Commitment

How committed are you? Really? What would it take for you to skip the gym?

Well, for most outdoors runners, a hurricane is a pretty good reason to skip the morning jog...but not us! Last Friday when I woke up, it was sprinkling. It had rained hard during the night, but was definitely letting up. So I called my mom as usual and we both headed out for our mile alone until we met at the corner to go the other 4 miles together.

It was sprinkling, but no big deal when I started out. I have to run along this road that doesn't have a sidewalk or much of a side of the road to get to our meeting point...and it was super fun

on Friday because all the cars that passed by sprayed me! Between the inevitable puddles and cars spraying me, my feet were completely soaked by the time I met my mom, but we were both already wet so we decided to continue on.

At one point it started up so hard that we stood under a tree for a minute, but soon enough it lightened back up and we were off again. It alternated between just sprinkling and full out storming, but we made the whole five miles! We were absolutely soaking when we were done- I stood in the garage and rung out my shirt, headband, ponytail, and each of my socks before going inside to wrap up in a towel. I wanted to take pictures for you, but it was pretty gross and I didn't have my camera on me- sorry!

The way we see it, you are pretty much ringing wet when you are done running in Houston anyway...usually it is sweat, so the rain is actually kind of nice. Plus once you are already soaked, why stop? We can't really get any wetter, so we just continue on!

I will completely accredit this attitude to my mother who hasn't missed a day of running due to

weather in close to 30 years. Running was just something she did, like showering or getting dressed, to get ready in the morning and she did it in snow, extreme heat, and even hurricanes! (Disclaimer: the hurricane actually hit south of us, so we just got lots of rain...don't worry!) I am proud to say that I am slowly adapting this way of thinking too and I feel awkward without my morning exercise.

So here is a thought for you- what would stop you from exercising? Why? How can you make yourself do it anyway?

On anther note, I have a challenge for you this

week: DO YARD WORK! Why? Here are the top 3 reasons I came up with.

1. It is a good workout. Pushing a lawn mower is no easy task! And pulling weeds can be a great exercise for your legs if you squat. Sweeping or raking sure makes those arm muscles sore. It is a great way to mix up your workouts...

2. It is good to be outside. Fresh air is good for everyone...it makes you happier, no?

3. It can be a good form of service. Service is a win-win situation: you feel good and something that somebody needs is getting done! Find an elderly person, chronically/terminally ill person, or a mom whose husband is serving in the military or just works long hours. Still at a loss? It is summer and a million people go on vacation- see if you can find someone who will be out of town for a week and offer to take care of their yard while they are gone. This is a great option for people, like myself, who do not have a yard of their own at the moment.

I have been taking care of my parents lawn while they have been traveling this summer and it is getting easier the more I do it...I finally found the self-propel lever, which has helped a lot! It is nice to get some fresh air and I always feel like I have had a good workout when I am done...just remember to drink lots of water while you work!

So make a commitment this week to figure out how you can do some yard work and report back!