i joined a gym

You know those holiday movies where the family all plays football in the crisp fall air after Thanksgiving dinner? Well, I’ve always wanted that. As my boys get older and older I am getting closer and closer to enjoying those holiday football games. My oldest played his first sport this year…basketball. Not only did he look so cute in that uniform, he’s pretty scrappy on the court.

He kept his head in the game and was pretty intense all season. Watching him score baskets was priceless.

He took it upon himself to ‘train’ at home. Some of that training involved wanting to race me. We hadn’t raced in a few months. He has gotten so much faster!  I don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines winded and out of shape when he is a teenager wanting to play football after Thanksgiving dinner. This mom wants to have some game during the teenage years.

Last fall two of my incredibly buff (as in their muscles have muscles) friends and very not buff me registered to run the Warrior Dash this year. The Warrior Dash includes: Mud Crawling, Fire Leaping, River Running, Hay Bail Climbing and a bunch of other obstacles. I signed up not really thinking through the fact that those obstacles were spread out over 3.24 miles. I am not a runner. I haven’t run a mile since a college credit required it.

Photos from Warrior Dash Facebook Page & Website

So combining my desire not to die in a pit of mud on the Warrior Dash and that fact that my 7 year old is almost as fast as me

….I joined a gym.

I used to work out all the time…but that ended 7 years ago. I worked at local gym in the childcare area….with teenage girls more interested in their cell phones than the kids. It turned me off on joining a gym again because I didn’t want my kids in childcare. Well I found a new gym…with great childcare. When I joined the gym they looked over my weight, height and last time I did a regular excerize routine. Then they told me my body is 3 years older than it should be – based on the fact that I am “so inactive”. I kind of wanted to show the trainer my Wii karate moves and let her know that she should never tell a mom with 4 young kids that she is has an ‘inactive lifestyle’. But I didn’t. She also told me my goal body age is 27 (I’m 31). That was the first time it really sunk it that I am no longer in my 20s. Signing up to join a gym is not a fun experience.

So I got me some new youth size running shoes. I fill my water bottle up every morning and I hit the gym. In the last 2 weeks I have learned a few things:

1. Gyms are not designed for new people….they are a club where only the members know the rules.

2. Treadmills have too many buttons.

3. The water aerobics class is super enticing when you are watching it from upstairs on a treadmill with too many buttons.

4. I have no coordination.

5. “Body Step” should be called “Body Step, Shake, Run, Twist, Turn, Flip and do a little jig only the front row people know”

6. I can try all I want to turn up the volume on the little tvs on the machines, but I still won’t be able to hear it.

7. I realize everyone on machines with tvs wears earphones….I’d hear the tv if I owned earphones.

8. God forgot to give me tricep muscles.

9. The mirrors during “Body Combat” clearly show me that I in fact do hit like a girl. Bummer. Need to study Rocky videos.

10. I can drink an iced caramel macchiatto and not think twice about the calories – the first 2 minutes of “Body Attack” took care of those.

Honestly, it has been a needed change in my life. I’ve put it off for so long because I felt like there just weren’t enough hours in the day for me to add going to the gym to my daily routine. I was already super active at home, but I had no idea what a great mental release it would be for me. At home most of my free minutes are spent doing something related to online or this blog. My mind was often cluttered trying to keep ideas organized for various responsibilities I have. I’ve been feeling a bit uninspired creatively. It has been so good for me to add something to my schedule that is not related to anything online or anyone else. I may be in the back row of the classes just trying to somewhat keep up, but it has been kind of a retreat for me. I’ve been sore in places I didn’t know existed and that has been so good. My mind is getting clearer. My step has a bit more bounce. It feels good.

Warrior Dash…here I come.

Boys, your mom will take you down on the football field.

Arrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh!