The cell phone alarm broke the silence at 4:15 a.m. Time to dress quietly for Boot Camp so as not to further disturb the sleeping loved one. Now, why am I crawling out of a warm bed to do this?

Oh, yes…now I recall: 50 is breathing down my neck and I realize that my level of motivation and discipline have slowly eroded over the decades since Coach Abel, the girls’ high school basketball coach, barked orders to run “horses.” They were drills – sprints designed to keep us from sucking air and becoming disoriented after two minutes of running up and down the court during the game. Nearing 50 (or 30 or 40 – or 60), the drills are no longer our perceived nemesis; now they’re things many of us never thought much about in high school: obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and maybe just apathy, maladies that can come from letting our guard down, from taking life a little too easy. 

I press on through near deserted streets and when I arrive I realize there are others under the silvery moon more committed than I. They have been coming for quite some time and they can smile (and speak) between exercises even though dawn – and the first cup of coffee – is still an hour away. Iron sharpens iron, the proverb says, and a little camaraderie can make those burning abs just a little easier to stomach. It’s my first week in Boot Camp and one woman says it gets easier from here. I choose to believe her and make plans to reap the benefits long term – for good health, and maybe even a little vanity. Christmas is just around the corner and there’s a dress I must get into…  Susan

To sign up for Boot Camp contact The Health Club for Women at 281-807-9160.