Adventure Boot Camp: improving health, fitness and state of mind

BY CATHY BROWN

THE PHONE RINGS and it’s the publisher of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine. He breaks the news: “You’re going to Ottawa’s Adventure Boot Camp.” You’d like me to go to boot camp, I ask?

OK, so maybe I’d been whining a bit about my lack of motivation and a few extra pounds that had crept up on me. More importantly, I had been talking about getting back into shape so I could enjoy Ottawa’s awesome winter activities. Getting a head start with dry-land training before the skating, skiing and snowshoeing began sounded good to me.

I pictured Demi Moore in G.I. Jane. Her head shaved in defiance, posterior rising and lowering as she completed chin-up after chin-up. “Sure, that sounds fantastic,” I say into the phone, hoping I sound confident. Boot Camp would start at a gymnasium, at 5:30 a.m. Monday to Friday for four weeks.

On the eve of my first day, I woke throughout the night afraid I’d not hear the alarm. When I did sleep, there was a recurring nightmare of a drill sergeant yelling for me to drop and give him 20, as I tried to remember when was the last time I did 20 push-ups for anybody. 04:30: I crawl out from underneath my duvet to the bewildered look on my dogs’ faces. I’m wondering, “What the heck have I gotten myself into?” 05:00: Into the car and off into the darkness. 05:30: “Good morning!” says our smiling new drill sergeant, Rob Harris. “Start walking around the gym.”

And we did, a group of average Janes: teacher, government worker, property manager, stay-at-home mom, high school student, dairy farmer, cop, dog trainer and military personnel. Some of us trying to wake up, all a little nervous, not knowing what to expect.

We were called into a circle in the middle of the gym and introduced to Rob’s partner of 25 years, Joanne. They led us through some stretches as Rob explained what was expected. Let’s see if I can remember the main rules: } Smile and enjoy yourself. } Keep moving, even if it’s just a walk. } Anyone who complains or swears owes the group 10 push-ups. } If it hurts, stop and be sure to tell Rob or Joanne about it. } Take care of yourself.

We shared thoughts on what brought

us to boot camp – reasons as varied as the women themselves: stress relief, health worries, boredom, an upcoming southern cruise, training for a marathon, training for a kick-boxing competition, getting back in shape for new seasonal activities, and finally the one everyone

TOP 10 REASONS TO JOIN ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP

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Open-door policy – any age or fitness level A complete workout before the sun is up Up-to-date nutritional information New women to meet Kick-boxing Laughter Exercises you can do anywhere Learning a daily commitment A cool T-shirt Lost inches, gained stronger muscles and better appreciate the look, feel and reality of health.

had in common…to get motivated again.

Soon enough we were all huffing and puffing (and most importantly, smiling) while we worked out. In a very short time we were doubling and tripling the number of push-ups and

sit-ups we could do. We did those half sit-up crunches, short distance running, lunges, callisthenics, jumping rope, hiking, training with hand weights as well as push-ups, pull-ups, and medicine ball training. One of my favourites was an obstacle course, which involved running from station to station for a different activity until the whistle blew, and you moved on. We had a sit-up station, a skipping station, a station with cones to weave through, and even a station to bounce different sized balls at each other in a circle (difficult, but great for handeye co-ordination).

And then the kickboxing classes began. You can’t imagine the stress release that comes from donning boxing gloves, and punching a focus pad until you drop.

It was encouraging that every exercise could be modified to anyone’s strengths and endurance levels, and getting fit didn’t require gym memberships or equipment. Real strength came from some very rudimentary moves.

Rob had mastered the art of changing the daily regime of games so well that our laughter and cheers drove any thoughts away that what we were doing was supposed to be a tough workout. As the drills rotated, we were repeatedly reacquainted with different muscles. Just when our legs felt good and strong and the stiffness was gone, a leg workout would follow. Just when we forgot where our triceps were, we’d be back doing seated dips (even if it meant doing just one).

Not to have his work undermined by a poor diet, Rob invited nutritionist Traci Campbell in to talk to us. I still enjoy her recipe for a breakfast shake; for the first time in our lives my mother and I could feel a difference after taking vitamins – the ones Traci recommended.

Relationships developed quickly, since enthusiasm loves company at least as much as misery does. We all struggled with the same burden we’d been sold by the media – unrealistic expectations of what a woman’s body really looks like. Face it, more important than slipping into that favourite dress is how you feel in it. We all wanted to go tobogganing with the kids, or backcountry skiing, or snowshoeing and skating in postcard scenery that is simply begging to be enjoyed.

We shared a lot of laughs before 6:30 a.m. (to everyone’s surprise), and the camaraderie relieved my early worries about whether such a mixed group of women might have anything in common that early in the morning. And there were the little things, like the rush when we left class just in time to see the sun rising.

My most memorable moment came when speaking with the dairy farmer. She came to bootcamp feeling out of shape and in need of training, but learned she was stronger and more fit than many of us. More important, she learned she was more fit than she had ever imagined herself, and that working on a farm and caring for livestock brings a fitness membership with it. Self-esteem is a wonderful thing, and she got it at bootcamp. ≈ Cathy Brown is a frequent columnist for Ottawa Outdoors Magazine, and this winter will be found outside skate-skiing or snowshoeing with her dogs nearby.

UP FOR AN ADVENTURE?

Rob is opening another Women Only Early Morning Indoor Boot Camp. All fitness levels! BELL SENSPEX FIELDHOUSE in Kanata. Starting Jan 9 – Feb 3 Mon-Fri - 0600–0700 a.m. CONTACT ROB (613) 823-3921 Info@OttawaBootCamp.com www.OttawaBootCamp.com

BY JENNY SHIELDS

LAST SPRING KIND of hit me in the face; it was the first time I have tried on shorts in six months, never mind a bathing suit. Like many people, I had put on my customary 10 pounds over the winter but this time I decided against buying bigger shorts. My plan was to lose that weight, and the Adventure Run Boot Camp was going to be my catalyst. To help my motivation, I also registered for the five-kilometre race during National Capital Race Weekend.

When the first day of the Runner’s Adventure Bootcamp dawned it was dark and cold. I was far too lazy for this, but the cheque was written and there was still the issue with the shorts. Arriving at the Terry Fox facility was like being back in school during the annual track and field day, though the track seemed a lot longer than I remembered.

We were 25 women committed to an hour of training every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for six weeks. Some were fairly new to running, while others were veterans about to embark on the National Capital half-marathon. Our workouts included running intervals on the track, circuit training, walk/runs along the canal, and a weekly dose of the Mooney’s Bay hill – the one famous for sledding in winter.

We worked at our own pace as Rob motivated us to push ourselves. Six short weeks later, we all looked and felt stronger and leaner. We had learned how to train and how to run, but more importantly we now had the knowledge of what we could do if we pushed a little harder.

A week after bootcamp ended, I’d lost nine pounds, had run five kilometres in just over 26 minutes (my goal had been 30 minutes), and my shorts never looked better. ≈ Jenny Shields (far left photo, in white, opposite page) is a teacher in Ottawa who digs in to get the most out of herself. She is currently training for another 5-km race.

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THEY TIED THE KNOT!

Natasha Kyssa and Mark Faul exchanged wedding vows September 30 on a granite overhang called Peggy’s Corner in the Gatineau. They wanted a ceremony free of the pressures of tradition, so they discussed the ups and downs of a rock-climbing wedding with fellow climber and All Seasons minister Luke Despatis, who loved the idea. He had never married anyone on the side of a cliff. The bride wore a 100-year-old key from her grandmother dangling from her harness, a new rose-colored blouse, a borrowed down-filled vest and blue climbing shoes. With Kyssa’s nine-yearold son Mischa leading the way, the wedding party climbed to a ledge, took in the view, and tied the knot seven metres from the summit. Maybe a figure-8 follow-through?

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5. Speed skating on lakes and rivers gets you places you would otherwise not see during the winter. Spending time outdoors and traveling fast across wide-open spaces on natural ice is soothing, fun, and healthy. Feel the thrill of moving fast using only your own power. There is nothing like the rhythm of skating. Speed skating is a great sport to build up your endurance. Set your goals and challenge yourself to beat your personal best. Meet people of all ages and from all walks of life who make winter their favourite season. Speed skaters are a friendly group who help each other reach.

} Marathon Skating International (MSI) is the official

Website – www.marathonskating.org } In January and February anybody can join the Ottawa

Marathon Speed Skating Club every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 until 9 p.m. outside the Brewers Park Oval. Every Wednesday night in those months there are also club races from 7:30 until 9 p.m. Contact Jake Maarse by phone at 613-225-4689 or e-mail him at maarse@sympatico.ca for more information. } Local outstanding marathon skaters in Ottawa? } Barry Publow from Aylmer, Quebec, Suzanne Dionne from Chelsea – both won last year’s International Big Rideau Lake Marathon, as well as the overall Marathon Skating International (MSI) points series.

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MORE AND MORE encounters between people and bears are not ending well. News stories across the continent show bear attacks occurring with more regularity. In areas where food supply is limited and the habitats of humans and the mighty ursus overlap, it’s bound to be a bumpy ride.

Everyone knows grizzlies are best given a wide berth, but black bears too are acquiring a bad rep for ganging up on humans. As if to prognosticate the season ahead, Ottawa Outdoors Magazine carried a feature in spring 2004 entitled, “Playing for keeps in black bear country.” It cautioned hikers to avoid inciting an attack by trying to run away, and it carried a nifty sidebar on capsicum spray, capsicum being the stuff that makes cayenne peppers screaming hot. Don’t pepper-spray your gear, though, because bears find it a tasty condiment in lower concentrations. During a few decades of camping in Algonquin Park’s outback and on the Highway 60 corridor, I’ve seen a bear only once, on the far side of a river. I got a different perspective one winter when a buddy and I travelled by car to the warmer climes of California. We saw bears up close and personal on several occasions in Arizona and California. Big blacks, browns and blonds would tool through our campsites like teenage girls shopping for makeup at the mall.

One evening as the sun was reduced to a red smudge in the mountains of Yosemite National Park, we were cooking a fine chicken dinner over the fire. My buddy Gary is slowly basting the chicken in a pan of mushroom sauce and egg noodles when we hear a loud, wet snort behind us. A well-endowed adult black bear forces his way between us, and bats our frying pan along with the grate and a few burning logs high into the air with his paw. Orange sparks cascade across the campsite as Gary and I do shoulder rolls that would make Captain James T. Kirk proud. Having a large life form push you aside to pilfer your supper gets you breathing hard, I find.

The bear conducts his highjack in aristocratic leisure, studying us dimly as he waits for the chicken to cool down. He gently picks the thighs up in his muzzle and crunches them up bones and all. Then he holds the pan and licks it clean like a kid working a lollipop. We bang on a couple of pots in half-hearted protest, but the bruin wheels on us

and we suddenly wish we had a tail to put between our legs. No contest.

Stars begin peeking through the tree canopy above and the burly beast ambles into the next campsite. Big mistake, we figure, because our neighbour is a robust Texan who looks himself like a cross between a grizzly and a Hell’s Angel. Before supper we think we saw him eating beer cans. The bear climbs up into the back of his half-ton truck, slashes open a 50-pound bag of dog kibble and commences gorging.

Shaking fists the size of Sunday hams, the big, bearded Texan runs at the truck hollering, “What the hail you thank you doin’ thar, ya sumbitch ol’ bear!” The bear abandons the kibble, stands up on his hind legs on the tailgate and roars. With the bear towering above him, the big Texan wisely morphs into Miss Rhode Island and backs off. After a half hour of continued gluttony, the stuffed teddy climbs a tree, circles three times in the crotch of some large branches and goes to sleep. Nothing left to do but get the camera.

Not all bear encounters end as peacefully as ours, but most do. Our bear had been working this campground like a Sparks Street busker. We heard later that Ranger Rick airlifted him far enough away that he wouldn’t taste chicken again for a long time.

One night in Arizona, Gary and I watched in awe as four bears ran at each other from across our campsite, staking claim to goodies that weren’t even there. We had been warned to put all food in coolers in the car and disguise them with blankets and clothes. Apparently bears can rip open a car or RV like a tinfoil veggie pack. The big guys do command respect, but they needn’t intimidate us into staying home with the doors locked watching last year’s vacation slide show. ≈ Brant Scott is an Ottawa freelance writer and marketing communications consultant. He can be contacted at brant.scott@rogers.com

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calendar of events Jason Down taking advantage of one of many NCC trails in the region. Get your skis, and get out on the winter trails.

winter camping 101 Dunt ea feature story next time you’re looking for a xc-trail to ski, look no further

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