Day 23: Can there be a Playground boot camp??

The email:

Equipment - your phone and a brick

The assignment:

Do each exercise as 20 on 10 off & 8 cycles of each. (Have each guy start with a different one in the rotation). There is ZERO REST between stations. Rush to the next one And try to get started as close to 10 seconds as possible.

To start

Run one mile then return to playground

#1 - Iron cross

#2 - Swing pushups

#3 - Burpees

#4 - Crab walk up slide (fast)

#5 - Hanging leg raise

#6 - 1/2 Turkish get up (use brick)

Break for 2:00 minutes

#7 - sprints (follow same 20 on/10 off)

Rest 1:00 minute

Run one mile then return to playground 

Done

The Equipment:

 

 Today was a great day to see how committed my team was to this challenge. I sent out the texts late evening, making sure everyone knew to be prompt the next morning. Half had other early commitments leaving just three of us to run through the boot camp gauntlet this morning.

In the interim, I also chatted with Sul about "building" things for upcoming sessions and as a team we are all on board...until we exercised today.

The day started a bit late. I was dead to the world yesterday after an already monster work week, not ending until Saturday evening. I may have missed my alarm by a few (20) minutes. I then looked haplessly for anyone at the playground and, not seeing anyone waiting, took an extra few minutes (15) for a sit down breakfast before realizing they were just outside my door waiting, polite enough to not ring a bell and wake the family. Now for those of you who have been to CPC and know how maniacal the team is there, you know these workouts are no joke. It's 60 minutes of all out misery, kicking the crap out of your body and reeking the benefits after. I've described to family and friends the numerous exercises and sessions I have had, most taking my descriptions as an exaggeration (not that I do that stuff at all **snicker**) of the truth and write off some of my progress. Well, now that I have a team, I have the ability to show all of you exactly what we are doing (and have sully critique to be sure we are actually doing it right). Here is the swing pushup:

Holy core workout, right! look how much he shakes trying to balance himself.

Here is the Iron cross, simple in understanding, but holy hell!

(Nice face in the thumbnail, Julio!)

Needless to say, we don't do the traditional exercises with long rests and set reps. We WORK for the time given and its awesome! Today put everyone to the test. All were excited at the beginning and tried to jump quickly into it. After the second round of the first exercise, I heard giggles from everyone. They were giggles that screamed, what the HELL have I gotten myself into here! After the 5th round of the first exercise the "Yo Chris! Tell your boy well done and we hate his guts!"  From there things degraded. People were hanging from rings crying trying to get their legs to move more than 2 inches towards their chest. Others were gasping for air, eating dirt on the first motion of their Burpee. Sweat pouring from everyone's forehead, back chest, legs. No one was spared the agony of feeling healthy. 

We ended the routine with a crab conga line. All of us lined up in formation and followed each other around an undetermined path throughout the playground. After yesterday's leg workout, and today the upper body, not one single muscle that doesn't hate life in a good way. And the team is asking how long before the next email comes and is excited to be a part of all of this. 

Most important thing I took away from today: We are growing. This is becoming much more than a simple challenge.

We have started educating others. We are succeeding in defining what we set out to do and I'm blown away with how well this has been received in this short of time. What started as a challenge between good friends has since become so much more. It's become a mission to inform and assist and it's a journey I share with anyone that will listen; Friends, family, people I wait on that lend me their ear (and some that don't!), co-workers, and strangers alike. This challenge has defined who I am and who I strive to be. Its a story and a journey I love to share with my kids, teaching them how to be healthy and how to play, trying to teach them achievement, dedication, sacrifice and compassion.

Speaking on compassion, quick proud dad moment: yesterday, my son (he's 3 this month) befriended a little girl about 2 and they played at the playground, each trying to climb the slide (because who slides down a slide anymore). Aiden could do it, she couldn't, so what does he do?

 

 See, we have a future Spartan here, helping someone over the wall! (Don't worry Sully. He'll be crab walking up it by the end of Fall)

 Tomorrow is a running day. 5 guys running 3 miles should make for a good blog entry.

Until then...BOOM!