Tiara Tuesday: The Big Ol' Treadmill in the Bedroom.

In my efforts to plan for a half-marathon next February, we recently ordered a treadmill so I could work out here at the house (and save on the monthly gym fee).  Let me just say this:  the thing is huge.  It takes up a big section of my bedroom and it's hard to figure out our best furniture configuration.

However, I love being able to work out on my own schedule and not having to figure out how to work out after a long day at work, getting someone to pick up the kids (or they unhappily sat in the lobby of the gym while I worked out), getting dinner on the table, and just making it all happen.  My few hours at home in the evenings while everyone is awake is precious, precious time, and it's a scheduling challenge to make it all work.  I became unwilling to sacrifice that time with my family and spent a lot of time in angst over the whole thing.  But, I'm a firm believer in health and wellness after devoting two solid years to the workout lifestyle, so I had to figure out a way to make it work for my family.  

A decent machine is pretty expensive (we purchased ours during a store promotion and got it for 50% off, and I also purchased a few free weights and mat for strength training on my "off" days).  But, when we calculated the costs for gym and the trainer I was working with each week, we realized that it was going to be much cheaper in the long run.  We were paying about $65 a month for our gym membership and then an additional $250 or so every 8 sessions for the ability to work out with a trainer.  Purchasing at-home equipment is going to save our family about $1000 this year.  I recognize that not everyone can spend that sort of money, but we used part of our tax return to make these purchases.

I certainly don't always want to run.  There are many nights I want to drown my sorrows in peanut butter eggs (Easter is about the only time I eat peanut butter), but I want to be strong, too.  I want my girls to know what hard work and determination looks like--even if they inherit their father's metabolism.  So, I put on my shoes and run.  I fight the sluggish feelings and I make myself put in the time.  I'm not fast, I'm not sleek, and I'm not pretty when I'm done--but I feel like I've done something when I step off that treadmill at the end of the workout.

And that's what makes it all worth it.