Booty Camp

Last summer I saw some bright pink broadsheets announcing the latest company joining the ranks of Vancouver’s boot camps: Booty Camp. A boot camp run by women for women. This Spring, some teammates and I decided to try it out. Our first session was a humbling one for me. Running and soccer may keep my legs relatively fit but my arms are not in the equation.

As we reached the halfway mark, my arms started to give out. It was piss pouring rain and the wind was blowing it into my face as I attempted set of twenty pushups. I got to three. Arms trembling, I started my fourth and my arms folded under me and my face kissed the mat. Levering myself up, I called that twenty and started my lunge jumps. Once finished, I was back for set two of twenty pushups.

I knelt on my mat, wiped my face and thought maybe this time I could do five. Five is derivative of twenty, I figured that would be close enough. I got to two and kissed the mat again. Let me note that I wasn’t even trying for the pushups balanced on my toes – I started and ended with the pushups balanced on my knees. Actually, I ended on my face.

What followed was the core workout and stretching. I wish I could say the stretching helped…but the four subsequent days of different muscle groups in my arms beg to differ. That night when I got home, it was with shaking arms that I lifted the 2L orange juice container to my lips. I spent the next four days using my stapler with two hands, my stamps with two hands and swearing every time I lifted my arms.

And then it was Monday, and time to start over.