On Workouts

So, not surprisingly, there's a lot of physical training while you're in A School. However, unlike Boot Camp, a fair amount of it is on your own responsibility. (While in Boot Camp, recruits do NOTHING on their own. Going to the bathroom is scheduled. The illusion of choice is demolished in Boot Camp.)

This is nice because no one's yelling at you to pick it up, get a move on, match pace, etc. However, with no one yelling at you, you're far less motivated, right? You've just finished work, or class, you really don't want to get out and go, and look at yourself in the mirror - you're still in great shape, right? Right! Can't we just go tomorrow?

Note - this is not delusion about looking great. We just got out of Boot Camp. I think the last time I was this ready to run up a wall, punch the sky, and look heroic while doing it, I was nine years old. Most of the time, I'm pretty tired from the whole Navy lifestyle, but right after a workout, I want to go for another two hours. All kinds of energy. It's great.

Julia and I go running together on some weekends. She defies rational explanation. We were just warming up, and I asked her what she'd eaten that day, comparing against what I'd had (military turns everyone into a calorie-counting jock, but it wears off after a few weeks, I'm told). She rattled off fourteen items. I thought these over. "What have you eaten today that was actually good for you?" She thought about it. "Pretty much nothing." She grinned. The girl lives almost entirely off junk food, and is built almost exactly like Sailor Moon. It's ridiculous.

No, wait. What's particularly ridiculous - our run last night carried us up to the Main Gate, so we were just turning around at colors. When the call is sounded for colors, you stop whatever you're doing until the flag is lowered. What decision does she come to on our way back? "We need to stop at McDonalds."

I am both baffled and entertained by her on a regular basis. We have a lot of fun together, though. She got a chocolate shake and chicken nuggets, I shook my head, we did a cool down back to the ship. Good night.

Today, we went to one of the gyms on base. Julia's not quite as into this, but she understands that I don't like going to the weight room by myself. Why?

Because more often than not, there are forty people there, and I'm the only one who's female. Even if she's not working out, and just sitting at a table in the corner reading, it's SO much better than being the only woman there.

They're doing an indoor triathlon next week. If I can talk her into it (wish me luck), we're doing it. :)