Sense of Achievement

    I am ass deep in an exciting new endeavor that has the ass-kicking potential of the toughest OCR out there. A new sport? A new workout regimen? No, Firefighter Academy. So far, none of the tasks are physically impossible, or even particularly brutal, when approached individually. It is the repetition, and duration that begins to wear. Lifting, unrolling and rolling. Lifting, unrolling and rolling a 50 foot section of hose over and over until the movements are burned into muscle memory. Properly pulling a Minuteman load; carry 100', drag 50', then shed the carried load flake by flake, uncoupling, and restoring the load. Over and over. Deploying 500' of heavy hose, shouldering and carrying 25' the entire distance is a great cardio workout.  For more fun, wrestling a charged hose. It is like wrestling an anaconda, keeping it pinned and controlled as it tries to push you around and escape. Crawling through a darkened building, up and over obstacles, staying in physical contact with your squad. And all of this in heavy turnouts and SCBA, about 60 pounds of gear, including heavy boots, for 7 to 8 hours. This is an amazing endurance workout. I have quickly adapted to the restricted movements and weight, and now can easily ignore my gear.
    I am proud of myself for having spent so much time preparing my body to withstand this adventure. I am holding my own with 20-something men, and am often called "the fittest person here." I am ending each day pleasantly tired, but not achingly so. I am recovering quickly with only mild muscle stiffness in the days after. I have enough energy to get in a run after I get home from academy. Tonight I will swim my usual 2 miles and drills, which will loosen my muscles wonderfully. Just 2 months and I will be signed off to go on calls. This week I will be fitted for a uniform. Only 3 months until graduation, followed by 8 more months as a probie before attaining my Firefighter One certification. This is a loftier goal than a race, an event, a tourney. It has added an urgency and importance to my physical fitness that no hobby could have ever managed. The sense of achievement is heady brew.