"Awesome"! That's the Word!!

Its that time of year when the weather is cool and crisp, summer has faded for another year, and a new year is right around the corner. It is in the Fall that I usually ask myself, "Do I have the courage to change? Do I have the self power to do what it takes to transform myself into the person I would love to be? Will I take that self power and embrace it?

The first time I heard of a Fitness Bootcamp, I was at a job training program and a coworker from Dayton OH. said she had lost 25lbs. She said she was getting up early in the morning to put herself through a rigorous workout, and she loved it. She said her "me time" came first. Not job, not husband, not children, nor housework was going to infringe on the commitment she was making to herself. Even though our job position consisted being "on call" for our clients at any time of morning or night, she had set a boundary for herself and determined she wouldn't even consider giving up her bootcamp workout. Clients would have to wait because this was a priority. Hmmm, this was a lady in her mid to late forties, and she looked beautiful, sexy, toned, and illuminated with energy.

So I tucked the bootcamp idea in the back of my mind, until one day I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the woman that was gazing back at me. Though I had struggled to maintain a lovely shape with my perfectionistic standards in my younger years, I did manage it for a good while. However it became progressively more difficult as I became more seasoned with the years. Yes, menopause had finally clutched its unpredictable grip on me. And though I secretly believed I would not experience the physical and hormonal "fall-out" from "The Change" (I had kept the biting dogs at bay for much longer than most), the reflection staring back at me reminded me more of my mother in her later years who I saw transform over time. Now,I was going from "Baby got Back", to "bootylicious" overload! It was growing to be a little too bountiful...as if it had a mind of its own. Yikes! Too much of a good thing was, well.....too much! I thought, "I am at a crossroads and I can't afford to take the wrong turn". It was time to love myself tough, no excuses, and create a mindset with no option to fail. It was time to take charge.

I Googled "boot camp" in Columbus Ohio, researched them all extensively, and decided to go to the cream of the crop. Guess where the gods sent me?! That's right! The Adventure Boot Camp at the Fitness Edge! I chose it for various reasons. First, I liked the education, experience, and credentials of the big dog, the owner. He had a degree in physical therapy as his foundation. That meant he had an expansive understanding of the human body and would probably consider good form paramount. He would also be able to offer sound advice if I should inadvertantly go too hard and injure myself. And then, the website visually stimulated my imagination. The colorful images and "Adventure" with the nostalgic lettering reminded me of the old cartoon magazines of Superman and the action heroes. Wow! I could be my own action hero, in my own Adventure! It just looked like FUN! I could create my own Adventure as I go. I would even get a cool T-shirt and a dog tag at the end of my first leg in the journey. Sweet!

My intuition served me well. Always trust the intuition. My Adventure so far has been more exhilarating than a roller coaster, more inspiring than many church sermons, and the most loving thing I have ever made up my mind to do for myself. And the question I still ask myself? How can something so good for you be ......so...much..."Mad" Fun!!

That's what is so intriguing, and why I have learned that "something can be a whole lot more than what it appears to be." I had originally started the camp as a kick start after a layoff from working out left me feeling like a hopeless blimp. I only was going to do one camp. It didn't take much to change my mind. I have had the joy of participating in a couple of bootcamps with Brian, and fitness warriors, you won't find a better workout anywhere in town. Not only does he have extraordinary credentials and experience, but he really knows how to work that bootcamp! He knows how to create a dynamic aura and his choice of music is fly. Love the hip-hop and R&B best among his other popular repertoire. He makes hard work fun. Proof in the pudding is that all the veterans.....those highly fit and those like me trying to get fit.....keep coming back. You get hooked on this fitness camp, and you just don't ever want to leave! I have so many awesome things to share, all the lessons this camp has taught me that is very applicable to the other parts of my life, but more about that later. Lets fast forward to the Transformer Challenge and all the other exciting moments that are happening this very moment, today, tomorrow, next week!

On the eve of this month's camp, Sun. night, I got to bed a little late because I couldn't sleep. I was like a little kid getting ready for my 1st day of school in the First Grade. It was going to be a new month of class, new people, and new goals! And this time, Brian was implementing The Transformer Challenge; something like the Biggest Loser for those who wanted to kick it up a notch. Yup! I was so psyched I set the alarm for 4:00 am, and then I went off to dreamland. However, it was not a la la sleep. I found myself tossing and turning with anticipation. Kept waking up, eyeballing the time on the clock.

Finally I slumbered off to sleep and got a couple of hours of zzzzzzz's before............. the "RiNg..RiNg" brought me to my senses. Uhhhh.....not ready to get up. Let's hit the snooze button for 10 more minutes. I snoozed, and I snoozed a little more before it went off again. Ok, that was it! Not gonna start my morning as a slacker!

I quickly brewed my hazlenut coffee, smeared a half piece of toast with almond butter, and dashed out with my water bottle and a clean towel under my arm as I hit the road. Oh, Yeah!! This was living! I had never been a morning bird, and could never get up before 7 am. My new Adventure was going to teach me something very soon. I was going to reinvent myself, and I would begin that process through discipline......like military bootcamp when you wake up before the rest of the world is even alive. I was now experiencing this world and Earth before the light of dawn. The first time in decades! It was dark as midnight, the stars were shining, the moon glowing, and I was cruising down the highway to meet my favorite part of the day. As the music was pumping through my car, I felt like I was on the cusp of a natural high. I was ready to get "down and dirty"!

As I pulled in the parking lot, there were about 30+ women who were already settled. They had picked out their own little spot, and placed a mat, pair of dumbbells, and a water bottle close by. Some of the women were clustered in groups, some signed up with a buddy, and a few had the courage to face this unfamiliar Adventure alone. I have always been impressed with the independent lone women who come in the first time by themselves. I am proudly one of them. Sometimes it takes courage, fortitude, and a deep hunger at the very pit of your being to break in a crowd of women who know each other and you don't know a soul, then let all control go as you put yourself at the mercy of a structured activity you have never done. It takes courage to be vulnerable, and it takes strength. Some women in large groups will reach out quite soon, others will take a little time and want to see what you're about first.

The culture can be different based on the area of the city or region. You might wonder if its gonna be like returning to High School where some women are accepted and others are left out. Life can sometimes recreate the same dynamics of yesteryear if you've not learned the lessons you need to learn. But for all those who have never been to Adventure Bootcamp, you will be happy to know that you will experience us all as kindred spirits, all wanting the same things for ourselves. We come together as a group, and we succeed as a group, but as individuals too. Its one of the best brands of female camaraderie I have experienced for myself in a very long time. So for all the lone women who don't have a buddy, come and join us and you will have more than one buddy to cheer and motivate you. You will have us all!

As I looked around, I saw what a beautiful, diversified group of morning warriors that had joined us for this round! Young women still like puppies, seasoned women who had a little more mellow and zest in their seasoning, and all the ages in between. There was a variety of shapes, sizes, fitness levels, and enthusiasm at hand. Wow! You could almost intuitively feel the energy within the camp's sphere. Its powerful to be surrounded by like-minded people who ambitiously reach for the stars; strive to be the best they can be, drive themselves to get up at the crack of dawn just like you do.

I saw a new member and approached her. She smiled and I knew instantly we would have a common bond. She was from Worthington, and she was laughing because she said none of her friends really believed she would hang with this strenuous commitment for 3 months. Little do they know that for the magical hour you spend at Adventure Bootcamp each morning, you enter into another world; a world where all things are possible and nothing could feel better than to be part of something bigger than yourself. There is strength in numbers, my friends, and it can draw the very best from us. I wish to welcome all new members who choose to become a part of Brian's Morning Warriors!

At precisely 5:30 am, just like any serious, bonafide work camp, Brian starts up his megaphone, whistle in hand, and introduces himself with a description of what will come in our first hour together. I always smile when I see Brian approach us with his megaphone because he has a certain ease and finesse with it that just tickles me. He makes it all look so easy. It reminds me when a bandleader gets on the microphone and pleases the audience. And then when I see this sea of women...30 to 1... for the life of me.......I don't know how he handles sooo many females simultaneously with such grace, charisma, and sensitivity! That's a significant proportion of estrogen for one man to connect with! (lol) Yet I don't think he has ever had one woman get mad at him! (hee-hee) He always comes to us morning birds with an even tempered demeanor, cheerfulness and a generous dose of humor and encouragement, too.

And yes Columbus hipsters, Brian is fresh & easy on the eyes first thing in the morning. (hee-hee!) I just had to say that! I hope I don't embarrass him but it is a pleasant little perk when you have to get up so early. It sure beats mean, ugly, dark and hairy as the first eye opener for the day! For real, he is just one very cool dude and he epitomizes professionalism, character, and leadership with a kick of charm. I like having a spoon of cream with my expresso. How 'bout you?

As our camp leader got on the megaphone, he first gave us a few minutes to walk or run to get our blood moving and to warm our muscles. Then he described the series of exercises we would be doing. Today, he planned for us to do legs, shoulders, and abs. I love the way Brian conducts the class, because he will always do a demo of all the exercises before we start. Form is important. Proper form brings the results and protects you from injury. With all the women in that class today, Brian circulated around us like a bird and watched attentively. He's got some eagle eyes, because he doesn't miss anything. You might be one of thirty, but you get your fair worth of his personal attention, and you never feel like you are a lost sole in the galaxy. Its awesome, because no one is EVER singled out as an example, or made to feel judged or embarrassed. That kind of thing just doesn't exist here. You might only get a little tender loving care.

At one point, Brian approached a new member and helped her with her form. She looked like a pro in a matter of minutes. She looked great! Then as he would go around and see some of us fatiguing, you could hear him say, "Kick it out.....you got 10 seconds to go! Make it count!" Well, if that doesn't make you dig deep, I don't know what does.

We typically do three exercises in every circuit, and we might do four or five circuits in a day, with a little cardio for color. The first group included some squat jumps or pulsing squats and lunges with a military press. Sometimes the exercises will really give you a bang for your buck. Doing the lunges with dumbells in a combined military press will give your body something to remember.......especially the next day! Whew! My legs were burning on fire, and I was prayin' for the moment when Brian would call out, "Half-way there; 10 seconds....5 seconds..." and then he'd blow the whistle. Yeah, I love the whistle part! Those last 5 seconds can seem like an hour.

The power squats were just as provocative and I remembered mumbling under my breath, "this is murder!" Ha! "Murder, she Wrote", that would be the name of my blog! (lol) This was one of those "Ah-ha" moments when I could give in to the pain or dig deep in my soul and go for the gold. Yeah, today was really hard because today came after off-week from camp, and I could feel my body want to pull itself back into its natural comfy zone. Well, I wasn't gonna wimp out now. I wanted my Adventure to be about more than looking good and losing weight. I wanted to build a "new" me from the inside out. It meant developing a mindset that empowers me in camp and outside of camp. It was about practicing discipline every moment it presented itself, especially when it was tough and it hurt.

Just about now I was straining to keep up, gasping, ready to plummet into exhaustion when at that magic moment Brian called out, "Keep going! Dig a little deeper"! At this very second, I reminded myself of the email he had sent us: success comes in inches....yes....little baby inches! You can win or lose with an inch. With that thought, I drove myself as hard as I could to break my comfort zone. Wow! What a super feeling to shatter the obstacles that have atrophied my mindset, the rigor mortis that attempts to steal my spirit. These little inches....these extra seconds of withstanding the blowout in my legs.....this is what will carry me to success in camp and in all the other ventures of my life, driving me to the next level!

Ahh....the Adventure BootCamp! It provides us with the nourishment to build ourselves into the characters we want to be. And if we choose, we can peel back the layers and find much more than a rigorous workout in the making. This will be the foundation I lay my upcoming opportunities for success upon. Adventure Bootcamp can serve as the microcosm and the practice ground for how I handle everything else in my life. And that is exactly how I will use it.

For me, I create a little more success....inches of success..... every day I fight for myself in that camp. I build myself...inch by inch.....sculpture my mind, body, and spirit like a piece of art... and will walk away with renewed self esteem, faith in myself, and pride. I will even walk away with a fit and sexy body if I remain true to my focus and my dreams.

Yes, as I looked around and saw the fabulously fit working right along with the beginner and intermediate......and some who were just embarking on their fitness journey....I had to smile, breathe deep, and feel gratitude for all the gifts we women were giving each other. We only needed to recognize them: energy, motivation, friendship, camaraderie, hope and more. What a glorious morning!

Brian continued to direct us into a series of clustered exercises and interval training, all very methodically designed to confuse our bodies and enhance results. I did great with some of the exercises, and struggled with others. By the time he said it was 6:25 am and we would now stretch, I was happy and exhausted and whispered to myself, "Job well done, girl!"

As we dismantled our camp, I approached my new member friend and asked her how she felt. "AWESOME" she proclaimed in big letters! It was only 10 seconds later when I heard another one say from a different corner of the camp, "Awesome"! And then again......."Awesome", sprouting up like spring flowers.

Yes, "Awesome" indeed! Excellent job, morning warriors ! And to our most prized champions of our camp....that would be our new members..........."Awesome"! Welcome Home!


This is the pinK tiger, signing off until next time.....




the pinK tiger