Nature is at the heart of a real boot camp experience, and the California Bay Area is as close to ideal as I can imagine. Why would anyone want to be stuck in a sweaty weight room when you could be soaking in some of the most beautiful countryside on earth?

I'm a bay area native, and I've scouted just about all the terrain from the San Francisco beaches to the wine country. I make a point of mixing up the locations, so you have a choice of picking work-outs more convenient to you or getting out of your box and going someplace new.

HitTheHill teams train at Baker Beach, Rodeo Beach, Mount Tamalpais, Phoenix Lake, Indian Valley... and I'm open to your ideas, as well. This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

I highly recommend that you schedule more distant locations at least occasionally, to really make this special. It may be challenging, but the reward is more than worthwhile. Odds are, you'll be talking about doing HitTheHill for years to come, so you might as well get the best it has to offer.