Boot camp – the one with the fitness test

Four ‘recruits’ fronted up for boot camp this morning at 5.30am for some quality time with Sgt Pain. Everyone except for myself is a boot camp veteran. Frighteningly, one guy is in training for the Special Forces (‘Merlin’). Mark is an ex-footballer trying to lose a fair amount of weight and Sam wants to regain some lost fitness. They’re all either ten years younger than me or about a foot taller.

There are four parts to the fitness test – three strength and one cardiovascular. It’s less about being better than other people and more about seeing where you are at and how you can improve from one boot camp to the next.

Push ups – one minute

Sgt Pain times the minute and the person you are paired with counts out the repetitions. A minute seems like a very long time when you’re hefting up your body weight. Women have the option of push ups from the knees rather than the toes. I’m feeling lucky so I don’t go for the knees option. The push ups aren’t quite military standard (my chest isn’t close enough to the floor) but I’m getting a fair amount of bend in the elbows.

Sit ups – two minutes

Sit ups are done knees bent, arms crossed one on top of the other (think I Dream of Jeanie style), with your partner standing on your feet to make it a bit easier. Aim to touch down to about mid-shoulder level when you go back. Again, two minute can be an alarmingly long time. Pressing your legs together when it starts to hurt does help.

Squats – one minute

This is the only time I have an advantage being short. To make sure everyone is going down to the same level, the squats are done next to a platform about a foot high. Aim to touch the platform or seat but don’t rest for too long. Repeat. After 60 seconds your quadriceps will be screaming.

Running – hill course

Did I mention I’m a below average runner? It’s a ten minute walk to the car park we use as a ‘time trial’ running track. The course is about 800 metres slightly down hill for the first two sections with a very steep hill for the last 200 metres. Everyone completes this three times to the best of their ability. St Pain suggests that I should be running this in about ten minutes. At 12 and a half minutes, I’m not even close and am emitting a slightly alarming high pitched wheeze. Another ten minute walk back to the fitness studio.

Next Wednesday will be the start of boot camp proper. We will rendezvous at the oval behind the school at 0530. Even more running. Fabulous.