What haven’t I done to get my workouts in? Almost nothing. Am I addicted to exercise? No. I’m addicted to feeling great, running fast, sweating as much as any human can sweat and eating back all of the calories I burn off. If that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right.

One of many vacation gym workouts!

One of many vacation gym workouts! This was taken at Caesar’s in Las Vegas. It was in a basement type room and those “plants” outside the window are fake and are on a rooftop. #WorstViewEver

When I got pregnant with the twins, people had a lot of shit to say, as you can imagine. One of the most popular topics was of course my fitness and how it may change. There were more then enough women telling me my running life would have to take a back seat and many more relating their tales of woe and how it all went downhill after little demons started ruling their lives.

The difference between me and most of these women was this: I actually want to work out. I want to run, bike and swim until I can barely breathe and, something told me I would be feeling an even greater need to get out and run after having not one, but two baby boys.

I was right.

In the six years since their birth, I have gone to some disturbing great lengths in the name of fitness. I remember the time when I…

...signed-Up for a triathlon three months after they were born

Yes. I did that. I’ve written about it because when you go that far off the rails, it’s just too good of a story not to tell. I think I blocked most of the training out because I haven’t a clue how I biked and ran (I refused to swim) to get anywhere race ready in time for my very first triathlon ever. I did it though and it’s one of my proudest accomplishments. Postpartum, it was one of the only things that made me feel like myself again and that was worth more then sleep at the time. Truly.

My very first triathlon. I had a mountain bike with road bike tires on it. #ForReal

My very first triathlon. I had a mountain bike with road bike tires on it. #ForReal

…did P90X and other ridiculousness in the living room

For the first six months of the boy’s life, or the time I refer to as “pre- B.O.B. running stroller,” I was trapped in my living room for most of my workouts. I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to do some dreaded strength training and I knew someone who could loan me a copy of P90X. I hated it, but I did it. I enjoyed the plyometrics but little else.

I have one memory of trying to do some of the ab work. I was flat on my back grunting through leg lowers with basically no ab function whatsoever. I felt so weak and so unlike myself, and then my shirt came up a bit to give me a full on view of my flabby, deflated looking, post-twin belly. It was horrifying and I cried hard until the boys cries for food were louder then my own.

…asked people to watch my kids so I could race

I cannot tell you the number of times I have had to juggle the boys and a race, but I haven’t missed one yet. When they were younger I would have little sleep, lots of packing, instruction giving and more packing. The race was the easy part.

The boy's babysitter and her daughter. She is my saving grace and I have no idea why she keeps coming back! #CrazyTown

The boy’s babysitter and her daughter. She is my saving grace and I have no idea why she keeps coming back! #CrazyTown

…ignored security guards and ran though it anyway

Unlike when I’m on my bike, on foot I can easily go though, around and sometimes over almost any road block. I’ve been yelled at by security, police officers and road workers alike but I pretend I can’t hear them over my iPod. I have yet to feel like my life was endangered any more then simply being out on the road with traffic.

…woke up at a very un-vacation-like hour on vacation

I’m either cursed or blessed that no one else in my family runs. Since I don’t have the excuse of running with someone else later in the morning, I have woken up at 5am on family vacations, to get my run in, for years. Most of the time it’s very rewarding and I can run out to the ocean or check out the downtown area when no one else is around. Plus, the sunrises are pretty amazing.

I could actually feel my soul smile when I saw this in the early morning hours in San Francisco.

I could actually feel my soul smile when I saw this in the early morning hours in San Francisco.

One vacation in particular, when my brother and I were both newly married, we left our respective spouses to fend for themselves with my evil grandmother very early one morning. I don’t think either one of us told them our pre-dawn plans, and they woke-up to my 90-year-old nasty Cuban grandmother in the kitchen and no one else. Surprise! That’s what you get when you’re not a runner.

This is a picture from that long ago vacation. That's my grandma's happy face.

This is a picture from that long ago vacation. That’s my grandma’s happy face.

The point to my confessions is this: Make excuses to exercise instead of coming up with all the reasons why you can’t. Anything is possible if you make it a priority.

[Tweet “What is your best excuse to fit in fitness? Anything is possible when you make it a priority!”]

 

What have you done in the name of fitness?

How do you fit workouts into your busy schedule?

 

 

 

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