Now that the weather is FINALLY starting to warm up (it HAS! Remember the subzeros of January?), it’s time to start finding ways to get outside whenever possible. It’ll be hit or miss for awhile since snow is always possible until May. (Yes. May.)
Two years ago I invested in a very fancy, much-loved stroller called a Chariot Cougar 2. It is basically a lightweight aluminum chassis with attachments to be a jogger, a bike trailer and a cross-country ski trailer. I felt it was important to get a stroller that can be used during all seasons. My husband thought it was important for me to quit talking about it and finally gave in.
Hunk and Diva ready to go with me for a walk down our road yesterday. Pretty cozy, yeah?
Except when you’re the engine on this coupe. Both of them together weight approximately 80 lbs!
I’m much more likely to make it a habit of taking them with me when I exercise when I know the drama will be kept to a minimum whenever possible (though there’s a good reason my daughter’s nickname is Diva and nothing is ever completely drama-free when she’s around).
Exercising outdoors with kids in tow is a learned skill for both mommy and kiddos. It is quite different to plug in to your ipod and pound away at a treadmill while someone else watches your kids for an hour and a half (ala YMCA child watch – which I use and love) than it is to push two kids, shoulder-to-shoulder, in front of you down the open road with no way out except to turn around and go back.
Which is why I LOVE the Black River Trail, located on Huntington Street on the Black River in Watertown.
The trail is paved, 3.5 miles end to end and it runs alongside some spectacular views of the Black River (in my opinion, a vastly under-appreciated body of water and source of recreation in Watertown).
I’m not sure if people just don’t know about the Black River Trail, or if maybe I go at different times than most folks, but I’m always surprised at how quiet it is (that is, until my kids get tired of their recliner on wheels, climb out, then run screaming to the point of exhaustion during our visits).
I bring snacks. I bring the iPod and the Leapster (which I hide except for emergencies). The kids watch birds, look at the water and more or less enjoy the ride. Since there are no cars anywhere close by, they can run free when they get sick of sitting. The only downfall when exercising there with kiddos is that sometimes the river seems a little TOO close and there are often huge, tempting puddles of mud nearby the trail’s edge.
But we all love it. It’s literally fun for the whole family. By bringing them with me, I feel like I’m teaching them to take fitness seriously. I think it’s important to stress activity and overall health. Plus, I might not always find it fun to be outside when the conditions are less than ideal, but I find it extremely easy to be awed by nature. I hope to pass that on to them. It is a skill that has served me well, wherever I go.
Today, after dropping off Diva at pre-school, Hunk and I decided to check out the trail to see if it was ready for spring revelry.
Not quite.
Welcome to springtime in Watertown.
