What started this whole thing, really, was Boot Camp. A few years ago I had a blog on LiveJournal, and a group of LJ buddies and I started encouraging each other in our health, career, and organizational goals with this thing we called Boot Camp. We'd pick a period of time during which we planned to go at whatever we thought needed going at real hard. We outlined plans for that period, such as I will eat nothing but organic, locally grown homemade pickles during daylight hours* and I will deadlift my Rottweiler forty times a day while running up and down the stairs and doing laundry.* We reported in, we offered advice, we supported and encouraged one another. And you know what, it worked pretty well.
It served as the inspiration for me to commit to a major overhaul of my health and fitness, and that's turned out pretty well, even if it is now due for a tuneup. And often, Boot Camp was most successful for me when my darling, sweet, wonderful husband took one of his rare trips out of town.
Like now.
Eric is off to France to visit his parents for two weeks, and I have the place (more or less) to myself. I am in full control of the remote, the menu, and my schedule. For the first time in six years, I do not have to prepare for teaching at the university --- I only have to prepare myself for my roles and auditions, teach a few voice lessons to my newly restructured private studio, and do some organizational work for the fall season of Spotlight on Opera.
It's a perfect time to Boot Camp! I had planned to start yesterday but inertia got the better of me. I am more tired on every level --- physically, mentally, emotionally --- than usual. This may be part of the pattern of my new life, with much more travel and much more frantic travel. Reviewing the past six months, it became apparent that every single gig I had involved getting off the stage and heading to the airport for the next thing. Every one. Sometimes on the same day. Great for my career, and you can keep the energy going for a certain amount of time, but eventually you pay a price, and that particular bill has come due.
But I've taken enough time off and it's time to get back to it, as well as back to basics. Boot Camp August 2011 is going to last from now until September 1. You are welcome to join me --- set your goals, post them in the comments section, and let us encourage and support one another! My intention is to kickstart my exercise and diet program; and here are my Boot Camp goals:
1. Keep adding to my list of Reasons to Stay Fit and Healthy.
2. Read that list every day when I wake up, before I go to bed, and before anything at all enters the piehole. **
3. Write a food plan every single day. Review it first thing in the morning. Write a new one before going to bed at night.
4. Commit to P90X Lean (the cardio-intensive version of P90X), which means 6 weekly workouts. In addition, do one extra exercise session a day: a walk, a run, some time on the bike, yoga, demonstrating my mad lack of dancing skillz to an audience of disinterested Dachshunds.
5. Review The Beck Diet Solution program and go through all the steps again, as a refresher course.
I have a secret deadline, too. I'm not quite ready to announce it yet, since the details still need to be worked out; but having a big deadline has always worked well as a motivator in the past. And I would like to get back to the monthly photo updates, as well.
So what I have done today, besides sit on my butt and blog? I'll admit, blogging about my plans is serving as a motivator. I'm having a hard time getting up and doing anything today. But so far I have:
- added to my list
-read my list
-made and followed (so far!) a food plan
- did my first P90X workout, Core Synergistics (and it was HARD today, but I got through!)
-And my greatest triumph --- succeeded in prying my a$$ out of my chair and actually doing something other than watching reruns of Tabitha's Salon Takeover.
So who's with me? Suit up and boot up! Who knows what you could accomplish in two short weeks?
*These are examples only and may not reflect actual goals of Boot Campers.
**This is a basic that really helped me when I started out. It makes you stop and evaluate. It works.
Welcome aboard, Suzanne! You'll have to tell me how you like Turbofire. I love P90X but I will probably be ready to do something else for a while after this round. Also interested to see how you like the Primal diet --- how is it different from Paleo? Or is it? I know a lot of Crossfitters do Paleo. Crossfit is something I'd love to try ... Paleo, not so much. But chacun a son gout! Plenty of people love it.
Posted by: Cindy | August 17, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Hey there, Cindy! Congrats on re-committing. I'm completely there with you and have participated in your challenges before.
I started Turbo Fire by BeachBody last Saturday and haven't missed a day yet. I took some "Before" pictures and am already psyched for the possibility of what the "After" pictures will look like.
I'm also trying to follow the Primal Diet--FYI www.marksdailyapple.com
I have 3 concerts coming up: September 12, Oct 3rd and Oct 6th that I want to look and sound great for.
My goals are:
Get my workout in everymorning
Follow Primal diet 85% of the time
Practice everyday
Posted by: Suzanne Fleming-Atwood | August 17, 2011 at 03:18 PM
Hi Cindy, I'm actually at 140th and Broadway, but I usually walk from 116th Street. Sometimes I walk over to "your" neck of the woods on 110th to walk down CPW for a change. I think I'll walk that way tomorrow and wave in that direction in your honor!
Posted by: RebeccaNYC | August 16, 2011 at 08:51 PM
Rebecca and Dalila, welcome aboard! Rebecca, 116th and what? Those are my old stomping grounds ... used to live at 116th and Manhattan Ave.!
Posted by: Cindy | August 16, 2011 at 07:13 PM
Ok, I'm in!
-No sugar for 2 weeks
-walk to rehearsals (this is about a 3 mile walk from 116th Street to Lincoln Center)
-additional yoga session weekly
This is all do-able, and thanks for ye-olde kick in the butt!
Posted by: RebeccaNYC | August 16, 2011 at 07:10 PM
Very inspiring..
Reading your article remind me of one word - discipline:)
Jay
Publisher, DukanDietRecipesX.com
Posted by: Jay | August 16, 2011 at 06:41 PM
This is great!! Go Cindy!! (I know you will succeed because you are very determined.) I have been a follower of yours for over 5 years, including reading all about the original boot camp. I didn't feel "entitled" to join in the LJ one with the "big girl singers" but did start one of my own for serious amateurs for a while.
My overall goal is:
To continue seriously working to fulfill my dream of being part of a quartet of serious amateur opera singers over 50 and book engagements for us.
1. Spend five hours a week (one hour a day five days a week) working on the scenes from Aida and Trovatore that I'm singing in our first concert.
2. Find a way to overcome the unGodly terror I have always had of singing above A natural (use any and all tricks, images, techniques, etc.)
3. (This one I got from you) Write down an affirmation and read it before I start practicing.
4. Have a plan for our next project ready when the concert is over. (Maybe the long dreamed-of abridged Verdi Requiem during next year's Lent at the church where I'm a soloist).
5. Follow up on the offer I got from several people to subsidize my making a CD to sell at the church.
6. Ignore all flak I get at home about these projects. Don't argue, just be calm and assertive.
I guess that's it.
I have been pretty good about sticking to a practice schedule. For me the biggies are fear and getting side-tracked by feeling this is something I "shouldn't" do because it wastes time and money.
Posted by: Dalila Valentine | August 16, 2011 at 05:38 PM