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Winter Workout: What Are You Made of?

February 22, 2012

by Deborah Lowther

Four months ago a friend and I made a commitment to each other that we were going to workout together. Twice a week. All winter. OUTSIDE! Neither of us had any idea what we were in for, if we could actually do it or how much we would both love it!

I won’t pretend its been all sunshine and roses. In the beginning we were both thrilled to have found a fitness friend to work out with. However a few weeks in to our winter bike rides, the temperatures and strong wind threatened to challenge us, but we peddled on!

This commitment we made to ourselves and each other has certainly shown us both what we are made of. Winter is cold, its windy, its dreary, it snows, it freezes, it melts, we are tired, we have kids, we are busy, we are normal! Some days you just don’t want to put three layers of clothes on knowing your face will freeze while sweat is dripping down your back.

You remember the exhaustion you felt getting up that last hill on the country roads and you’re not sure where the energy will come from to conquer it today. But our commitment to each other has been stronger than those little voices inside trying to talk us out of heading outside for our Winter Workout.

We have pushed through when we didn’t think we could. We have met regardless of the temperature or wind chill. We have survived frozen toes, dirty bikes, faulty water bottles, a tiny crash, mud puddles, icy patches and 40km/h winds. We have seen snow and frozen ground and adjusted our routes by taking to country roads if trails are too icy or pulled on hiking boots if a fresh layer of snow greats us when we wake up on riding days.

We have gotten so much stronger on our bikes – remarking just last week about all the spots we used to stop for a rest, where now we just stop to snap photos of our new animal friends on our trails. We have been impressed with the challenges we have faced, and thrilled with how awesome we have felt afterwards.

We have learned a lot about each other too. We are a determined duo – neither one will be the first to cancel our workout date; neither will let the other down! We are dependable – on time, dressed right, ready to ride, every single week. We both have our strengths – on flat ground I can move, but on a downhill, that girl whizzes past me!

We’ve had our moments – climbing off our bikes to walk that darn hill we just can’t make it up and nursing sore muscles as our legs adjust to the workouts.

We’ve had our injuries – don’t tangle with tree roots unless both hands are firmly grasping the handlebars (ouch)! We’ve had our laughs – newspaper paparazzi caught one of us ‘unidentified cyclists’ in action! And we have witnessed some of the most spectacularly glorious mornings as we cycle on the roads, by the lake, through the trails, along the creeks, and past the barns in the sunshine, the wind and the snow.

Most of all, we have pride in knowing that we have DONE IT! We have spent four months outside huffing and puffing against the wind, with snow in our face, dirt up our backs and the glow in our cheeks that only an outdoor Winter Workout can give you. Thank you my friend!

Do you know what are you made of?

Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. You can visit her websites to learn more Iron-kids.com and AdultGummies.com

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Outdoor Fitness: Wind At Your Back

December 15, 2011

by Deb Lowther

There is a popular saying among cyclist and runners: “May the wind always be at your back.”

It is our hope as we strap on our bike helmet and tie up those running shoes that the weather will be kind to us. Of course, the wind can’t always be at your back, unless you plan to ride endlessly in one direction, eventually you have to turn around and face the wind.

My Friend in Fitness and I are now in week five of our Winter Workout and we can tell you, the wind has NOT always been at our backs! We believe we have met our outdoor fitness challenge and faced it, head down, head first and directly into the wind!

Each week we ride in the trails for some very good reasons; it is beautiful in there no matter what the season, it makes the ride go by so fast as there is so much to look at, and it shelters us from wind, rain and even sun in hot weather. However, there is a good 15 minute bike ride we must endure to get to the trails we love. These 15 minutes are usually the hardest on the way home with the winds usually working against our tired legs. Exercising outside in winter doesn’t come without challenges!

On week three, we set out for our ride. I had checked the weather forecast and the 35km/h winds reported were not encouraging but we were quite used to 25km/h winds on this stretch of road so how bad could 35km be? Besides the winds were against us on the way home usually, we would worry about it then.

Well, Mother Nature had a test for us it seems! That was some wind. And it was against us for the first 15 minutes of the ride TO the trails this time. We were in for a challenge right out of the driveway!

But you know what? We did it. It took us a little longer, we needed a couple of breaks, our hands were freezing, our noses running but, we made it to the trails. We had a beautiful wind free ride in the forest and when it was time to ride home, we had a little riding party! Those same winds that tested our determination on the way to the trails, easily pushed us home as we congratulated ourselves on a ride well done!

We take each week as it comes, and so far the weather has been very kind to us. It is December now and we have yet to see real snow. We have yet to face temperatures below -2. We have had only one rainy day and because it rained nonstop for 36 hours, there was no way we could safely ride our bikes outside that day. We made the decision to go to my gym and spent 60 minutes on three different cardio machines to make sure we kept our heart rates up and fulfilled our goal to work out twice a week together.

So five weeks in to our Winter Workout we are feeling fortunate the snow has not yet fallen, and feeling confident that together we can handle anything the weather may have in store for us!

Stay tuned for the next part in our Series of Winter Workouts!

Catch up on our first part, working out with friends!

Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. You can visit her websites to learn more Iron-kids.com and AdultGummies.com

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Outdoor Fitness: Working Out With Friends

November 28, 2011

by Deb Lowther

Are you a lone rider or a groupie when it comes to working out? Do you go to the gym regardless if Betty Sue can make it or do you use her “schedule conflict” to cancel your own workout?

I have been active since I was about 10 years old. It started with my parents and the ParticipACTION program that had us doing sit ups, chin ups and skipping as a family in our basement. We would accumulate enough points for a badge and if we beat the other team (me and my Mom against my Dad and brother), the winner would get ice cream at the end of the month! Well, everyone got the ice cream, but the non-winners had to pay!

We went for small runs as a family, longer bike rides and weekend hikes. I watched my parents go to the gym and when I got old enough, I went to aerobics classes with my mom for years. I was lucky to be raised in an active family, which helped to instill lifelong habits, the knowledge that it is important and the desire to be fit.

As I started running on my own and got my own gym membership, I cannot count the number of friends who have said “I’ll work out with you”. They did. Once. Maybe twice. Never for very long. I became a lone rider.

After three kids, it became harder to find time to get out so I would squeeze in a run at any opportunity, making it difficult to plan runs with friends. I did join two running groups and have a standing invitation for local Saturday morning runs and longer Sunday morning trail runs. Sometimes I join them, but often I choose to run during the week when my kids are in school so weekends can be family time. Again opting for the lone rider!

A couple weeks ago I mentioned to a casual friend that I was riding my bike to some trails and going for a 10km run and then riding home. She was intrigued as she had recently committed to getting back in shape. She physically couldn’t do the run portion (yet!) but would meet me for the ride.

Working out with friends is better and exercising with a friend helps to lose more weight? It really is true and studies have been done that prove it.

So far, we have gone out for three rides together. We are working up to the running part but for now we are having too much fun on our bikes. We are gone for an hour and a half and battle some fierce winds, cold temperatures, challenging trails and share some good belly laughs!

So follow our journey as we both commit to our Outdoor Fitness/Winter Workout twice a week – outside. . . all winter! Wind, snow or rain! Biking as long as the trails allow, then switching to running or maybe hot tea drinking?

See if these two lone riders can take it outside and motivate each other to make it through the harsh winter and be Friends in Fitness!

Would you work out more if you had a friend to join you?

Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. You can visit her websites to learn more Iron-kids.com and AdultGummies.com