My Two Writing Teachers colleagues and I are hosting the 14th Annual March Slice of Life Story Challenge, in which teachers from around the world participate in posting a story per day.
Along with the March Slice of Life Story Challenge, I’ve taken on a second challenge in hopes it will help me get through the last leg of the pandemic with my sanity and my health. My other challenge is to exercise every day in March, and so far I’m really doing it.
Last March, when the pandemic first started and everything was closed, I signed up for a Peloton App membership. I don’t have a Peloton bike. I just do the strength and cardio workouts. It was free at first, and I loved it so much that not only do I pay for it now, but I’m never stepping foot in a gym again. I’ve always hated the gym—it’s always been just a chore for me—but I love the Peloton workouts.
Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know which instructors I like best. I’m a little bit embarrassed to say that I’ve done enough workouts with my favorite instructors that I know their voices as well as I know my closest friends’ voices. I’ve pieced together little bits and pieces of their backstories from the chatter that they provide during the course of any given workout. “Yeah baby!” “No ego, amigo!” “Get that glazed donut look!”
Jess Sims was a basketball player (college maybe?) and former teacher, Andy Speer was a gymnast, and Rebecca Kennedy was a cheerleader in the NFL. I know that Jess has a dog named Sierra, and I’m pretty sure Andy is dating a model. (That last detail actually came from a friend of mine who is also similarly addicted to the Peloton workouts, so I can’t verify it, lol). Would these instructors be weirded out that people like me are keeping track of this stuff? Probably.
Anyway. Today I’m on Day 16 of my exercise challenge. In those 16 days I’ve hiked, skied, done core workouts, full body workouts, cardio workouts, and yoga. During those 16 days I also had surgery, so I’m feeling pretty good about the fact that I kept it going despite the two inch incision on the back of my arm. So yeah, I think Jess, Andy, and Rebecca would be proud.