Taking it Outside
A beautiful April Sunday morning in the Northeast and 2 toddlers who were going stir crazy inside! I decided to take the kids and their bikes to the high school track so #1- they can burn off some energy and practice their pedaling skills and #2- mommy could get a work out in that I normally don’t do. Cross Training is key, and I’m the “president” of the international support group for those addicted to Chalene Johnson’s formats like Turbo Kick, Turbo Fire, Hip Hop Hustle, and PiYo. (j/k)
- Johnny (5) Peyton (2)
I decided I was going to do some runs, drills, bleachers….take advantage of my surroundings.
Your work outs don’t always have to be in a gym, a work out video, or with a trainer. Just setting up a basic plan of action for the work out, find a location, and just GO! Moving is moving! It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Hubby was away snowboarding in UT on this weekend. Being a mom of 2 toddlers, running a full time home business, and a boat load of other obligations, p/t jobs….it’s easy to have the excuse that I just don’t have the time to exercise. Or use the excuse, the kids never leave me alone to work out. So stop the excuses, and just GO!
No clue what you could do? Does it really matter? There are so many websites, YouTube videos, magazines etc in which you can EASILY find a couple exercises, and just GO!
We get to the track, set my 5 yr old up on his big wheel and my 2 yr old up on her little trike (1st time she’s formally on a bike—my mom method- sink or swim)
I take off running the track. I’m not a runner. I don’t enjoy it. Those so called endorphins, runners high, I think it just what people say to pretend that running is fun. I do enjoy being outside on a nice day, but running to me is not my 1st choice. Where’s the music? Where’s the dancing? Where’s my Turbo? ….I digress 😛
Kids are having a BLAST! It’s like a race-car event, pedaling on a super flat surface, no risk of cars, and LANES!! I keep running. I decided after each lap, I would drop and do 10 burpees. Growing up, we called them Squat thrusts, but in my adult life, I guess they are now called burpees. (shrugs shoulders)
So as I keep running, I’m left with my own thoughts. I notice- WOW! there are a lot of bobby pins in Lane 1. Not really the other lanes, just lane 1. Who is losing all these bobby pins? The young girls who are training for HS sports? It is in style to use bobby pins to hold back the side swept bangs. Or is it the retired grandma’s coming for their daily walk on the track. Cause you know, bobby pins = grandma’s. Right?
WOW- another lap done! 10 more burpees.
Running, so why is it an international standard that we all run “left”? Am I overdeveloping my left turning capabilities? Will I have an awesome left buttcheek and left side oblique from all this training? Why don’t we run right? Why don’t we alternate? Have you ever tried to run right around the track? Did you keep looking around your surroundings for the track police to give you a ticket- wrong way!!
WOW- another lap done! 10 more burpees
Running, so I wonder if I could get over those hurdles again? Maybe if I have it on the lowest setting, but will I still have my awesome hurdler form I had back 20 years ago? Remember that horrible feeling right before the 400 meter hurdles race. I hated that feeling. I never understood why I had to keep doing that race. OH yea, cause no one else wanted to!
WOW- another lap done! 10 more burpees
So I set the goal that I would at least run 8 laps. I can do 8 laps. I get to 8!
Running, so isn’t it weird that if I say I have “4 more laps to go” that sound so much worse in my head- like ugh- 4 more! that’s a lot!! As opposed to saying—“I’ve done 8 laps. 12 laps is so close to 8, it’s Easy- to get to 12. I can do that!”
WOW- another lap done! 10 more burpees
All in all, This was my work out:
- 12 laps with a total of 120 burpees (10 burpees after each lap)
- Bleacher runs- 12 up/downs
- 3 sets of walking lunges (24x)
- 3 sets of pushups
Results, enjoyed the day, got a work out in that involved my kids, the kids had a blast riding bikes and playing on the bleachers, my 2 yr old increased her pedaling skills,cross trained, and a no excuse day!