Week three of the Academy

Bob is in pretty rough shape. They have been running-crazy running, all the Fire training stuff, pulling hoses, raising ladders, doing the Cross-Fit workouts(If you don't know what that is: 200 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, enough pull-ups to create all the blisters you see below, run so far, kettle bell swings-the ones that created the last back injury- and other stuff I am sure. Then the next day is something like row for a distance of 200-400 meters as fast as you can plus a bunch of other stuff. It changes everyday.)

You know Bob, he doesn't complain. Karen Bell says that she hasn't seen him smile for two months now. He can't straighten his arms. His muscles are all tightened up and so the best he can do is look like a gorilla. His hands hurt and so he has to pick stuff up differently. Then he has to face the fact that he doesn't have time to mow the grass because he has tests to study for and papers to write and a sermon to prepare and his wife does it.(I should have the boys mow, that might go over better.) In a nutshell, he is having a rough time.

Here is where they have been running. Bob compares it to Squaw Peak. Listen to all the names. This trail is located in the Devil's Kitchen area, the trail is called Serpent's Trail, and they run up to Hell's Gate. Sounds like fun. The first week they ran up really quick. The second week Bob said he started out to fast, trying to keep up, and they get back to the bottom and they start up the SECOND time. He was dry heaving and didn't do so well. He said the instructor said something like, the first week we ran up once, the second week we ran up twice, so what do you think we will do the third week?

This is when he reminds himself of why he is doing this. Could we live on his retirement? Etc. I think that it is harder than he even thought. Yet, the 20 something guy is having just as difficult a time as Bob. They had to help each other into their turnout gear the other day.

Keep praying. Seven more weeks to go. (One guy told him that it takes six weeks for your Cardiovascular system to catch up-they aren't going to worry about that, I guess.)