp. However 4:50 a.m. came and once I was up and on the road, it was easy. It felt great being with the group and doing our workout. We did have to jog the parking lot but we also did some circuits which included mat work, hand weights, resistance bands on the chain link fence, ladders, and funny little spiked colored rubber spots we had to balance on and do squats. Quite the challenge. Oh yeah we also had to do some boot camper tipping, you should have heard the giggling this morning.

We finished with some relaxation breathing. We might have all taken naps, but the HS football team was ready to take over the basketball courts. Hopefully we can remember the relaxation techniques when we aren't being kept awake at night with all the worries in our heads.