Fitness Friday: A 'Rolling With It' Photo Essay

[ 8 ] 10/30/2009 | christieo

It doesn’t matter what your family life or your situation is, (staying at home, working, wife, not wife, student, husband, boyfriend, kids, no kids…) life just has this very peculiar talent for getting completely in the way of whatever it is you are doing or shooting for.

Swine flu, the economy, ingrown toe-nail, you know. It’s all out there, looming, threatening us, trying to bring us down.

For me, one particular day a few months back, my issue was child care. My son was not doing the kidcare at the gym, he would just scream until they would page me over the intercom to come get him. Which honestly isn’t the ideal situation to workout in anyway, let’s face it. How easy is it to concentrate (and not feel guilty) knowing your child is likely crying in the next room?

My mother-in-law, who would have come over that day, couldn’t. Without fail, when I’m training for something, the closer it gets, someone gets sick. My kids, me, whoever is watching the kids, it is without fail that shortly before any sporting event, unplanned chaos breaks out. And I remember that week was rough, I had already missed two workouts and missing a third wasn’t an option because I was training for a triathlon that was a couple weeks away. For about a second, I was crushed that I wasn’t going to do the workout I had planned, especially because I had already missed two. And if I ran with the jogging stroller, I knew it still wouldn’t be the workout I planned. I can’t time my runs because pushing this 30 pounds makes me much slower than usual, and I can’t usually go as far without dying off.

But, still. It was better than nothing.

So I decided to enjoy it. My advice to you? Roll with it. Or in my case, stroll with it. Get out the house with two things: your water and your camera. This one day it was one of my most favorite, memorable workouts. The next time you’re not feelin’ the workout, think about grabbing your camera and taking it on your run so you can blog about it later.

I forget that even though, physically, jogging with the stroller isn’t a real fun workout for me, it is real fun to be with my baby out in the fresh air taking it all in. And for him, well, it’s time with mommy and it’s a riot riding in that chariot, especially when mommy blasts the music (I do get some looks when I’m running blasting Linkin Park with the baby in the stroller.) So the rest is a post best told by pictures.

I did actually hold the camera while pushing the stroller and running. It took about three tries because I have that point and click that has about a 20 second delay on it. So I only got half a me.

And some shoe.

This is the turnaround point aka alligator pond. I haven’t actually seen an alligator at this pond but I know it’s there and the pond is so close to the sidewalk that I know I’m going to see it eventually and I am always looking in the grass around me. You know. Just in case. If I’m going to be on the menu, I want a shot at fleeing.

This is one of the only shady parts of the run. Oh sure, I love its beauty (yada yada yada tree-lined sidewalk and the overhangingness) but really I love the shade. And if I’m real lucky those people on the right over there just beyond that sign run the sprinklers in the morning for the condo complex, so we get a nice little sprinking to run through and by this point we need it because we’re hot messes. It’s one of my favorite parts!

Oh, besides this part. The path goes along the bay and it really is a really pretty run. That day, the water was like glass. Not a wave in sight, just flat and beautiful.

Plus I get to ogle a little and picture what I would do with a winning Power Ball ticket. Yep. You guessed it. That ain’t my house.

And then when we’re all done enjoyin the sights and getting in some good, hearty, out of breath, lugging-pushing uphill downhill (the jogger only got away from me once) cardio, we get this:

Totally worth every minute. I actually can’t remember enjoying a run so much, but I always think had I threw in the towel on account of not rolling with the punches, I’d have missed some of those moments.

So it was a good day. And I’m glad I had my camera.

No, not every workout is going to be how I wanted it, when I wanted it, or where I wanted it. But part of the journey is taking time to enjoy all the stops. Besides, he’s part of why I’m doing this anyway. He may as well enjoy it with me.

About christieo: Christie O. is a 30-something freelance writer and mommy to two little boys. She loves training for random races to lose weight and who went literally from couch to 5k to half-ironman to marathon, losing 55 pounds along the way. Christie O. also blogs at www.averagemomswearcapes.com. View author profile.

http://worthfamily.blogspot.com/ Nancy Sabina

Some of my best workouts where when my youngest was in that “scream the whole time” phase when we went to the gym. It just made me work out harder because I knew I only had like 10 minutes before they'd page me. So I'd run like crazy for those ten minutes! And that way if I got 12 minutes or even a blessed 15, I'd just feel like those were bonus minutes. It was a game to see how far I could get before they paged me.

But your run does look lovely!
BrookeF

your little man is precious!! :) love the bloggy pictures! :D
http://www.littleladybugthatcould.blogspot.com ladybugs714

What a fun idea. I bet he loved going with his momma too! I agree, sometimes its too easy to let everythng get you bogged down with everyday life. I need to refocus and take time to work on myself…that's slipped away the last few weeks.

Oh and the house….there would definently be a Shrinking Sisters GTG if you lived there!
http://www.whooosthatgirl.com Lissa_ShrinkingJeans

Fun! Great post!

So you might have to wrestle ALLIGATORS while you are out running? EEK.

Love that house too!
http://nothingbutchatter.blogspot.com/ kiminia

What a great post!!!

I have just recently (4 days ago) gotten bakc on my treadmill! the first day was a 1 mile test I pushed myself on.. the other 3 have been first thing in the mornign .5 mile runs. I am loving it!!!
http://www.babytealeaves.blogspot.com Christie O.

I wish we'd have talked a couple weeks ago!!! I finally went a couple more times and now he's gotten used to it. But boy was that hard. He would SCREAM bloody murder the entire time and I'd feel so guilty and creep in near the door to see if he'd stopped, oh it was bad. But today he ran away from me like no one's business and didn't even say Bye! breakthrough. But rough-going with the mom guilt at first.
http://www.hopeslifeadventure.com Hope

Great Post! Thanks for the reminder there really is no excuse – just do it anyway!
http://www.joggingdoublestroller.com baby jogger double stroller

My heart is with you. It is not really easy to deal with unexpected circumstances that surely is bothersome. But considering life is too short to be spent worrying, I may say enjoy your bonding time with your cute kid while doing your favorite workout.