After making the decision to continue with boot camp and buying my new shoes, my decision; resolve; shoes and stamina were put to the test this morning.
Arriving at the designated location at 5am it was still very dark though only just a little bit cool. We set off into the even darker bush, following a trainer with a headlamp…that doesn’t sound so bad…until I mention that 4 of our team were also carrying a stretcher with a large punching bag on it and the remainder had a 15kg sand bag slung across their shoulders. Now, I almost feel guilty writing this, though I must confess that with my decision to continue with boot camp being conditional upon an altered level of participation…I didn’t carry anything.
For 2 hrs we walked through the bush track which took us down the side of the range, where we stopped…not for a rest, but to do a series of push ups, sut ups and squats before starting to make our way up onto the next ridge. It was steep, gravelly and basically exhausting, though I was very pleased to make it to the top talking almost all the way! That may sound silly, but I use my ability to walk and talk as a guage of my improving fitness…I never used to be able to do both at the same time!
As we reached the top the sun was starting to rise and the view back into the valley was a lovely sight. There was also a tap at the top which was a welcome sight too!
The way back had its own challenges, we didn’t go back the way we came but instead made our way along the edge of the ridge.
My new shoes worked very well…though now the are all dirty!
