Well friends, it's my first blog, and I am so excited. I am sitting here thinking about all the feelings I had when I was signing up for my very first month of OBC. I was sitting here at the same computer wondering could I do it? It was nervous excitement because I had always been a person who loved a physical challenge when I was younger. As I sat entering my information, I remember feeling both sad and mad at myself for just letting myself "go". Lots of convenient excuses...I've got 2 kids...I work fulltime...I eat on the road because we are so busy...I'm too tired to cook healthy so let's just eat take out...my husband doesn't care if I look this way. Wow! It was like someone had hit me over the head and turned me into someone I didn't recognize. What was I saying? I was saying that I had given into the acceptance of being over weight and unhealthy. That was one big, bitter pill to swallow.
So, I decided JUST DO IT. I literally signed up like 2 days before it started. It was January 2009. I drove up to the park and was floored by the number of people hopping and jumping around trying to stay warm until it started but wait...they were laughing and telling jokes and happy to be there. It was 37 degrees outside, and everyone was happy. I almost turned around from fear of failure. But I didn't, and I am SO glad I stayed. I met an awesome group of instructors who encouraged me daily to complete the task at hand. I even had a strange thing happen at home when I was attacked by a dog and injured my right arm. They helped me modify the exercise so I could finish the month because I surely didn't want to quit.
The biggest moment of success for me the first month was finishing the long run day. We ran, as a group, about 3 miles and I ran the whole thing in 45 minutes. I absolutely remember the feeling of pure joy when Josh, our lead instructor that day, told us the distance. But wait...I'm NOT a runner. Never could and never would...or would I? This couldn't be true. I just ran 3 miles. WOW! That accomplishment paired with the 11 pound weight loss for the month was awesome! I felt great.
So, fast forward 2 years. I've since learned that I am not a person who can work out alone. I didn't return to bootcamp immediately after my first month in 2009. I tried to go it alone, but it just didn't feel the same. I missed my new found friends. I really missed and needed the companionship and the accountability the group atmosphere provided. So, I signed up again, stayed for a few more, and went to instructor training to become one of the many instructors our group has. What makes OBC work is THE PEOPLE! We all come from different backgrounds...banking, retail, healthcare, government, private business, and housewives. All ages 30s, 40s, 50, 60s, and occasionally we let the 20-somethings work out with us too.
Now, my favorite part of each month is long run day. I give me the opportunity to run along side new campers who I can encourage to finish it. They motivate me every day! It's a physical and emotional connection that you absolutely will not find anywhere else. We are friends and we are a team. It changes and grows every month, but the friendships remain forever.
So, I used to say "I'm not a runner" but now I giggle when I think about it. My crew has allowed me to see it differently. I'm now in training for my second half-marathon and have taken on the goal of running 1,000 miles this calender year. These people, this group has helped me reclaim ME! I'm still a mom, still work fulltime, still run the roads ragged but I can promise you that I feel 25 instead of 40, and I'm looking more like it too.
It's never too late to change. It's never okay to settle for the easy way out. It's never okay to know you are unhappy about your health and do nothing about it. It's totally okay to not know what to do first....OBC can help you take that first, big, exciting step. Hooo-ah!
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