Cross Training

The Man sometimes worries that he's failing me as a running coach because he hasn't helped me implement any cross training. He envisions time for me on a bike (stationary, of course) or in the pool or on an elliptical (which is no fun because you don't see anything and you can't read simultaneously). I told him that I do cross train, and he laughs because doesn't this sound like cross training to you:

• Stairs while carrying between 30 and 60 pounds, 30 for a solo twin and 60 for both, plus whatever paraphernalia they are dragging with them (sippies! books! stuffed animals! cars that will slip through your fingers four steps down, land emphatically on your bare toes, and then trip you on the bottom step!).
• Walking all over base to chase an escapee dog while either pushing a stroller (60 pounds again) or carrying someone in an Ergo while breaking your back to hold hands with the other someones.
• Playing soccer with kid number 1 while carrying kid number 3 and simultaneously pushing kids number 2 and 4 on the swing. Balance, weight lifting, and aerobic exercise!
• Kitchen dancing--because of course.
• House cleaning. Remember back in the day when people just lived normally to stay fit because they didn't need to go to a gym and purposefully sculpt each separate ab in their six pack? Also, back then they didn't use machines to do everything. I totally hand wash my jeans so... yeah.  Lastly, my six pack wears stretch marks. Moving on.
• Speed everything: speed toy picking up, speed bed making, speed dishwasher loading and unloading, speed homeschooling. I have competitive children, and everything is a race. This should totally count.
• Trying to plank with children sitting on your back and then giving up because you can't stop laughing and then giving everyone horsey rides instead.
• Carrying a huge bag full of library books back and forth from the library at least once a week.

Anyway, it may not be the typical definition of cross training, which normally runs something along the lines of "training in two or more sports to improve physical fitness and performance" (don't quote me on that), but I definitely qualify motherhood as an extreme, full body, endurance sport that can also be qualified under "contact sport" and sometimes even "combat sport". It is not, however, competitive, which is lucky for me because I'm pretty sure having your kids bail on nap time two days in a row would dock points--and I really don't like losing.

Tiny--wearing a helmet at all times because did I mention "contact sport"?

At any rate, cross training: in our house, up for redefinition. And my version seems to be pulling its own weight at present. Either that or my runs are highly motivated by the promise of chocolate milk at the finish line.