Santa Cruz Family Martial Arts - Taekwondo

		email Scott Symons

Bootcamp Diaries

Amy
35 year-old mother of two

We just finished our first week of training. I am not sure if I am enjoying my weekend break or missing the early morning workout. This past week has been an incredible challenge. Each evening I have been going to sleep with an ice pack over my knee. Today I broke down and purchased BENGAY at the market. I didn't think I would need anything like that until I hit my senior years. (I highly recommend it for sore hamstring muscles and calves!!)

The group spirit has been absolutely amazing. People are really pulling for each other. There are some amazing runners in our group (they can really move in that miserable SOFT sand). Personally, I am just trying to challenge myself both physically and mentally. After brain surgery last year, I am really looking to enjoy my second lease on life. My husband says I look so happy when I return home each morning after bootcamp. I can't help but smile as I stand outside the front door pouring sand out of my shoes and hearing my 2 year old and 4 year old boys screaming "Mommy is home!". My morning cup of coffee now feels like desert instead of an alarm clock. I am both nervous and excited to hit the sand Monday morning BRIGHT and EARLY!!!

Mike
48 year-old Quality Control Manager
Day 3

The alarm rings at 5:15 a.m. I roll out of bed with sore muscles and a sour disposition. I stumble to the kitchen and pop four Advil. After numbly staring at the refrigerator for 10 minutes I am behind schedule. I get dressed and pack a bag of ice in my little cooler. "Advil and ice" is the mantra of the forty something wannabe martial artist. As I drive to the beach my mind drifts ahead to the prospect of running in soft sand and my quadriceps quietly scream. My ego is bruised from being outrun by preteen eager beavers and I'm not in the mood for Mr. Symons' never ending enthusiasm. I'm not a morning person. Why am I doing this again?

I get to the beach and grudgingly notice that it is a beautiful day. I don't talk to anybody as I strap on my knee brace and walk down the stairs to the sand. As I trudge off along the cliffs through the soft sand it seems a little easier than yesterday. It is very peaceful and quiet on the beach at 6:00 a.m. All I can hear is the sound of the surf, the sea birds and the soft shuffle of sand beneath my feet. I cheat myself over to the hard sand where it takes less effort and feel better, like I got away with something. Left turn down to the surf line and I meet up with the rest of the boot camp loonies and I can't help but smile. Serious martial artists, middle aged dads with beer guts, kids, teens, twenty somethings, thirty somethings, forty somethings.

My mood suddenly changes. This is really a positive thing we are doing. I feel a lump in my throat as I think of the love the parents have for the kids, to get up and drag themselves through the workout, as I think of the kids who will have the memory of this intense positive experience for the rest of their lives and all the people with hope and courage to change their lives for the better. I start high fiving and yelling encouragement to the faces that look like I felt five minutes ago. Oh yeah, that why I'm doing this again. I love it.

Michael Eisner
Age 11

I hurt my ribs over the weekend and didn't want to go to training today. I spent the weekend staying up late and going to friends' houses and parties and sleeping in in the morning. I wasn't used to waking up as early as we have to for Boot Camp. Once I got to the beach, however, I felt a little better, and afterwards I felt even better, but we'll get the that later.

I started out by putting my water bottle in the sand and doing the daily run. The sky was a bluish yellow, Monterey Bay was blue, and we watched the greyish-black backs of a school of dolphins cruising by about 30 yards out. The air was cool, but I got warmer as I ran, and by the time I was done I took off my sweatshirt. Most of the Boot Campers there by the time I finished my run. We started to stretch. I couldn't do some stretches because my ribs hurt, but I tried my best. After stretching we started to run our lap around the beach. I couldn't keep up with the others because of my injury, so I stayed back and encouraged the younger kids and a few other people who were moving slowly because of injuries.

About two-thirds of the way through the run, our group cut across the beach to meet up with the others. I tried to join the others doing ab work but it hurt, so I stretched instead. Then most of us did another run, while we injured people did weaving. We started in the middle of the beach and went down toward the slippery rocks that border its northern edge. We stretched again at the rocks and dumped the sand out of our shoes.

When were ready, we started weaving back the other way. The other runners passed us about halfway across the beach. About 20 yards past our starting point we turned back because we saw the runners returning. When we were all back together we did sets of stairs, which is exhausting but invigorating. After that we jumped rope while Mr. Symmons set up our soccer game, which we played with the big ball. The first goal was scored by Reid Frye of the White Shirt team. Garrett Landon scored the second goal with a header for the Dark Shirts.

Mr. Symons declared, "Next goal wins!" And a woman, a newcomer to boot camp, scored a long goal, winning the game for the Dark Shirts. We put on our sweatshirts and began Do meditation. The meditation seems awkward to most people, but I feel as if I am beginning to understand it.

By the end of today's boot camp I felt much better, as I said before. In fact I was glad that my dad woke me up early this morning and dragged me out to the beach for the workout.

Patrick Eisner
Age eight

I like Family Boot Camp because we're the only ones on the beach that early in the morning. It feels like we can hear each other better than if the beach was crowded with people. The clouds look tye-died because the sun is just rising. And it's not really hard work, it's fun work. Usually my mom does Boot Camp with my brother and me, but today my dad did it.

Kids don't get to do a lot of stuff with their parents because they are usually at work, and Boot Camp gives my brother and me a chance to be with them. The work out makes me feel good. It makes me feel strong. And doing it with my mother or father makes me feel like I am not alone.