Maquinna's Poop du Jour

Back to Boot Camp

This week marked my return to Boot Camp, and while the mornings are much darker than they were back in June, at least the mosquitoes aren't outnumbering us 100 to 1. I was a little nervous about returning, because I really want to avoid injuring myself again, but at some point I had to believe my body was ready. I'm trying to ensure every one of my body parts remains where it is, intact - with the exception of all that extraneous Maquinna thwarting the zippers on my trousers.

So, I stretch...and stretch, and stretch. I guess this is a sign of aging - that one's flexibility really does decrease as you get older. I can handle not ever doing the splits again as I once did - both back-front AND sideways! - but I really think I should be able to get through some basic exercise without detaching any tendons, ripping any muscles, or suffering a massive myocardial infarction trucking it back up the hill during a run.

Third day down today. My biggest complaint so far is that it's so damn dark when we start, and for a good 30 minutes into the workout, that I can barely see anyone around me or see what the hell it is Sergeants Erica and Alexis are cooking up for our next torture. The dark does come in handy, though. Worcester has to look a lot harder to see me jogging up and down Salisbury Street, and that will probably save a few accidents.

Yesterday, about 15 minutes into the workout, an ROTC group from the college across the road came down to where Boot Camp happens, plainly with the idea that they were going to use the space, and shocked to see 42 women, and one smashingly gay man, already running around (the gay man was apparently adopted over the summer as some kind of mascot. Hans is 6'2" and I'd put him at about 220. He's a pretty imposing figure until you hear his voice, which is more like Tiny Tim). The ROTC folks opted to use the field next to our area, which was fine, and proceeded with their shouting drills and jumping jacks. It was sort of fitting - one boot camp next to another - but I guess we scared them off because they weren't out there today. Our two sergeants jokingly said they learned a lot from them, and before we knew it we were a chorus of:

"I don't know but I've been told!"

"I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD!"

"Airforce wings are made of gold!"

"AIRFORCE WINGS ARE MADE OF GOLD!"

"Sound off!"

"ONE, TWO"

"Sound off!"

"THREE, FOUR"

"ONE TWO THREE FOUR ONE TWO...THREE FOUR!"


The beginning of camp timed mile will be happening again this Friday. I don't know how much improvement I'm going to make over the first time I did it back in June (11:49), but you'll hear all about it then. Wish me luck...and no ruptured tendons.

posted by Maquinna @ 9:42 a.m.