Bootcamp: Workout #1 (sans hoodie)

No, that title is not a typo.

I joined a fun little bootcamp this week. (And by "fun" I really mean butt-kicking, blood-pumping, hard as heck, in the "I might have a heart attack" sort of way.)

Via

An awesome female athlete/personal trainer based in Knoxville is offering a free, seven-week bootcamp for women (of all ages, sizes, fitness levels) as part of Under Armour's "What's Beautiful" campaign. She also happens to be a Christian woman who feels called to help other women achieve their fitness aspirations. Amazing, right? And the timing is perfect, because I need to get my butt back into gear if I want to achieve the goals I set for 2012. (Yea, clearly, I'm nowhere near losing the 15 pounds I wanted to lose before E's first birthday. But I'm down 5 with 10 to go, so that's a pretty decent start.)

I attended my first bootcamp workout Monday, and it was intense. It was also awesome. I was so hot and sweaty, I had to take my hoodie off. That's something I never (ever, ever, ever) do. I always wear a hoodie when I workout, because, honestly, I am extremely self-conscious. I like to keep all my bits and pieces fully covered. (And, yes, I realize I am my own worst critic. Aren't we all?)

Anyway, I took my hoodie off for two reasons:

1. There's a pretty good chance I was about to drop dead from some kind of heat-related something or another. Well, not really. But geeeeeze, I felt like my face was about to burn right off my head. (Keep in mind, this "about to die" feeling is apparently a good thing. It's called "working out." Like, for real.)
2. Exercising with an encouraging, supportive group of women is just awesome. I felt comfortable taking my hoodie off, because I knew my fellow bootcampers weren't judging me or my post-pregnancy "leftovers." These women are the kind of workout buddies I want to be around, thankyouverymuch.

That sums up workout #1.

That, and this awesome post-workout group photo...

A bit blurry, but you get the idea. Awesome ladies!

To say that I am excited about the next seven weeks is a huge understatement. I need the motivation. I need the accountability. I need to finally say "peace out!" to the rest of the lingering pregnancy weight. I can't wait to look in the mirror and feel good about what I see... something I haven't felt in quite a long time!

I'll most definitely post updates on the ol' blog to keep y'all in the loop with my progress.

(Knoxville friends: Here's Sarah V.'s Under Armour page. You can read her blog, here. And, finally, you can join the group on Facebook, here.)