Alternative Medicine.

It's very ironic that I'm writing this post, because as of this moment, my career is based out of a brick and mortar, humming treadmills, flashing ellipticals and weight machines as far as the eye can see, traditional gym.  Now please don't get me wrong,  I truly *love* my job and I love my gym,  down to every last stationary bicycle and all of the dust and dirt I clean off of them (that's not sarcasm either. I'm happy to see people getting fit!).   But truth be told, if I have my choice, my favorite place to get in my personal workout is, well..

...not in the gym.

Almost daily I sit down in my little shared office in aforementioned gym to meet with new gym members. I ask about their exercise history, and the majority of them have very similar stories: they have been on and off the exercise bandwagon more times than they can remember, but have never, ever been able to stick with it.   Conversation from there varies, but almost always comes back to the number one point I try to stress with newbies (well, everyone really): find something YOU love.  Fitness doesn't have to be about treadmills and step classes...unless of course, you love those sorts of things, in which case, by all means wear out that motor on the treadmill.  I've met women who have lost 50+ pounds shaking their booties in Zumba class, and Zumba class alone. It's all they do.  I've met people who dropped 3 or 4 sizes simply swimming laps.   You are FAR more likely to stick with and become successful at something if you genuinely enjoy what you are doing.

I've always had a short, yet tunnel visioned, attention span.  I find things I love and I almost obsessively THROW myself into them, until I quickly burn out.  This is the reason why simple distance running and I have the perpetual on again, off again relationship drama worthy of a daytime soap opera. I love running with all of my heart and soul, but training plans drive me batty.  "What are we doing today? Running for a few hours. How about tomorrow?  Running for a few more hours. Guess what's on the agenda for the day after that? You guessed it! Running!!!" Monotony is my enemy.

Enter, my new love.  One that keeps that attention span on it's toes, and has had me looking forward to pushing myself to my limits daily: Functional training.

Everyday it is something new.  Forget being strong at one thing, let's find your weaknesses and push your limits at everything.  This is why I'm becoming addicted to crossfit, and why I think it's going to be a key component to training for this Ultra Beast craziness.  And while I fully plan on continuing to hit up the local crossfit box as much as possible this summer, life as a single mama consistently proves that plans and reality are often vastly different creatures. I do what I can, but improvisation and learning to go with the flow are key elements to my life.  Heck, single mom or not, I'm pretty sure adaptability is the only way to survive as a parent, period.   Point being,  I have not been to crossfit all week....or last week.  That broken tooth and accompanying infection (see the last two whiny posts) really did a doozie on my body. Oh and the kids and the bunk beds. But enough excuses.  The frustration of not doing everything I wanted to this week, coupled with the realization that I *need* to increase my weekly training hours but don't *want* to take even more time away from my boys  had me really brainstorming.

And thus, I present to you my new, alternative "home gym" for the summer.

Pretty, isn't it?  We've got:

• a homemade, duct taped, 50 lb sand bag.  
• Two camel backs, one for running, the second one for hikes, which fits conveniently over the...
  
• weighted vest.  And it's pink. Fancy that.
  
• A bucket, for hauling around things like rocks and water, because you never know what they are going to throw at us out there in on the mountain side of Killington
  
•  Merrell Pace and Dash gloves to help strengthen my feet and legs for the thousands upon thousands of feet of elevation climb we will undoubtedly cover at the Ultra Beast.
  
• Kettlebells, because they are awesome and multi functional.
  
• And a red wagon. Why?  Because nothing says cross training like hauling 85+ lbs of my biggest fans up and and down the huge hill by our house, all while they yell "RUN FASTER, MOMMY!!"

We will be using the above equipment to play in the backyard, walk to playgrounds (those things are obstacle course training havens in disguise), go for kid friendly hikes, etc.  But the point of this blog post was not to simply show you my "fancy" (ha!) new equipment (like the awkwardly duct taped sand bag....that's way harder to do than it looks, FYI).  The point is, fitness does not have to be limited to the gym walls, or "traditional" exercise.   I, as a fitness professional, appreciate your business inside the gym. However, you shouldn't  let lack of funds for a membership, lack of time, lack of interest, or if you are like me, lack of wanting to spend your entire life in the gym, stop you from reaching your fitness goals.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Find your passion.  DO WHAT MOVES YOU.