6:00 AM core workout with Cameron.  The “core” is comprised of your abdominal muscles, your gluteus (ass) muscles, and your back muscles.  They stabilize your body; hence they are called your core area.  If you haven’t worked out in a long time core exercises suck. 

When you are as heavy as I am your core is in bad shape from a lack of use and from the stress of having excess fat push down on your core which inevitably because of weak muscles puts unnecessary stress on your hip and back joints. 

The funny thing is it was a nice way to start the morning…I wrote the other day I am drinking the Kool-Aid.  I think I have Stockholm syndrome. 

8:00 AM today’s hike was really tough.  I don’t recall the name of the hike.  It started at a trail head just off a very windy road in the heart of the Malibu hills.  This route was tough for various reasons. 

I started the day off with bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth, serious muscle fatigue coupled with muscle spasms, and dark yellow urine.  All clear indications of dehydration.  We were told when we first got here take our body weight and divide the number in half and that’s the number of ounces of water you should drink.  My camelback contains 120oz of water.  I finish one every hike, and then consume an additional 5-6 quarts during the day.  I am using electrolyte tablets to help hydrate myself. 

I almost didn’t go on the hike today.  I really wanted to call it a day.   Fortunately the hike started at the top of a ridge and worked its way down to a valley.  This is also the reason why this hike was tougher than the other ones.    

Until today all of our hikes had the uphill portion first, which meant that mentally you can tell yourself I just have to get to the top, and then everything’s downhill from there, today started going downhill.  This ultimately means you have to finish going uphill.  Did I mention that we went up and down another ridge?  As a result today we had three ascents, the climbs were not as steep as the previous two days but this type of hike pushes your endurance. 

Mary the Irish Steam Ship was really trucking today, she spent quite a bit of time with the lead group which moves about 3-5 minutes faster than we had the previous two days.  I did enjoy the chance to hike on my own, in my own head, living in the moment.  I think this bit of hiking has given me a piece of something that went missing many years ago.

On the second to last ascent Mary turned back for me, and on the last climb waited for me, I kept telling her to go ahead but I think the Army in her doesn’t want to leave anyone behind.  My guilt in holding her back really pushed me to keep moving up the final incline so I wouldn’t weigh Mary down.  Her ability to push herself really inspires me to push myself on the hikes.  Hopefully next week I can do the same for someone else.  The woman is very collected and calm, but clearly has the heart of bulldog. 

The view that I am getting used to…

11:15 AM Following the hike my body temperature was very low, and I felt the shivers so I skipped the gym session so I could take a nap.  I also knew I had a personal training session with Michael the resident Kettlebell aficionado. 

12:00 PM PT with Michael.  You know those kettlebell swings I hate so much.  Well the entire hour was various incarnations of the kettlebell swing.  I sweat like a pig, a great big pig, perhaps a hog.  At the end of the session my ass hurt, my quads hurt, my core hurt.  It made the rest of the day just a little bit more difficult. 

This is the sick bastard I am working out with…

2:30 PM Ballworks.  This class wasn’t as tough as I thought.  Various exercises are performed using a rubber stability ball.  Nothing too special here but a welcome change to the pace we have been pushing all week.

3:30 PM Gym Session “Treading”.  Treading is balls out cardio.  Essentially you have two cycles at varying time ranges, one cycle you push yourself at peak ability, the other cycle you recover at a moderate pace.  You work your way down in time 5 on, 5 off, 4 on, 4 off, 3 on, 3 off, 2 on, 2 off, followed by 3 one minute sprints with one minute recovery periods between sprints. 

4:30 PM Pool Session.  This was a bizarre experience.  The trainer was super spunky, and reminded me of a wannabe Denise Austin.  She had so much energy I thought her head was going to explode, or make my head implode.  She had us do an array of exercises that most of us didn’t really understand, many of the actions were almost like synchronized swimmers.  Whatever crazy motion we were doing my heart rate did go up, so clearly she did her job, but the delivery was strange to say the least.  I think had this been a family therapy class with foam coated bats we would have all assaulted her.

As my fifth day here, and my fourth day of working out comes to a close, I am physically exhausted.  My mind is very alert and far more functional then I thought, I am still showing some signs of fatigue as holding a normal conversation has become difficult for me.  I know I will be sore in the morning, I know I will be tired when I wake up, but I have to believe that I will kick ass tomorrow. 

I’m waiting on the dryer right now, I am sweating so much that I have to do laundry every two days.  I have never in my life ever pushed my body to this extreme.  I am beginning to feel a rebirth or reconnection to something that was lost.  I just remembered a quote from a cheesy poster but it strikes to the heart of how I feel right now. 

We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us…

By for now…