The First Blog: Soldiers of Fitness

Hello friends,

I'm insane. I have to be.
I've always been the type of person that loves a unique challenge, and those kinds of challenges usually find a way to come at me.
From driving an RV into a hurricane, to singing for charity in Toronto, I've been fortunate enough to experience a ton of things that are all on my bucket list, but the more I do the more that list expands and more challenges enter into my reality.

Bring it on I say... As I nurse my stiff lower back. You see, the latest challenge my crazy side has decided to tackle is Soldiers of Fitness. It's bootcamp. An ass kicking and a half that will hopefully make me less of a gangly SOB and shave off a little bit of the beer gut too (yes, it started to sprout).
Needless to say, it's hard. So hard in fact that I quit after two days. I don't think I was ready for the mental impact it had on me. I was finally facing demons that I've been talking about fighting for years, but those demons fight back... And they fight hard. So I thought about it, and with a few words of encouragement, I got right back up and decided to keep the battle going.

It's been a week now (one of four) and it's already getting better. Not EASIER, but better. The comraderie you build with your fellow crazy bootcampers is second to none. Imagine fighting your way up a steep hill with a giant metal pole above your head and hearing encouraging words from someone behind you who is struggling just as much or more, and the only thing you know about them is their last name.
That's the human element I've discovered. That's the passion. That's the fuel to elevate your mind over the pain and do it for yourself and for the team. It's amazing what a person can achieve when the pressure is on.

All the same, I hurt and it's very much a commitment to see this through until the end. My struggle at first was finding my motivation. I went in for the experience at first (bootcamp is on the bucket list too), but it takes a certain drive that can only come from within to stick with it and finally defeat those demons.
I think I've found that motivation now, even if it may not be entirely clear. I've realised that this is the bootcamp before the war; the prologue to not just a new chapter of my life, but a whole new exciting book. This is Ian: volume 2. This is the start of the person I've always wanted to be. Self-assured and confident, strong and enduring, inspired and driven. The side of myself that wants to become better in all ways I can.

Still love my beer though.
Cheers all, and much love.

"It is in the moment you pledge your highest love, you greet your greatest fear."