Today I went for an easy run with a friend after work. I did a few short pickups at the end.  I used the tried and true leave-workout-clothes-in-the-car-and-by-all-means-do-NOT-go-home-before-working-out strategy. I used to do this all the time, when I worked at a place that was about a block from my gym, while home was about five miles away. No matter how fried I was at the end of the day, I always made myself go to the gym before driving home. After all, I’d taken the time to pack my gym back and schlep it to work, I owed it to myself to at least try.

Now the issue is not that I am not in the mood to work out. It’s that when I walk in my front door, Sweet Pea looks up at me with a grin and a little giggle, and then all I want to do after being out all day is play with her, read to her, or just watch her do her thing (eg practicing pulling herself up to standing, looking at books, putting random objects in her mouth) for the short time we have until bedtime. What can I say, I’m into her. Being into someone who doesn’t work out and balancing other commitments (ie work), means you need to be extra calculating about figuring out when you will fit in a run, otherwise it will easily get pushed to the back burner.

 It’s like dating someone who doesn’t work out. I dated a guy once who wasn’t into regular exercise. He tricked me by inviting me on bike rides the first couple of times we hung out, which in retrospect, were obviously dates. Once I got really into him, it was sayonara bike riding together, hello just hanging out and being waaay too sedentary.  Eventually he dumped me, I was sad, and out of shape to boot. I’m pretty sure Sweet Pea isn’t going to dump me, at least. Not until she’s 15, anyway.