Making time to work out together

From Mark's scrap book, after Daddy's first triathalon he did for his 30th birthday.
My workout was wrangeling 6 under six while he did his thing:)
Sheff and I are going to start working out agian.

We is the key here. Sheff often gets in good grooves with his man cave of weights but timing it so we are both getting in shape at the same time proves difficult as I am usually pregnant or nursing. Whilst nursing I enjoy things like hamburger cheese hot dish and whole milk. If Sheff asks if I want to work out I take it as a personal affront, my lip gets all wobbly and I ask if I am too "hearty". This is our joke because he, being a bit socially moronic, decided in our courtship to call me hearty. We had just ran trails North of Duluth, in Encampment Forest and had stripped down to dive headlong into Lake Superior. It was a compliment, we think now he was going for tough or amazing, but out came hearty and so we had a stomping march back to the family cabin.

Our first year of marriage we both studied and took tests to become personal trainers (little known Otis fact) I also took a certification test in nutrition from ACE. We explored our new neighborhoods by running, joined and quit gyms, taught classes and found ways to do strength training on a budget. It was really part of the foundation of our early life together.

Becoming parents and Sheff starting to work normal hours and do graduate work made our over the top fitness more difficult. We took walks with baby carriers and jogging strollers. I set goals with pregnancy and nursing, Sheff taught Phy Ed at a local school and ended up with a basement gym that had been downsized. Sheff explored working out with kids, even teaching Dadiator classes to motivate Dads to keep committed to family while getting fit.

Now 8 kids later, busy lives, commitment to church, school and sports we need to re draft what being fit looks like for us as a couple and as a family. Our kids seem to have inherited our love of movement. For me a chance to dance is heaven, for Sheff a chance to ski or train and complete a Triathlon is using time to the fullest. We clearly need to find a Triathlon that replaces the swimming section with dance and we can complete it as a couple:)

Wishing everyone rhythms of movement as we enter into a more sedentary time of year. Last night we went to Smash Burger to celebrate awesome report cards, today we are having a very cold family basketball game in the culda sac. As long as we all come in sweaty we did something right.

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