Boot Camp: Day 4

We gathered again together, in the parking lot, though. I had my gear ready to go as usual: my backpack carrying my hand weights, my water bottle, and towel, and my large padded exercise mat. Someone said to me, I don't think we need that today. Really? But I need to drink....and I'll sweat, so I'll need my towel. So I held on to them. Well, it looked like everyone else got the memo that we didn't need anything today either, because I was the only one strapped. I asked T'ai what we're doing today, and all I could get was a snide remark, I'll tell you at the end of the session. Wah-wah-wah....nice. I asked him if we needed anything today, and he said no. Thanks for the heads up.

So back in the car the gear went. While small talk ensued in the circle, I asked Lucy what we're doing today. Heading up to Q.E. Park. Oh. Maybe everyone else there were repeat boot campers....I'll find out next Thursday if that's the routine. Ok, Q.E. isn't too far.

There were 6 of us today. A couple of them mentioned that they did want to run. Hey, that means he planned on just walking today! Do we all run?

So, we make our way up to Q.E. Flashlights were given to the lead person and the middle person; T'ai would round out the rear to make sure we were all together. Funny, though, he WAS the lead, along with the keener in the group (I think she's done something like 4 boot camps and they had a common interest in ATV-ing or something because that's all they would ever talk about), and I was in the rear! As we walked I "chatted" a bit with Lucy and, let's call her Catherine, because she looks like one but can't remember her name.

Catherine is the person in the group who will pipe up just to pipe up. Nothing interesting or revelation-like spills out. I think she likes to hear herself talk, honestly. I, personally, think it's her way of being nervous, so she talks. Anyways, I didn't want to be unfriendly, so we chatted a bit. I was trying to carry some sort of conversation, though, and throwing her juicy bait for her to ask questions (like I mentioned I work at a microscope - oh, what do you do? - or that my son is awake by the time I rush back home - oh, how old is he?), but no biters! Lucy doesn't say anything, but I was expecting Catherine to say something.

We eventually arrived at the base of the Conservatory, and T'ai asks who wants to run. The other 3 girls said they wanted to, then he told them the route, a couple of times down and up through the rose gardens and meet at the summit. Quickly, I stepped forward and said I'll run with you, guys, and followed them. Anything to get away from the two cadavers.

The run was actually fun. I've never navigated the Park in the dark before, and if you know the park, there are so many twisted paths going the same way, and some actually taking you down back to street level. Two of us had flashlights so no accidents, save for the fallen branch we almost tripped over. And because there were some steep downhill steps, we walked a little bit, which was enough of a breather for me before starting up again.

We met at the top of the Park, in front of the Conservatory. We met the others and we went up and down some steps for a while to exercise our legs even more. Then we stretched at the benches before heading back. This time, we all started to run. It was downhill, so it was much easier. Once we got back to the school, we headed around track once.

All this running is tiring but I feel awesome at the end. I'm not as fast as I would like to be, but anything is better than before boot camp. I never realized how beautiful the morning is in the dark.