I have big dreams for an at-home gym with all the trimmings and none of the toys. It’s far in the future, and I typically do my jumps and lifting while sidestepping superheroes and Matchbox cars. I suck it up and do my best to pretend that really, I’m in a room of mirrored walls (to better watch my form and admire my changing definition) with all my longed-for equipment at my fingertips (the collection is building slowly but steadily).
It never works. That daydream inevitably grinds to a halt with sounds of sibling irritation, jumping on my bed, or simply, “MomMomMomMoooooo-ooom…MomMomMom…” You get the picture.
Today was different. 
Yes, the surroundings were the same. But after I put in my 30 minutes on the treadmill, I was followed by first my daughter and then my son, both logging 1.5 miles as part of their 5k training. We chatted about runs and inclines while I did an abs pyramid, discussed upcoming races while we stretched, sucked back water as we recovered. We were M&M Gym rats together, and it was quite nice indeed.
I set such a great example, I’d like to pat myself on the back for a moment if I may.
There’s been a lot of talk about how we can best achieve our goals (the phrase “that’s not fair” in reference to anything is no longer permitted here). It’s gratifying to see that sinking in. Running is not mandatory here. They want to actually run a 5k and they have witnessed that training is a prerequisite for any race. They asked for treadmill time and were absolutely delighted with the entire process (it was the boy’s first time).
And here we all are, sweaty and proud and energized. I’m pretty thankful for that.
SweatItOut 