July 14, 2010 Playground Workout, Revisited

Yes I did my Happy Dance today. A really tough, challenging workout and I didn't have to run the hill! Plus, we did this great workout and I finished with dry feet! Awesome.

We did the playground workout today which was the same workout we did on my first day of fitness boot camp. It was really a nice way to gauge the progress I have made so far. I know I have made progress in terms of weight because my clothes that were tighter at the beginning of the summer now not only fit but are becoming loose and too big. That is real incentive, I tell you. But I wanted to see what kind of progress I have made physically.

We did many, but not all, of the same stations. And I am so happy to report that I did better on all of them than I did the first time. The pull ups are still difficult and I still did the modified version, but I did more of them and held myself up longer than I did previously. These pull ups, by the way are done on the rings from the swing set. I keep adding to my tricep dips off the park benches and did pretty well on the side planks with the twists while holding a weight. I really like how Dustin announces how much time is left for each exercise so that just when I feel like I can't possibly do more, I hear how many seconds are left and realize that I can. Honestly, I sometimes still have to break for a second but I still keep trying to push myself to get back up and do more.

There seemed to be many stations today. It was exhausting but really gave for a well rounded workout. We also had to sprint around the tennis court between our first and second circuits. Dustin told me I could run faster and, you know, he was right. I pushed myself to go faster. It was hard because of the problem I've been having with my achilles tendon, but I've added some support in my shoe and it seems to be making a real difference. So Dustin continues to personally challenge me which is what I said I really needed.

The people in fit camp are very inspirational. Everybody seems to be at a different level and yet we are all jointly working toward the same goals. People are so encouraging to each other, accepting of the challenges we all face and there is no spirit of competition. I think that is why I've always preferred groups exercise. There is such a spirit of camaraderie that exists among the members. Fit camp has been such a great addition to my summer so far. The only downside is that it has made my summer break go too fast!

Roger