Feelin' FIT!

All this running and cross-training has helped me reach some personal fitness goals. At my Stroller Strides class last week, we had a fitness assessment. It reminded me of the Presidential Fitness Challenge we did in grade school. Remember the test of how many sit-ups you could do or how fast you could climb the rope? This was a personal assessment, not a competition, although I do admit, my competitive juices flowed a little, especially during the timed run *wink*

I am probably in the best shape I have ever been in. About ten years ago, I got into working out quite a bit. I lifted weights five or six days a week, but my cardio was usually limited to around 30 minutes or so. Now, I feel like my fitness is at an even higher level. I not only have the muscle tone, but the cardio fitness as well.

During the assessment last week, I was able to do a 90 degree wall squat for four minutes!! I might have been able to do a little longer, but I didn't want to kill my legs for the rest of the week (I had a race to run!). The muscles in my legs were quivering by the time I quit.

I was also able to do 26 pushups in a minute! These were no girly pushups either! I was also able to do crunches for seven minutes straight. My ab muscles hurt more than anything else the next day. There were a bunch of other exercises (calf raises, leg extensions, lat pull-downs) and I am excited to see if I can improve these during the next few months' assessments.

So a simple decision to run a marathon has brought my fitness to a level I haven't experienced before. I am actually thinking about trying to become a personal trainer. This is a tough decision, however. While I know I would love it, and I think I would be pretty good at it, it doesn't bring in the kind of income that I was bringing in prior to quitting to stay home with the kids. However, it does offer a lot of flexibility that my previous career never did. When I am ready to go back (once both kids are in school), I am not so sure I want to work the kind of insane hours I used to work. It would be nice to be home when the kids get home and be a room mother etc.

I hope this post doesn't see too boastful. I just wanted to write about the fortunate outcome becoming a runner. A friend of mine today, who I haven't seen for a while, commented on my fitness and asked how I feel. "I feel GREAT," I replied. And I do.