Run for Fun?

Like most former athletes (probably), I have a love-hate relationship with working out for the purpose of being in shape. There is nothing better than exercise-induced euphoria or noticing my clothes fitting better because there is smooth muscle where there once was lumpy fat. I also enjoy thinking of myself as an athletic, energetic person, which can be hard to do when I eat ice cream on my couch more often than I break a sweat.

At the same time, no workout will ever be as enjoyable as my athletic career was during my prime. I played volleyball in high school and 1 year in college. I played indoors and beach. Playing volleyball is an amazing workout and the cross-training we did was super effective. Cardio, strength training and plyometrics ... talk about SWEATY! They didn't seem like such a chore when I did them with all my friends and I knew I would be a better player for having done them. And no one (i.e. myself) can push me as hard as my coaches did.

I miss playing a lot. I miss feeling like a part of the volleyball culture. When I would go to an AVP tournament, I would see familiar faces all over the place. I went to Misty May's setter's camp back when she was the best American woman college player at Long Beach State. Karch Kiraly, a friend of our club director, would give us motivational speeches and talk about his legendary career, showing off his gold medals he claimed were normally kept in his kitchen drawers. Volleyball was my life for a long time, which made it easy to stay in shape.
Now, I am always trying to fit in workouts, but it's never consistent and it's rarely enjoyable.

When I say enjoyable, I actually mean it. There are plenty of workouts I can get through without actively hating it or wanting to quit, but few that I look forward to, have fun doing and feel better afterward. I can think of two off the top of my head: yoga and swimming. And really, unless you have a specific fitness-related goal, what's the point of working out unless you like it?

I have a jogging stroller but I just don't find running enjoyable. Instead of enjoying a post-workout high, running usually just reminds me of my weak lungs and tender shins. I save running for when I am super motivated to work out.

I always look forward to Yoga and wish the class were three times as long as it is. I know, I know, I said I didn't do yoga. I used to think it was boring and I didn't quite get the whole culture. But then I found a place that specializes in "yoga for athletes" and doesn't do the whole chanting, ritual thing. I find it hard, challenging and super effective.

And swimming...well, I have never been good at swimming. I worked up to swimming a mile a few times a week, but I don't know how to do flip-turns and I'm probably not using great form. I would love to take a few swimming lessons this spring, maybe at the local college. Swimming laps is super convenient and cheap for me...there is a nice lap pool in my community. But I haven't been going lately because I prefer to swim when it's light outside. I like swimming because it's relaxing and I can feel my muscles strengthening while I do it.

It's hard to work out when you have a baby...I either go before PJO heads to work or once he gets home and Timmy is in bed. The YAS (Yoga and Spin) class is at 5:30AM, and I would go every day if it weren't expensive. There is a video that I might check out, although my past experience tells me once I buy it I will never actually use it. I'm fairly active...I walk a lot and carry around a 28 pound baby. But I don't consider it exercise unless I sweat. This is how it becomes all or nothing...I will go days or weeks between hard workouts with nothing in between rather than doing moderate, easy-to-maintain exercises daily. If I can't get my act together now, I can only imagine how sedentary and lazy I will become when I start working. Eeek.