Barefoot boot camp

Everything I have read and heard about the barefoot running and Vibrams say to start slow. So I figured what better place to start than boot camp. After all, we don't do a lot of running, and I could easily switch back to my runners if need be. Besides, it's currently -23C out there...even with the Injinji toesocks (which are so not like the toesocks of the '80's, my friends!), my feet would have been COLD! Another plus of using the Vibrams at boot camp is Trainer Josh also uses them, just not in the winter. So he kept a very careful eye on me, to make I don't do my usual "go big or go home" style of training.

Last night was a Tabata-thon, where we moved from station to station, and did 2.5 minute circuits of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off at each. Unless you were at a cardio station, then it was work straight through. We did warm up with our usual laps of the hall (so boring...round and round and round we go) but we do need to get the blood pumping. I focused on planting mid-foot, not heel and seemed to do okay, although I was making myself giggle with the gentle thwap, thwap sound my feet were making, slapping on the floor! Then we started with dips, then moved through to squat press, push-ups, jump rope (VERY interesting in Vibrams). Funny...when you jump rope, you land and push-off your toes...yet, in Vibrams, which make you focus on your toes, I couldn't get my feet to do what I wanted them to! Even got the rope stuck BETWEEN my toes at one point!!! Anyway, after rope, we moved on to full body bike, drop-leg flies, wall sits with curl/shoulder press, burpees and sprints, curls, horse-raises (wrap band around waist, and while your partner holds you back, you run...my partner almost killed me as I couldn't get a grip on the floor to hold him back!!) and finally bent-over lats. That took up almost the whole class, so we finished with some good old core work.

Tonight was also indoors (because of said -23 temps), but at a different location. It's in the basement of a church, actually, which adds a little something to the workout. Namely, stairs! We started with laps...run through the room, down the hall, up the stairs, back down, down the other hall and back into the room. Beats round and round all to heck!! We did that for about 5 minutes, then really got into it. Side note...I knew one other person in tonight's boot camp. Funny how many regulars don't show up for Friday nights, but we did have a big group. I wore the Vibrams again, but left the socks at home. Last night, my big toe on my left foot always felt like the nail was catching, and I was worried I bought a size too small. But tonight it felt just fine...so no socks it is. Anyway, tonight was arms and lower body combined. On the mats for narrow-grip push-ups (10) and then run up the stairs for squats (10). Back down, repeat and add kick-backs. Up the stairs, repeat and add lunges. Back down, repeat and add overhead extensions. Back up and add sumo squats. Repeat everything times 15, then repeat everything times 20. Choke back some water and then move on to the next set, different moves, this time carrying our weights back and forth. Happy, good times: v-sit shoulder press, bent-over rows, bridge to press, curls, skull-crushers, and lat raises. Finally, and because we still had time to kill, we did sprints while half the group did abs (drop-leg overheads, toe-touches and twists) and swapped out, then did another set of push-ups to burpees to swing squats and repeat, over and over and over again. I so do not heart burpees! Finally ended the night with some core work (plank to parachuter (sometimes called superman's) to banana (on your back, head/arms and legs off the floor...what do you look like?!)) and then good old sit ups with negatives. Some stretching and the hour was done just like that! Overall, my feet felt great tonight. And my legs are not bothering me from last night (yet) but I can so feel the upper body work! I will continue to use the Vibrams during boot camp (but not in tomorrow's Zumba class) until the snow melts and I can try some actual runs in them.

Picked up dinner on the way home (hate 6pm boot camp for the very reason that it's not over till 7 and now I am HUNGRY) but at least swung by Sunterra and not a fast food place. Came home with a ready toss salad and spaghetti and meatballs, of which the salad is gone and I have enough pasta and 'balls to last for dinner tomorrow night and possibly into Sunday!

My plan this weekend is to sit down and write out a menu for the week, then get the groceries and be prepared. I am tired of the WW game I am playing right now, and I have determined the plan works when you PLAN. So plan I will. I want to lose enough weight so that when I run Calgary, it's not spent lugging around a bunch of excess baggage. I am currently 12 pounds heavier then when I ran Toronto, and trust me, I feel every ounce of it! Enough already.

Okay, I'm going to hydrate and lay like a slightly rotten banana on the couch! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Details of Zumba tomorrow...I'm excited!!

Later,