One Fox, Two Peacocks and a Chupacabra
Last night was a bit different that any other Bootcamp that I have attended, in that it was the most brutal! The story needs to be told, but first some prelim.
When I got to the gym it was weigh in night for me, yes I hate weighing in at night, yes I hate weighing in with clothes, but I also like my morning sleeps this time of year and the gym prefers that I keep covered (something about law suits and blindness.. I don't know) so alas on the scale at 5 pm with clothes on I went. It was up by 2.4 pounds from last week. I, of course, cussed the scale, threw it through the window, and stormed out of the gym. (ok what I really did was text Matt saying that I hated the freaking thing.. see I didn't even really cuss, some times fiction is just funnier) I didn't realize at this point he was on his way in and when we talked he said it could be a number of things, water, salt, time of day, different clothes... lots of scenarios. Last night after he looked at my journal there are a few things that I can tweak a bit, cut out the bread (I use whole wheat sandwich rounds) and the almond milk, apparently it isn't always about the calories, but what KIND of calories. Ok enough of that and lets get on to the good stuff.
As I said, The General was at the gym and suited up, I kept a mindful eye on the parking lot and noticed rather quickly that Adam and Todd were both late, which I might add is a rare occurance. There was some chit chatting and hellos and OMGs it's colds going on with our tiny little bootcamp group at the beginning of the night. Our group consisted of Mike, JD, Cory, Micah, Stacey and myself.. in and out the gym we went trying to stay slightly warm, silently wishing that Adam would show up and say "Ok get up stairs we are in the building tonight"! There are a couple of things that one must know about bootcamp before I go on,
1. Whatever you wish for, the opposite will happen
2. If you speak aloud your most brutal bootcamp, it will be trumped
I made both of these fatal errors last night. You already know I was wishing for inside work as it was 36 degrees and falling (not to mention the head wind already felt like 31 and the sun was still up). My other mistake was verbalizing that my most brutal bootcamp was the 10 night of the 8-9-10 challenge and that I had no desire to do it again. Or maybe I said it was the 8 (which was really like 11 but never mind that) the brutal point was running in the dark, alone, because I was so far behind. It is easy to mentally defeat yourself when you are alone. Keep this in mind as I tell the rest of the story please.
I was standing in the gym with Micah and Stacey chatting when Matt walks up and says don't worry about the scale I am getting ready to work it off of you right now and he doesn't walk out the door, he doesn't stroll out the door, dude RUNS out the door and then immediately says.. "LET'S GO" umm what wait no niceties.. no hi's how are ya'll.. no warnings of impeding death... just "LET'S GO". Also I might mention here that neither Adam or Todd were anywhere to be seen (I hope they aren't sick or something). On the way out of the parking lot a fellow camper said "This can't be good" my only response was "Nope probably not".
As many of you know I have been battling my legs in that I continuously injure them from trying to go to far to fast, by far I don't necessarily mean distance but speed, exercise type, that kind of thing and have had to resign myself to running really slowly or it is just going to happen again until I can get them completely healed and stronger, so it wasn't long before everyone was WAY ahead of me last night because what we were doing, running, and from the looks of things from the start The General had no ideas of stopping.. anywhere. We ran and we turned here and we ran and we turned there and we ran and we turned again... you get the picture right. It didn't take me long to wonder, how will I know which way to go at the cross roads, then I thought well maybe I can say I didn't know which way you went so I went to back to the gym.. hahahahahahaaha I should have known better. Matt wasn't going to leave me out there alone but so long, and at each cross roads he had the team wait on me. (humiliating on one hand.. giving them a break on the other .. silver linings right??) I will also point out here that being the last one in.. that means no breaks, about the time I would catch up OFF they went, which was probably better for me because the couple of times I did have to stop (cross streets and such it was a bit painful to restart). We ran and we ran and we ran and it was getting darker and darker and darker and I thought to myself, there is no way on Earth I am going to make it to church on time.
I did see some interesting things last night, a peacock in a tree that sat there mocking me, it actually asked who I thought I was trying to have peacock hair, I laughed at it and responded with how do you know you don't have Re hair, it was still pondering that as I ran off. Another peacock that chased me down the road, I think one peacock called the other saying that a crazy peacock lady was on the way and I needed chasing, or maybe it wanted my number I don't know. Then there was the Chupacabra in the woods, while I was in the dark on the bike path on Woods road, up in one of the twisty parts that has the real road blocked a bit. I knew it was going to kill me so I ran faster. Chances are it was a squirrel but it really sounded like the Chupacabra at the time. A fox, yes I saw a fox, there are hundreds of them on the beach, this one was either rabid and slightly stupid, very friendly and tame, or new that I couldn't possibly do it any harm at the snails pace I was running as it just kinda hung out and watched me a minute then just eased across the road like I was nothing more than something to be ignored. And last but not least the seagull that past me on the beach (yes I said beach I am getting to that) I wasn't going down without a fight so I caught up to that mangy seagull (do seagulls get mangy) and past it back and I didn't let it catch me again! Did I mention the seagull was also dead? What an animal packed adventure it was!
Now back to the running part, (I needed a break from typing about it I was getting tired) on Woods Road I knew it was getting late, I knew we weren't going to make it back to the gym by 6:45 if we turned around right then, I also knew that we wouldn't make it back by 6:45 if we ran straight down beach road. Close to the end of Woods Road I was doing a lot of time calculating, mileage calculating, and well, life calculating because I really thought I may die. I also, during this stretch of run, KNEW where Todd and Adam were and why no one said why they weren't there. This was all a big joke and Matt had them waiting on us at Kitty Hawk Elementary... we got there.. no Todd and Adam. Oh wait we haven't quite gone 5 miles yet, they are at the Food Lion.. no Todd and Adam. Oh maybe he has them at Handy Hugo's.. NO TODD OR ADAM! PS. I cussed you both. Now keep in mind up until this part it was running, running and more running and my slow legs were tolerating the over all beating rather well. No serious pain, no need to walk, no tears, no homicidal thoughts toward mail boxes, while the humiliation of going so slow was there there was some triumph in the fact that I was in fact still going!
When I made it to Handy Hugo's the team was in the parking lot and Matt was missing, I immediately inquired as to where he was, in hopes he was calling us all a cab. Someone speculated that he went in for hot chocolate, my guess is because he was cold from standing there waiting on me. I knew at this point where I was and that we were running back down beach road to the gym and that we had roughly 3 miles to go to get there. I mentally told myself .. you got this just keep at your slow pace and you will finish. Again we got the Matt "LET'S GO" and off he went towards Beach Road.. SCCRRREEEEEEEAAAAACCCCCCCCHHHHH! HE MADE A HARD LEFT.. NO NO NO WHAT THE HELL MATT NO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GO STRAIGHT THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT.. THERE IS NOTHING TO THE LEFT.. NO NO NO OMG I AM DEAD! (side note I am thankful now that at the time I was way to tired to actually scream because I am sure my team mates would not have known what to do with me if I had a mental break down and that was all in my head.. I think) We actually went to the beach, where at the pier Matt says.. to Black Pelican. Which means that the 3 miles home were all going to be ON THE BEACH.
The sand was loose in most places, uneven in a lot, and none existent in others. I knew it was going to take me a LONG time to get back to the gym this way, but trudging along was all I could do. I ran (or jogged it if you will) for as long as I could and my legs just couldn't take it, they were toast so I fast walked. Thankfully Cory waited on me to catch up at one point and we stuck together the rest of the way in. Even after I begged him to take the road the rest of the way because of his knee, he stayed right there on the beach and along we went. We would run a little, walk a little and slowly but surely we were getting closer. There was a time or two that I lied and said we didn't have much farther to go and I think he quit believing me at one point so I fessed up and said "Yea I know where we are.. it's a lot farther" (Sisper we had just passed the white house with yellow shutters that Brandi swims to!) Some how we both ended up with wet feet, and I managed to end up wet up to my knees, but we kept going. I am grateful he didn't leave me out there because I think I would have broken and just sat down on the sand and cried. (if I could have found enough to sit on)
FINALLY up in the distance I see the house in the ocean, you know the one, the one that means we are REALLY REALLY CLOSE. I told Cory we just have to make it to that house and it isn't even a half a mile away. He mumbled "yea right" (I think I cried wolf too much for him) I said no "Dude seriously this is the house we run to when we are boxing on the beach for warm up.. we don't have much farther" I think he responded with a "uh ha" which said.. "Lady if you don't shut up I am going to throw you completely in the ocean and let the Orca Matt was talking about eat you" I stopped talking. Around the house we went and I knew we were close.. so close I could taste it. I kept looking for the access, in the dark and since the storms it looks so different I wasn't sure where to go then all of a sudden like a great Indian Chief my fearless leader appears on top of the dune! "Look Cory! There's Matt! Do you see Matt? He's right there! I told you we didn't have much farther to go!" I believe he mumbled that he didn't see nothing as he was shoving me in the ocean but I wasn't so sure over the sound of water rushing around my ears.
Matt met us at the top of that little dune and told us that we had done a good job and all I could utter was that it was brutal. This was all well and good but guess who still had a good half a mile to get back to the gym. US! GUESS how we were getting back there.. RUNNING! Off we went again, and as much pain and torture we had put our bodies through to get to that point I have to say that neither of us walked a step on the way back to the gym and straight to the door we ran. It was slow, it took a long time for me, some of my team mates waited around lots longer than I wish that had to, but each and every one of us completed last night. For that I think we did amazing!
I do also have to say that Cory got me through last night, between the coming backs, the waiting, and the just staying on the beach instead of taking the road, the man deserves a medal! (even if he did call me delusional) I will get him one if he doesn't kill me for writing this blog (keep in mind people that sometimes fiction is funnier than the truth.. I will leave it to you to decide what's what)
GREAT JOB TO ALL THE NIGHT CAMPERS.. LOVE YOU ALL!
Much Love
Re
PS.. I can walk today and actually pretty much pain free! That in itself is a HUGE thing.
When I got to the gym it was weigh in night for me, yes I hate weighing in at night, yes I hate weighing in with clothes, but I also like my morning sleeps this time of year and the gym prefers that I keep covered (something about law suits and blindness.. I don't know) so alas on the scale at 5 pm with clothes on I went. It was up by 2.4 pounds from last week. I, of course, cussed the scale, threw it through the window, and stormed out of the gym. (ok what I really did was text Matt saying that I hated the freaking thing.. see I didn't even really cuss, some times fiction is just funnier) I didn't realize at this point he was on his way in and when we talked he said it could be a number of things, water, salt, time of day, different clothes... lots of scenarios. Last night after he looked at my journal there are a few things that I can tweak a bit, cut out the bread (I use whole wheat sandwich rounds) and the almond milk, apparently it isn't always about the calories, but what KIND of calories. Ok enough of that and lets get on to the good stuff.
As I said, The General was at the gym and suited up, I kept a mindful eye on the parking lot and noticed rather quickly that Adam and Todd were both late, which I might add is a rare occurance. There was some chit chatting and hellos and OMGs it's colds going on with our tiny little bootcamp group at the beginning of the night. Our group consisted of Mike, JD, Cory, Micah, Stacey and myself.. in and out the gym we went trying to stay slightly warm, silently wishing that Adam would show up and say "Ok get up stairs we are in the building tonight"! There are a couple of things that one must know about bootcamp before I go on,
1. Whatever you wish for, the opposite will happen
2. If you speak aloud your most brutal bootcamp, it will be trumped
I made both of these fatal errors last night. You already know I was wishing for inside work as it was 36 degrees and falling (not to mention the head wind already felt like 31 and the sun was still up). My other mistake was verbalizing that my most brutal bootcamp was the 10 night of the 8-9-10 challenge and that I had no desire to do it again. Or maybe I said it was the 8 (which was really like 11 but never mind that) the brutal point was running in the dark, alone, because I was so far behind. It is easy to mentally defeat yourself when you are alone. Keep this in mind as I tell the rest of the story please.
I was standing in the gym with Micah and Stacey chatting when Matt walks up and says don't worry about the scale I am getting ready to work it off of you right now and he doesn't walk out the door, he doesn't stroll out the door, dude RUNS out the door and then immediately says.. "LET'S GO" umm what wait no niceties.. no hi's how are ya'll.. no warnings of impeding death... just "LET'S GO". Also I might mention here that neither Adam or Todd were anywhere to be seen (I hope they aren't sick or something). On the way out of the parking lot a fellow camper said "This can't be good" my only response was "Nope probably not".
As many of you know I have been battling my legs in that I continuously injure them from trying to go to far to fast, by far I don't necessarily mean distance but speed, exercise type, that kind of thing and have had to resign myself to running really slowly or it is just going to happen again until I can get them completely healed and stronger, so it wasn't long before everyone was WAY ahead of me last night because what we were doing, running, and from the looks of things from the start The General had no ideas of stopping.. anywhere. We ran and we turned here and we ran and we turned there and we ran and we turned again... you get the picture right. It didn't take me long to wonder, how will I know which way to go at the cross roads, then I thought well maybe I can say I didn't know which way you went so I went to back to the gym.. hahahahahahaaha I should have known better. Matt wasn't going to leave me out there alone but so long, and at each cross roads he had the team wait on me. (humiliating on one hand.. giving them a break on the other .. silver linings right??) I will also point out here that being the last one in.. that means no breaks, about the time I would catch up OFF they went, which was probably better for me because the couple of times I did have to stop (cross streets and such it was a bit painful to restart). We ran and we ran and we ran and it was getting darker and darker and darker and I thought to myself, there is no way on Earth I am going to make it to church on time.
I did see some interesting things last night, a peacock in a tree that sat there mocking me, it actually asked who I thought I was trying to have peacock hair, I laughed at it and responded with how do you know you don't have Re hair, it was still pondering that as I ran off. Another peacock that chased me down the road, I think one peacock called the other saying that a crazy peacock lady was on the way and I needed chasing, or maybe it wanted my number I don't know. Then there was the Chupacabra in the woods, while I was in the dark on the bike path on Woods road, up in one of the twisty parts that has the real road blocked a bit. I knew it was going to kill me so I ran faster. Chances are it was a squirrel but it really sounded like the Chupacabra at the time. A fox, yes I saw a fox, there are hundreds of them on the beach, this one was either rabid and slightly stupid, very friendly and tame, or new that I couldn't possibly do it any harm at the snails pace I was running as it just kinda hung out and watched me a minute then just eased across the road like I was nothing more than something to be ignored. And last but not least the seagull that past me on the beach (yes I said beach I am getting to that) I wasn't going down without a fight so I caught up to that mangy seagull (do seagulls get mangy) and past it back and I didn't let it catch me again! Did I mention the seagull was also dead? What an animal packed adventure it was!
Now back to the running part, (I needed a break from typing about it I was getting tired) on Woods Road I knew it was getting late, I knew we weren't going to make it back to the gym by 6:45 if we turned around right then, I also knew that we wouldn't make it back by 6:45 if we ran straight down beach road. Close to the end of Woods Road I was doing a lot of time calculating, mileage calculating, and well, life calculating because I really thought I may die. I also, during this stretch of run, KNEW where Todd and Adam were and why no one said why they weren't there. This was all a big joke and Matt had them waiting on us at Kitty Hawk Elementary... we got there.. no Todd and Adam. Oh wait we haven't quite gone 5 miles yet, they are at the Food Lion.. no Todd and Adam. Oh maybe he has them at Handy Hugo's.. NO TODD OR ADAM! PS. I cussed you both. Now keep in mind up until this part it was running, running and more running and my slow legs were tolerating the over all beating rather well. No serious pain, no need to walk, no tears, no homicidal thoughts toward mail boxes, while the humiliation of going so slow was there there was some triumph in the fact that I was in fact still going!
When I made it to Handy Hugo's the team was in the parking lot and Matt was missing, I immediately inquired as to where he was, in hopes he was calling us all a cab. Someone speculated that he went in for hot chocolate, my guess is because he was cold from standing there waiting on me. I knew at this point where I was and that we were running back down beach road to the gym and that we had roughly 3 miles to go to get there. I mentally told myself .. you got this just keep at your slow pace and you will finish. Again we got the Matt "LET'S GO" and off he went towards Beach Road.. SCCRRREEEEEEEAAAAACCCCCCCCHHHHH! HE MADE A HARD LEFT.. NO NO NO WHAT THE HELL MATT NO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GO STRAIGHT THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT.. THERE IS NOTHING TO THE LEFT.. NO NO NO OMG I AM DEAD! (side note I am thankful now that at the time I was way to tired to actually scream because I am sure my team mates would not have known what to do with me if I had a mental break down and that was all in my head.. I think) We actually went to the beach, where at the pier Matt says.. to Black Pelican. Which means that the 3 miles home were all going to be ON THE BEACH.
The sand was loose in most places, uneven in a lot, and none existent in others. I knew it was going to take me a LONG time to get back to the gym this way, but trudging along was all I could do. I ran (or jogged it if you will) for as long as I could and my legs just couldn't take it, they were toast so I fast walked. Thankfully Cory waited on me to catch up at one point and we stuck together the rest of the way in. Even after I begged him to take the road the rest of the way because of his knee, he stayed right there on the beach and along we went. We would run a little, walk a little and slowly but surely we were getting closer. There was a time or two that I lied and said we didn't have much farther to go and I think he quit believing me at one point so I fessed up and said "Yea I know where we are.. it's a lot farther" (Sisper we had just passed the white house with yellow shutters that Brandi swims to!) Some how we both ended up with wet feet, and I managed to end up wet up to my knees, but we kept going. I am grateful he didn't leave me out there because I think I would have broken and just sat down on the sand and cried. (if I could have found enough to sit on)
FINALLY up in the distance I see the house in the ocean, you know the one, the one that means we are REALLY REALLY CLOSE. I told Cory we just have to make it to that house and it isn't even a half a mile away. He mumbled "yea right" (I think I cried wolf too much for him) I said no "Dude seriously this is the house we run to when we are boxing on the beach for warm up.. we don't have much farther" I think he responded with a "uh ha" which said.. "Lady if you don't shut up I am going to throw you completely in the ocean and let the Orca Matt was talking about eat you" I stopped talking. Around the house we went and I knew we were close.. so close I could taste it. I kept looking for the access, in the dark and since the storms it looks so different I wasn't sure where to go then all of a sudden like a great Indian Chief my fearless leader appears on top of the dune! "Look Cory! There's Matt! Do you see Matt? He's right there! I told you we didn't have much farther to go!" I believe he mumbled that he didn't see nothing as he was shoving me in the ocean but I wasn't so sure over the sound of water rushing around my ears.
Matt met us at the top of that little dune and told us that we had done a good job and all I could utter was that it was brutal. This was all well and good but guess who still had a good half a mile to get back to the gym. US! GUESS how we were getting back there.. RUNNING! Off we went again, and as much pain and torture we had put our bodies through to get to that point I have to say that neither of us walked a step on the way back to the gym and straight to the door we ran. It was slow, it took a long time for me, some of my team mates waited around lots longer than I wish that had to, but each and every one of us completed last night. For that I think we did amazing!
I do also have to say that Cory got me through last night, between the coming backs, the waiting, and the just staying on the beach instead of taking the road, the man deserves a medal! (even if he did call me delusional) I will get him one if he doesn't kill me for writing this blog (keep in mind people that sometimes fiction is funnier than the truth.. I will leave it to you to decide what's what)
GREAT JOB TO ALL THE NIGHT CAMPERS.. LOVE YOU ALL!
Much Love
Re
PS.. I can walk today and actually pretty much pain free! That in itself is a HUGE thing.
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