Ten MilerTraining Part VI-The Agony

It has been a long time since we've worked for five consecutive days. Last month we were granted several four day weekends, back to back, and countless early release days. This week has been a five day week, with one early release day. This is also the first week that I have done two workouts every day.

I am by no means complaining about this, but I AM feeling the effects.  One of my soldiers works out with me in the gym every morning, and I was so tired today, I was hoping she'd cancel.  She didn't. Despite my momentary lapse in motivation, I completed a kettlebell routine and pulled 140 pounds on a sled across the astro turf in the gym a few times. I didn't feel as focused as I normally do, disappointing as exercise is one of the few things I CAN focus on.  Everyone has off days though, and working out with less focus is better than not working out at all.

When it was time for formation, there were about ten soldiers present.  Apparently, we were the unfortunate ten who didn't get the phone call. No one had to be at work until 0900. Had our battery commander not been present, we may have simply "zonked." For those that don't know, the work "zonk" is a sort of Army slang. If the platoon sergeant orders the formation to zonk, the soldiers run as fast as they can to their car, or barracks room, and skip PT for that day. Usually the platoon sergeant will count down from ten and anyone in the area who hasn't made it out of sight and out of mind ends up doing PT.

Well, my plans to zonk were effectively eradicated when the commander asked me if I was the only non commissioned officer in formation today. I was. He had me form them up and stretch them out. I started to give the soldiers a lower body and ab workout, but the lieutenant had other plans. Plans that involved running. Again.

I was mad. PT is typically considered NCO business. However, I was in no position to complain, so I went along with it. We ran a short distance, under two miles, but the route led us to a hill. We spent the majority of our time sprinting, lunging, squatting and ski jumping up and down this hill.  When the commander felt that we'd sufficiently destroyed our calves and thighs, we ran back to the unit, found some bleachers and jumped off and on those for awhile, then did some very creative abdominal exercises. My favorite one was the open leg swings from the pull-up bars.

Although I was mad at first, I of course ended up enjoying the PT session, and left with some new ideas for my next strength training routine. I even ended up asking the lieutenant what fitness magazines he read, since the moves were nothing I'd ever seen in mine.

The "mild discomfort" I had been feeling in my legs and upper body has been replaced with actual pain. Not show stopping pain, but pain that lets me know I've pushed myself. This is good pain. I am somewhat masochistic when it comes to physical fitness.

As I write this I'm thinking of more ways to punish my body in preparation for the race, and in preparation for the rest of my life. As I enter my 30s, I know my body won't be as resilient and easy to condition as it once was, so I have to keep finding ways to keep it conditioned.

I don't mind knowing that I'm going to grow old, but I don't ever want to FEEL old, so I'm taking measures now to prevent that feeling. Nothing can stop you from aging, but a healthy lifestyle can slow down the process.