On Tap for Today Goes to Bootcamp: Post 2

This session, we've invited a Boston blogger, Elizabeth from On Tap for Today, to attend Ultimate Bootcamp as a way to change up her routine and help increase her running speed. Elizabeth will be blogging about her Ultimate Bootcamp experience, and we'll be posting her entries here as well. Check out her blog and follow along!


Welp, two days of Ultimate Bootcamp down.  Fourteen to go.  Surprisingly, waking up at 5:15 AM has not been too much of a struggle.  I do question the safety of my being on the road that early, though.  Zombies are not good drivers.  They are also not good at reading sock labels.  Good Lord.

It’s incredibly quiet in the city at 5:40.  A tad creepy, even.  When I pulled into the parking lot this morning, this was the view:

But by the time our session wrapped up, the sun was putting on quite a show.  What a difference an hour makes:

While I am sure all of those push-ups have been good for my body, seeing the sunrise has most definitely been good for my soul.  Our sessions run Monday through Thursday for four weeks, and are taught by 2 instructors who alternate days.  Kim and Jeanine have very different training styles, which I am sure will keep things fun and interesting.  The workouts are challenging, but not crippling, and there is definitely room to modify moves and pacing.

Monday morning’s session included:

• Warm-up run
• Jumping jacks
• Squat test (I completed 28 in 1 minute)
• Partnered rows with a resistance band
• A 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 push-up ladder in the sand, with running between each set
• Push-ups
• Wide armed push-ups
• Planks (high and low)
• Rows and dead lifts with resistance bands
• Walking planks
• Sand running
• Up/downs (moving between low and high plank)

While we were cranking out push-ups, the sun was rising over the water.  The view was breathtaking.  Then again, the view from my bed (with my eyes closed) is also quite lovely.  Today’s session with Jeanine took place at the field at Saunders Stadium.  After a quick warm-up run along the water (complete with a skunk sighting), we side-lunged our way to the field for lots of running and partner drills.

Today’s workout included:

• Jumping jacks
• Burpees
• Mountain climbers
• Seated rows with a resistance band
• More planks than I care to mention
• Sit ups
• Up/downs
• V-ups
• Squat jumps

There was running between every set, and our trainer and fellow bo0tcampers provided lots of encouragement.  It’s only been two days, but I can already see why people come back session after session.  Accountability is a huge motivator for me, so knowing that our group is meeting every morning in the pitch black provides just the kick I need to not hit snooze. Ultimate Bootcamp partnered with Pop Chips this session for the Pop It Forward attendance challenge.  The group with the highest attendance rate at the end of four weeks will receive $250 from Pop Chips, which will be donated to the charity of that group’s choosing.  Our group chose the Animal Rescue League of Boston.  Cute and furry motivation.  I dig it.

I’ll share more about time management and my morning routine later on, but on both mornings I’ve been back to my condo by 7:10, and at the office by 8:30.  I’ve had plenty of time to shower, dry my unruly hair, pack my lunch, and put my face on.  I even remembered to walk Clark.  And managed to wear matching shoes.  I’ve had trouble committing to a morning workout program in the past, for fear of being late to work.  Turns out, it’s not impossible.  And it’s quite awesome to head home at the end of the day, knowing my workout is behind me.  I am a bit anxious about incorporating enough mileage as theReach the Beach Relay approaches, but I know I’ll sort it out.

In the meantime, drop and give me 20 push-ups.  Please.

Full disclosure: I am attending this session of Ultimate Bootcamp at no cost.  I am not being compensated for writing about participating, and per usual, you can trust me to be open and honest about the experience.  In other news, I really don’t want to get sprayed by a skunk.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Making mini lasagnas for tonight’s meeting
• Happy first day of summer spring 
• Great tips for new runners

If you could give $250 to any charity, which would you choose?  (For me:Greater Boston Food Bank all day, baby.)

NOTE: This post originally appeared on On Tap for Today and was reposted here with permission.

Elizabeth writes at On Tap for Today, a Boston-based lifestyle blog featuring inspiration for fun, healthy and full living.  She is a non-profit executive, a two-time marathoner, and an avid Boston sports fan.  You can follow Elizabeth's adventures at Ultimate Bootcamp on her blog, or on Twitter.