Days 3-5

I have finished the first week of fit camp! I am incredibly sore but feeling good. I'm starting to get used to eating well and getting up at 4 am.

Wednesday morning was our PT test. We partnered up and did as many pushups and sit-ups as we possibly could in one minute. Then we all went outside to run a mile and a half. Pretty quickly I fell into a pack of 50 something men with beer bellies and kept up with them. We finished in 18 minutes. After I finished I joined in with everyone else who were standing alongside the track and cheering on people as they came in. Towards the end I felt like I was on the set of Biggest Loser as people were cheering and running alongside people who were really struggling.

Thursday began real workouts. We started with a "burpee" contest. Two people from each team were asked to volunteer for the contest but when they said "burpee," I heard "burping." I almost volunteered because I thought it was just a fun way to get people excited about being here and I thought I had a shot with the way my stomach has been dealing with my new diet. Luckily I didn't volunteer though because "burpees" are actually an exercise in which you move from a push-up position on to your feet, jump with arms over your head, and then go back into a push-up as fast as you can. The rest of the time Thursday we were in constant motion. We did exercises (holding push-up position, jumping jacks, crunches, squatting...) on one side of the gym and when they blew the whistle we ran across the gym and back. We did that the entire time with no breaks. I was still out of breath when I got home. When I told my friend Garrett about it he commented, "It's amazing what the human body can do when..." and I finished, "when you go slow enough."

Today, Friday, was similar to Thursday and I have learned that we will be doing basically the same thing everyday. We got our T-Shirts this morning with the theme, "80/10/10," on the front. We celebrated getting our t-shirts by taking a group picture and then getting them sweaty. They jogged us out to the football field and had us partner up. I found my partner Mason. Once partnered up they told us we would be running for 80 seconds back and then alternate doing 10 push-ups or 10 Burpees. We continued this process the entire class. Partnering up made it harder than Thursday because this is Mason's 4th fit camp and he is in good shape so he pushed me out of my comfortable pace. He gave me permission to cuss him out as we ran together and I would have if I had been able to breathe. I have never looked forward to a weekend more in my entire life.

Days 1-2

I have made it through two days of fit camp but don't be impressed yet. I have yet to actually do any exercise. The first day we registered, weighed in, and met with our "team." I am on the black team led by none other than J.B. Batiste (He is the father of Kristen's friend Janaye).

We also partnered up with someone who will help keep us accountable. I am with another young guy my age named Mason. Mason has gone through fit camp three times already so he is a great resource for me, plus he is fun to be around.

I started "eating right" yesterday and it was terrible. I was hungry all day and my stomach protested greatly against the foreign materials it was encountering: vegetables.

This morning, the first time participants all went to listen to a presentation on eating for the program. Essentially the idea is to follow common sense: choose fresh foods from the perimeter of the grocery store, eat small meals several times a day, don't take in empty calories, no fast food. We are also supposed drink a gallon of water each day. I started doing that yesterday and by the end of the day the bathroom door started opening by itself when it saw me coming.

During the presentation we found out what 80/10/10 means! Success at fit camp is 80% determined by what you eat, 10% by the exercise, and 10% by genes. It's their way of emphasizing the importance of eating right.

Tomorrow will begin work-outs. If I don't update for a while its because I have lost the ability to move my arms.

The Calm Before the Storm

6 weeks of agony begin tomorrow. In a moment of delusion after a 30 minute run/walk on a treadmill I signed up for a 6 week boot camp at Dyess Air Force Base (don't let anyone tell you that Runner's High isn't dangerous). The camp is Monday through Friday at 5 o'clock in the morning (thus, Fit at 5:00 for the blog title). After this fit camp is over I plan on starting another blog entitled: Fat at 10:30.

There remain only a few slim hours to separate me from the beginning of fit camp. Officially, the camp starts at 5 am but I will set my alarm for 4 am. It was advised that you eat an hour before the workout so my plan is to wake up, put a slice of bread in the toaster, and then fall asleep again before it is ready. I am not sure how long it will take me to get to Dyess in the morning, partially because I do not know how to get there yet either, but I am planning on leaving the house between 4:20 and 4:30. This should leave me plenty of time to make it past the security check point and buy my required neon safety belt. I think we have to wear one so no fighter jets run us over, if things get really bad I might take mine off.

Part of the camp is keeping a journal of everything you eat. For example here is what I would record for today:
Breakfast:
Two scrambled eggs
Half pound of ham
Home Fries
Bagel with Cream Cheese
Coffee with Cream

Lunch:
Bag of nuts
Cupcake

Snack:
#1 meal from Whataburger with Fancy Ketchup

Dinner:
Chicken Chow Mein with Rice
Two egg rolls
Bowl of Egg Drop Soup
Another Cup Cake

I think I am in trouble...

Question: The Theme for the camp is "80/10/10." I am assuming they will tell us what that is supposed to mean tomorrow after they take the "before" pictures but for now I have no clue what 80/10/10 refers to. Submit your guesses for a prize!


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