The Long Road Back: Bajai Bootcamp Chapter Four - Intro

Bajai Boot Camp IV: June 19, 2014 – June 18^th, 2015

The Long Road Back

Closest to a "before" pic I have: June 14, 2014

It would be fairly easy for me to look back over my notes from Father’s Day 2011 when I decided I wanted to be more rugged and went for that first run through the woods of Cobbs Creek Park. That was the year I started my own personal, perpetual boot camp and decided to document my progress. I’d heard a radio advert that quoted Peter Drucker say, “That which gets measured, gets accomplished,” and figured I’d test it… or better yet, live it. That’s when I started measuring and documenting everything; or at least most of what I do fitness, health, conditioning and physique-wise.

Last year, barely a month into my Return to Ruggedness (Bajai Boot Camp Season III) regimen, I injured my shoulder. Those who’ve been on the path longer than I tell me how difficult it is to recover as we age, however I choose not to believe this and actively went about the task of rehabilitating my shoulder. Although I vowed not to lift weights until October of this year, I went back to lifting, in April (maybe?) – And that may or may not have accelerated my recovery. More than likely the massages helped also. The last time I injured a shoulder was 2008; I didn’t have the benefit of a massage therapist so it may have taken a bit longer to heal.

January 2011... I didn't know what was coming...

At this point I am lifting weights again and even bench pressing, although I’ve changed the method up a bit. People have noticed more upper-body definition and my measurements are going in the right direction (lower) albeit, slowly.

It’s a long road back to where I was, and now that I think of it, there really is no going back it’s all about progress. The body I have now is better in many ways than it was in 2004 (my strongest year), in spite of, or because of the injuries and what I’ve learned from nearly two decades of regular fitness training.

Nonetheless this year’s theme acknowledges that it is a Long Road Back… but to me, it’s worth it.