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The Payoff
By workoutmommy | June 1, 2008
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This is a guest post by Jean Christofferson who lives in Greenbrae, California and is the mother of two active teenagers. Jean rows with Marin Rowing and runs Relevant Tools, an internet services company. Her latest venture is Swim Coach Direct, an online source of swim workouts and training tips that she developed with her daughter’s swim coaches. Check out the weekly swim blog.
I admire all of you Workout Mommies. I have teenagers and am just a Workout Mom. It is a lot easier. I don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to change diapers or chase monsters away. When I go off to do my workout I don’t have to worry about getting a baby sitter - my son is the baby sitter. I don’t have to figure out how I will get my daughter to and from school and sports - she drives.
But it wasn’t always this way. Back when they were babies the only exercise I got was pushing the stroller up hill. I certainly wasn’t running marathons but it was a start. We coaxed the kids on family hikes with the promise of a beanie baby if there were no complaints (yes, bribery works). Then they got old enough to start doing their own sports.
My daughter started swimming at age six on the local summer league swim team two blocks from our house. She loved it and by the time she was eight she was swimming year round. In addition to healthy snacks and changes of clothes for all weather I kept the mini van loaded with bikes and balls to keep my younger son active while my daughter swam. I tried to get him to swim as well but that wasn’t his thing and when he was old enough he finally settled on lacrosse as his sport. While they were both at practice I had an hour or two to go for a run or pop into the gym.
Once my daughter was old enough to drive I had even more time for myself and started rowing. Now we are both getting up at 5 am and she goes off to swim practice and I go rowing. It is great to have each other’s encouragement, especially on cold dark winter mornings.
So all you Workout Mommies, the pay off is coming when you graduate to Workout Moms with Workout Teenagers.
Topics: fitness, goals, just for moms |
June 1st, 2008 at 8:58 am
I guess I have never really looked that far ahead- that is a great pay off! Right now I keep my eye on the prize of them starting school and working with that schedule. I like the idea to have active things always in my car- I could totally utilize that right now. Thanks!
Hannah’s last blog post..MapMyRun
June 1st, 2008 at 9:06 am
Thank you Jean! I cannot tell you how much I appreciated this post. So often I feel like society with their Christina Aguileras and Keri Russels and amazing post-baby bodies & marathons & bikini spreads just demands more and more of young mothers. I feel like whatever I do it isn’t enough. So thank you for reminding me that there is a time & season for everything!
charlotte’s last blog post..New Experiment: Jillian Michaels’ Making the Cut
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:37 am
I’m not a mom but I can definitely appreciate the advice here. I love how you make the subtle distinction between Workout Mommmy and Workout Mom!! Yay for swimming…what a great workout
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
so often it becomes just making it through the day and squeezing in the workout with Toddler when SHE allows
thanks for the post!
MizFit’s last blog post..Monday Facetime
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Thank you to everyone for your comments. Enjoy the time with your little ones as you are the center of their universe and although it can be very tiring it is also very rewarding. Have fun!
Jean Christofferson’s last blog post..Assigning Value