SSISA Blog

I write this letter as my inflight information chart shows our position to be directly over Chennai, India, making our way to Dubai . We will stop over there for a few hours and make the final leg of the journey to Cape Town.  All in all the flying time will be 30 hours. New Zealand is a long way away!

I return having seen 6 games – two quarter finals, two semi’s, the third place play off, and the final.  Between games I was able to travel by car, with various stopovers, up most of the North Island between Wellington and Auckland, and a flight down to the extreme South Island,  spending a few days in the indescribably beautiful towns of Queenstown and Arrowtown.  I have principally been on tour with executives of the Macsteel group, generous and active sponsors of the life skills programme at SSISA.

New Zealand, along with Wales, and perhaps some of the South Sea islands, are probably the only countries that can call rugby their true national sport. This nation truly embraced this tournament, and it truly seemed like a “stadium of 4 million people”.  They delivered a great World Cup and the big bonus to them came at the end with the All Black victory in the final.

To ponder briefly on the rugby I witnessed. The Welsh vs Ireland game was probably the best display of rugby I witnessed in these few weeks. The SA vs Australia game goes down in history as ” the game we should have won “.  Wales vs France is a scrappy affair of 14 against 15 men.  The  All Blacks turn on their best display of the tournament against Australia and they make (almost) the grave error of starting to plan the victory parade. The third place playoff (the game nobody really wants to play) goes to Australia, and the final is an epic, if not scintillating struggle, that almost produces a result that would have been the biggest upset in recent sporting history.

Everybody, including myself had written off the French. They played constructive, well planned rugby, limiting the amount of possession for the  All Blacks. Their defense was aggressive in the Springbok mould and at times it seemed  if the All  Blacks were without plan or structure. Great teams do what they have to do to win, and in the end New Zealand did hold the victory parade, which was in itself a tremendous spectacle.

Make  no mistake, it is difficult to be a continuously enthusiastic supporter, without a team! My heart went out to the countless supporters from South Arica, many of whom would have made great sacrifices to get to New Zealand, and some arriving even after the Boks had left. Most of the Bok supporters probably backed the All Blacks (especially against Australia), but it was always tinged with the regret of what might have been.  However, the Boks’ supporters for me were the ” People of the Tournament” - in number, attitude and behaviour.

Perhaps the only negative of our trip, but I suppose a dose of reality,  was the unruly, drunken behaviour of some of the youth on the streets after the final. The experience walking back down the Fanwalk  did not leave the impression of joyous chaos as it should have, but of an unusual aggressive and intimidating nature that surprised myself and our small party of South Africans, but this was fortunately restricted to a small minority of the people.

I don’t know if I will be back in New  Zealand again.  I hope so. I have memories of predominantly friendly people living in a small,  beautiful, clean and green  land with water everywhere. They have, in a year of major disasters in that country, staged a very successful World Cup and they (The Team and the Nation)  will experience  the  power of sport and the fruits of victory. May they use this wisely…

Morné

By Kathleen Mc Quaide–Little (SSISA, Marketing and Media Manager)

With this being your fourth week of training for the 6km MOVE for Your Health race on 6 November 2011, we hope you are feeling strong and much fitter than a month ago! Of course – you now need to now keep up your physically active lifestyle if you want to be your own hero! School playgrounds can be a great place to stay fit and many schools have implemented novel ideas to make their learners into healthy and fit heroes!

Here are just a few ideas for educators or learners to use in their schools (from Woolworths “Making the Difference” educational material – available for Grade 4 learners).

1. Activity bin

Why not have an Activity Bin in the classroom filled with skipping ropes, soccer and tennis balls, tennis-set bats, Frisbees etc. to use during break time? The class rep can be in charge of seeing that the items are returned.

2. Skipping rope circuit

All you need here is a small square of concrete where learners alternate skipping 20 jumps with:

• 10 mini-press-ups
• 10 sit-ups  10 burpies
• 10 high knee runs and 10 lunges

This circuit will only take a few minutes, but gives learners a quick effective mini-workout. Educators could develop a star-system for learners each time they do the mini-circuit.

3. 1km Health Track The 1km walk circuit track makes exercise easily accessible to learners.

How to set it up:

1. Measure out, design and develop a 1km track (or even a 500m course) around the school grounds.

2. The track should include 5 stations spaced every 100 – 200m where learners can do a variety of exercises such as 1 minute of mini-press-ups, sit-ups, skipping rope, hula-hoop swinging, lunges, squats and high-knee running.

3. In between the 5 stations, the learners can hop, skip, jump, walk or run (any forward movement) that takes them to the next station.

4. The warm-up must be done before starting the track and stretches can be done at the last station.

5. The objective of the track will be to encourage learners to complete as many kilometres as they can each week.

6. A log chart in the classroom can track each learner’s accumulated kilometres and suitable rewards and certificates can be issued in the class but even at school assemblies.

WEEK 4 training: Monday 17 October – Sunday 23 October 2011

• Warm-up: 10 min WALK EVERY SESSION
• Monday: 8 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 1; 3 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 2
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: 10 minute jog / 2 minute walk x1; 3 min jog/ 2 min walk x 2
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 15 minute jog / 2 minute walk x 1; 3 minute jog / 2 minute walk x 2
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: BRISK 30 minute walk

Join us on Sunday 6 November for – the MySchool Move for Your Health Landmarks 6km Fun Walk/Run. This whole campaign and event is a joint initiative of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), Western Province Cricket Club Running Section, Woolworths, MySchool, Let’s Play and the City of Cape Town – so we will all be there to cheer you on. Don’t forget the School’s Mass Participation Competition – where Woolworths and ADT are providing R32 000 worth of prize money for schools with the highest percentage of learners taking part, as well as the school with the outright highest number of learners standing a chance to win 1 of 5 R1000 Sportsmans’ Warehouse vouchers. Visit www.ssisa.com for all the details and why not join our Facebook page to stay ahead of the pack.

Content from HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd. on behalf of ADT Security and Kathleen Mc Quaide-Little (SSISA, Marketing and Media Manager)

Exercising, playing and being active is a very important part of a healthy upbringing for young children and teens, but the challenge for many working parents is making time to spend with their children on the sports field where they are in a secure environment.

The MySchool Move For Your Health 6km Fun Walk/ Run which takes place on Sunday, 6 November 2011, forms part of the ADT/Woolworths Landmark Challenge and is the perfect opportunity for the family to participate in a fun-filled event that not only brings home the message of healthy living and regular exercise, but offers the family a fun day in a safe environment.

Remember to check that you and your children are aware of the following tips whilst outdoors:

• Youngsters should never exercise alone, always take a friend or go with an adult.
• Consider taking your dog along on your run, or take them to the park for a game of Frisbee or catch.
• Never engage in conversation with strangers while you are out exercising.
• Never consider a ride home or refreshments from a stranger, no matter how tired you are.
• Plan your route beforehand and make sure someone at home knows when you will be back.
• Always wear the correct safety gear for your sport, such as a helmet if you are on your bike or reflective running gear when you go for a jog.
• Avoid exercising in quiet areas, and always make sure that you exercise when it is light outside.
• Never exercise with earphones – you might not hear oncoming traffic, or someone following you.
• Keep a cell phone on hand and keep pepper spray in your pocket.
• Always report suspicious behaviour or strangers lurking around your school, church or community sports fields to a responsible adult.

“By instilling these safety tips in your children” (and following them as adults), “you can be assured that they will keep a level head in any eventuality,” says Rob Dale, Regional Managing Director of ADT Security Western Cape.

Now on to the vital training programme that will get you in peak shape for the 6km run come 6 November!

WEEK 3: SIMPLE STEPS TO JOGGING 6KM IN 6-WEEKS Monday 10 October – Sunday 16 October 2011

• Warm-up: 10 minute walk at the start of every session
• Monday: (5 minute jog /2 minute walk) x 1 (3 minute jog /2 minute walk) x 3
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: (6 minute jog / 2 minute walk) x 1 (3 min jog / 2 min walk) x 3
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday:  (6 minute jog / 2 minute walk) x 1 (4 minute jog / 2 minute walk) x 2
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: BRISK 30 minute walk

Join us on Sunday 6 November for – the MySchool Move for Your Health Landmarks 6km Fun Walk/Run. This whole campaign and event is a joint initiative of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), Western Province Cricket Club Running Section, Woolworths, MySchool, Let’s Play and the City of Cape Town – so we will all be there to cheer you on. Don’t forget the School’s Mass Participation Competition – where Woolworths and ADT are providing R32 000 worth of prize money for schools with the highest percentage of learners taking part, as well as the school with the outright highest number of learners standing a chance to win 1 of 5 R1000 Sportsmans’ Warehouse vouchers. Visit www.ssisa.com for all the details and why not join our Facebook page to stay ahead of the pack.

By Kathleen Mc Quaide–Little (Sports Scientist, Marketing and Media Manager, SSISA)Dietary info provided by registered dietitians, Maryke van Zyl (Woolworths) and Shelly Meltzer and Associates (SSISA)

With just over five weeks to go until you do your Move for Your Health 6km run (see details below) – we hope you are giving your body the right fuel! Kids often seem to make poor food choices especially when faced with unhealthy options that look so appetising. Yet if we want to be healthy – eating a balanced diet is a vital part of the equation. Let’s make sure that our kids get healthy food at school by making their lunchboxes exciting and appealing.

Vital ingredients for a lunch-box should include:

• Energy sustaining carbohydrate rich foods – with a focus on fiber and micronutrient rich options like seed bread, whole wheat pitas, – crackers, corn, left over pasta or brown rice.
• Body building proteins – these can be packed individually (chicken strips or boiled egg); added to sandwiches (lean cold meats, tuna mayonnaise or left over mince meat); or added to pasta (left over chicken or fish).
• Low-fat dairy and dairy alternatives such as yoghurts, flavoured milk and soy products.   At least one fruit
• A bottle of fluid – water being the preferred choice
• Small portions if healthy fats such as hummus, peanut butter, mashed avocado pear, nuts and seeds.

Practical tips:

• Keep your lunchbox fun and exciting! Add variety by using different types of bread, dried fresh sliced fruit and varying textures and flavours.
• Plan ahead of time, so you have all you need to pack exciting lunch-boxes.
• Be snack wise! Pack healthy snack options (e.g. flavoured rice cakes, mini seed bars, mini packets of biltong, mixed nuts and dried fruit strips or bars)
• Sneak in fruit and veg by adding it to sandwiches and pasta salads.
• To increase the kids appeal for water, mix it with a bit of fruit juice or crushed fresh fruit like berries, freeze it and by break time, your child will have a healthy fruit slush as a break time drink!

Now with all the right energy to energise your training – let’s get cracking with week 2 of our training to run 6km!

Monday 3 October – Sunday 9 October 2011

• Warm-up: 15 minute walk every session
• Monday: 4 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 5
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: 4 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 5
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 5 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 1; 3 minute jog/ 2 minute walk x 3
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: BRISK 30 minute walk

Join us on Sunday 6 November for – the MySchool Move for Your Health Landmarks 6km Fun Walk/Run. This whole campaign and event is a joint initiative of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), Western Province Cricket Club Running Section, Woolworths, MySchool, Let’s Play and the City of Cape Town – so we will all be there to cheer you on. Don’t forget the School’s Mass Participation Competition – where Woolworths and ADT are providing R32 000 worth of prize money for schools with the highest percentage of learners taking part, as well as the school with the outright highest number of learners standing a chance to win 1 of 5 R1000 Sportsmans’ Warehouse vouchers. Visit www.ssisa.com for all the details and why not join our Facebook page to stay ahead of the pack.

By Kathleen Mc Quaide-Little (Sports Scientist and Marketing and Media Manager, SSISA)

Last week – we introduced readers to a great goal for which to train – the “MySchool Move for Your Health 6km Fun Walk/Run” which is part of the Landmarks event on 6 November 2011. This week – we are kicking off with the first week of training guidelines . The six-week build up – forms part of the World Health Organisation’s “Move for Health” global campaign which strives to make people all over the world – fitter and healthier. We encourage all readers to become their own heroes as they realise a goal they thought impossible. Each week – we will also give you some practical tips on changes you can make in your life, home, school and environment that support your new HERO status. The focus this week is on your home!

Here are some practical tips to ensure that you and your kids accumulate (at least) 30 minutes of moderate physical activity almost every day (it can be done in 10 – 15 minute chunks).

• Paste ideas of 10 – 15 minute exercise options with your kids on the fridge door.• Teach your kids basic skills (cycling, hitting a ball with a bat, swimming), practise with them and encourage them.
• Create exercise opportunities at home – swings, gymnastic bars, a place to skip rope, roller blade or ride their bikes.
• Make weekends active by walking at the beach or in the forest or mountains, cycling, playing cricket, throwing a Frisbee or playing bat and ball in the park.
• Plan active holidays that include hiking, cycling, swimming, paddling etc.
• Choose an event the family can train towards – and of course our 6km fun run/walk is an obvious choice!

WEEK 1: SIMPLE STEPS TO JOGGING 6KM IN 6-WEEKS Monday 26 September-2 October2011

• Warm-up: 15 minute walk at the start of every session
• Monday: (2 minute jog/ 2 minute walk) x6
• Tuesday: Rest
• Wednesday: (3 minute jog/ 2 minute walk) x 5
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday:  (3 minute jog/2 minute walk) x5
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: BRISK 20 minute walk

Follow this programme AND then diarise Sunday 6 November –the MySchool Move for Your Health Landmarks 6km Fun Walk/Run. This whole campaign and event is a joint initiative of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), Western Province Cricket Club Running Section, Woolworths, MySchool, Let’s Play and the City of Cape Town – so we will all be there to cheer you on. Don’t forget the School’s Mass Participation Competition – where Woolworths and ADT are providing R32 000 worth of prize money for schools with the highest percentage of learners taking part, as well as the school with the outright highest number of learners participating standing a chance to win one of the five R1000 Sportsmans’ Warehouse Vouchers that are up for grabs. Visit www.ssisa.com for all the details and join our Facebook page to stay ahead of the pack.

By Kathleen Mc Quaide-Little (Sports Scientist and Marketing and Media Manager, SSISA)

Just over a year ago – we were bursting at the seams with excitement, patriotism, passion and admiration for our Bafana Bafana heroes, as they tackled top class teams in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  In 2011, all our attention is on our “Bokke” ‘who are facing their first World Cup Rugby match against Wales in Wellington this weekend. It is wonderful for us to have sporting heroes – icons who motivate and inspire us.

But it’s important to remember that whilst most of them are genetically gifted to perform at the highest level, they have also sacrificed much and toiled away for years, doing grueling training sessions to accomplish this top level of performance.  Sheer hard work and determination have helped to make them heroes.  WE CAN ALSO BE HEROES – OUR OWN HEROES – if we throw some dedication and commitment at the cause. It is exactly this theme that Tim Noakes, Professor of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at UCT, marathon runner, mentor, researcher, and hero wrote about in a popular magazine article. In fact – we are going to borrow this theme – “Being Your Own Hero”- for the next 7 weeks, as we help you on your way to achieving what you thought was impossible.

Noakes points out that anyone can be a hero if they get off the couch, put one foot in front of the other, and start working towards your impossible goal.  He adds – “it was in running that I learnt that, if I was prepared to work very hard, I could achieve something I never thought possible. That’s when I realized I could become my own hero.”   In 1973, Noakes completed his first Comrades Marathon (89km), in 6h49, at a pace he was unable to run even one kilometer, just 2 years prior to this. “I touched heaven that day, “he says.  “That Comrades, for me, was like winning a gold medal at the Olympics or playing for South Africa.  I couldn’t have done anything better”.

And that just sums it up beautifully. As the author of the article said “Heroism is not the measure of what other people do.  Heroism is daring to do it yourself”.  “The way to begin”, says Noakes, “is to take action. You can’t be a hero sitting on the couch!  You have to go out and do something, however small”.

The Sports Science Institute of SA (SSISA), wants YOU to dare yourself  to achieve something special and we are about to make it a whole lot easier for you! We will provide you with a goal to aim for, as well as useful training advice to get you there.  The goal is the “MySchool Move for Your Health 6km Fun Walk/Run” which is part of the Landmarks event on 6 November 2011. So why not be part of the World Health Organisation’s “Move for Health” global campaign which strives to make people all over the world – fitter and healthier, as they become their own heroes.   Weekly, for 6 consecutive  weeks, the eleven community papers will publish a  training programme and tips, prepared by experts at the Sports Science Institute of SA, which will  help you lead a HERO’S life!  Adults and kids – cut these out and follow the walking/running programme that will enable you to run 6km in 6 weeks time. On Sunday 6 November 2011– you can put into practice, all your training. The campaign and event is a joint initiative of the SSISA, WP Cricket Club Running Section, Woolworths, MySchool, ADT, Let’s Play and the City of Cape Town – so we will all be there to cheer you on. What’s more, we have organised a School’s Mass Participation Competition and Woolworths’ Making the Difference school programme and ADT are providing R32 000 worth of prize money for schools with the highest percentage of learners taking part. There will also be R5 000 worth of Sportsman’s Warehouse vouchers for the five schools with the outright highest number of learners. Make sure your school knows about the competition (www.ssisa.com) and start the training programme in next week’s issue.

Dear colleagues and friends of SSISA

I write to you from this beautiful and friendly country on Tuesday morning. Things are not as dark as they were yesterday after the gut wrenching happenings on Sunday afternoon at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

We (Our friends from Macsteel and myself) are slowly making our way up from Wellington to Auckland where we will watch the semi finals at the week end. We are currently spending a day or  two at a lakeside town called TAUPO, really beautiful holiday resort town with amazing trout fishing, white water boating and best cycling routes you can imagine. Went on a 2 hour ride this morning and, as we all know, exercise so often helps put things into a more positive perspective .

While the hurt and confusion of the  ”amazing match”  still lingers for all here  ( in every town we pass slightly bewildered and stunned Bok Supporters)  and I presume at home as well, we have witnessed something extraordinary take place in the wake of this defeat.

To ponder briefly on the issue of the game,  an astute  technical analysis from one quarter  regarding this extraordinary game  (SA vs AUS) was that the referee seemed to be under some underlying pressure to get the game to flow and be attractive. The previous day’s quarterfinals produced stunning rugby and  who knows what the subconscious sometimes delivers . The result that in an effort to relax on the whistle he may have allowed the breakdowns  to become free for alls and the Aussies were better at this than we were and were allowed to nullify, without being penalized, the extraordinary amount of ball procession we had through the match. Be this as it may, credit to the Aussies for doing what they had to do. You cannot take that away from them.

This however is now history and we can’t change the score board. What then is special or extraordinary in this defeat? It starts at the post match press conference where John Smit and Peter De Villiers  conduct  themselves with such grace and dignity in the most difficult  rugby circumstances, when you feel hard done by, and years of planning and hard work have gone in the bat of an eyelid. They refuse to blame  the referee and their bad fortune but give the Aussies credit for winning the match and look at themselves for not turning extraordinary procession and territory into points.  That is all. The New Zealand and Australian press make special note of this. I have seldom witnessed such a outpouring of support and good coverage for a South African team.

The South African supporters also must have taken note of this fine example of Smit and de Villiers, or / and we are perhaps maturing as a supporter base. While heartsore, there is  no malice or aggression evident, and believe me there are thousands of supporters here, and this quiet acceptance is evident in most of those I have encountered. We still wear our green and gold with pride  and continue to enjoy the great hospitality of this country and its friendly people.

John Smit and the Boks  have  not won the World up, but they have won a lot of respect from the rugby world.

Regards
MORNÉ

I packed my takkies early to avoid repeating my previous mishap in future sessions.  At Wednesday’s session Major Pain worked us hard.

Here’s a rundown:

• Jumping over teammates who are in a plank position, while holding dumbbells
• Burpees, we had to pick up our dumbbells and jump with them (this exercise is the spawn of satan!)
• Y, T, W, extension exercises
• Reverse fly with dumbbells while lying on your back
• Tricep extension
• Ab attack: crunches, 90 degree crunches, bicycle crunches, toe touches, ankle touches, jack knifes
• Bunny hopping over ladder with dumbbells

The rest of the exercises are all a blur, it was a hard strength-training session.

Thursday’s session was much more subdued.

We opened with a soccer match, and I scored a goal (I still don’t know how that happened).

The exercises we did focused mostly on glutes, abductors and abs.

• Pelvic thrusts
• Plank with toe lifts, side plank with leg lifts
• Clam and leg lifts with theraband
• Ab extension, it’s a crunch and an extension at different degrees
• Glute exercise, laying on your side knees at touch and ankles touch, (felt lotsa burning in the glute area)

My body has become accustomed to the regular exercise – I still feel the occasional stiffness, but not as much as the previous weeks.

I’m also starting to feel some differences in my body especially in the stomach region, my abs are starting to feel tighter. I also sleep so much better and night and I’m starting to feel more energetic during the day.

On to the next one!

Health 24′s Leandra Engelbrecht

It’s the end of Week 3, and on Thursday Yvette (fellow-trooper), and I could not help but reflect on how nice the sessions have been this week.

Before you remind me of the ad on South African TV about a decade ago that had the one character in a moment of frustration exclaiming ‘Tea is nice’, let me qualify. We were both feeling extraordinary pain from the previous evening’s session. In fact, I imagine that we were both wondering why we were back.

The weather was gloomy, grey and wet. We could sense that Major Pain would make us run in the rain. A bowl of soup, fresh bread from a bakery and that slice of carrot cake were a much better option. I know I thought so.

You WILL feel pain after a session that included running four laps (maybe two and a half) around the hockey field, stretching, running up and down a hill carrying 5kg dumb bells on each hand, pretending to swim while carrying said dumb bells, pulling and stretching using that very clever piece of band, crunches, 90 degree crunches, planks, bicycle crunches, wheel barrow-ing, skipping, skipping and more skipping, toe touching, push ups, bear walking (which is the worst amount of pain you can inflict on a human being)… have I left anything out?

When we referred to the sessions as being nice, what we were really saying was that they were very enjoyable. They’re not agreeable, they’re not pleasant, and they’re certainly not kind. But they’re enjoyable. Even the soccer match and the pseudo netball game we played on Thursday.

For the record, my shoulder was really sore. I was not just trying to score a free message.

Major Pain and my boot camp team said that I was a distraction on Wednesday.

I went straight to my Oxford South African Concise English Dictionary the next day to remind myself what the meaning of the word is. It gives, as the second option, the following meaning: ‘a thing offering recreation or entertainment.’ Need I say more?

Yvette was right. We have a great group of people in this team. If one decides to go through activity requiring physical effort for the sake of health and fitness, one cannot ask for a better group than this.

Anyway, I’m now off to the launch of Jimmy Dludlu’s latest CD at a very fancy hotel. See you all on Monday.

- Africa Melane, Boot Camp Lite participant and 567 Cape Talk radio presenter

When the alarm went off this morning at 4:30, set to nearly full volume to make sure I woke up, I think I aged another 10 years in the space of a few seconds. I don’t think the human psyche is designed for such brutal shock therapy, so I’m not sure I will ever be the same again. And to think, I have another 23 rude awakenings coming my way in the next eight weeks. Oi vey! Don’t know how I am going to bring myself to set the alarm clock on Tuesday night for Wednesday’s session. May turn the volume down a wee bit…

Anyway, after a blitz shower to wake myself up properly, I duly made it to the Sport Science Institute for the first day of Boot Camp, and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by the fact that I am sitting here now, feeling hunky-dory. OK, I’m a wee bit sleepy now, but my body feels great. Which is the part that I’m surprised about – not the being slightly sleepy part. I was sure I would be physically shattered after the first session and need the whole long weekend to recover – just in time to start all over again on Wednesday. But I feel great right now. Hope I can still say that tomorrow…

Today’s first session started with a 12-minute fitness test run on the track inside the gym, which I was told later is 143 metres long. We were given 15 elastic bands to put on one wrist, and with each lap we had to swap a band to the other hand, and then start swapping them back if we made it past 15 laps. Obviously, running is my ‘thing,’ so after a few slightly more conservative laps to warm up, I went for it, and I finished with 19.75 laps, which means 2820m at an average pace of 4:15 per kay. Damn, I’ll take that, given how unfit I consider myself right now!

Then began the slow torture, with drill instructor Sergeant Shredder calling the shots. Planks, push-ups, body lifts, skipping, resistance running, more skipping, leg raises, burpees, still more skipping… And as this went on, my body let me know that it was taking strain. My stomach muscles quivered like a jelly being covered in Ultramel when I was doing the belly-down plank position, and my legs took it in turns to vociferously protest the injustice of being singled out when I was doing the single leg raises. To be honest, I think my legs would have toyi-toyi’d in protest, but since they were already doing a toy-toyi-like motion, they probably decided in the end to rather to let sleeping dogs lie and get it over with.

But it was the burpees that really got me. As Sergeant Shredder said, we all remember burpees from school days, but let me tell you, I may have remembered how to do them, but that didn’t make it any easier to do them, and 45 seconds of them is no laughing matter! My arms were dead, my legs were dead, I was struggling to breathe, and I decided then and there that I do not like burpees. There, I said it. And then, just to finish us off nicely, the good Sergeant brought out her secret weapon, the Crunch Combo: 10 crunches with feet on the ground, then straight into 10 crunches with feet lifted off the ground, followed by 10 crunches with legs extended vertically, then back down to 10 with feet raised and finally 10 normal crunches. More like Killer Crunches, if you ask me.

But the good news – no, make that great news – was that within seconds of each drill I had recovered again and was able to continue with the next one. Yes, I was dripping with sweat and taking some strain, but I was loving the exhilaration of exercising, and enjoying being part of the group as well. And just like that, it was time for a warm-down stretch and a nice hot shower. That wasn’t so bad! Don’t know why I was stressing…

Now, my only concern is whether Sergeant Shredder was holding back and going easy on us on the first day, to lull us into a false sense of security ahead of next week’s real shock treatment torture! Jokes aside, though, I don’t think she will. I think this programme will be carefully structured to build up slowly and steadily, so that the participants get maximal effect and results without risking injury or demotivation. I think it would defeat the purpose of a Boot Camp if the instructors worked you into the ground to such an extent that you could barely move the next day, and thus didn’t want to come back for the next session. On the other hand, they need to make you work really hard in order to get results. It’s a fine balance – but that’s why they get paid the big bucks, as the saying goes.

From my side, I thoroughly enjoyed the first session and am really looking forward to more of the same. But maybe not so many burpees, please, Sergeant.

#Sean Falconer, Western Cape Manager & Journalist – Modern Athlete Magazine