fitness challenge 4 & 5 -- boxing and a bike built for two

My friend Angel has built a fitness space in her garage.  Her garage is huge. the people that own the house before her made it two stories and had a print shop over the car space.  Some is used for the bike and mower storage like any other garage. But does yours have a sink? Her 10-year-old has claimed most of that space for her play house (and storage for outgrown toys).

A portion of the playhouse is made into a fitness center. There are hand weights (Angel used to lift 20 pounds. Say what?) from 20 down to three. The child uses fives. Mom 10s. There is a punching bag, sparing gloves, mats and all kinds of fun stuff.

Yesterday I tried boxing. I played about 15 minutes and was wiped out. I spent about 5 minutes punching Angel. I had to be sure to hit the yellow dot otherwise I'd hurt her hands. "Harder." "Faster." she would say.  The sweat was pouring off me. (My fitbit didn't budge. Maybe I should have placed it on my wrists?)

Then it was time for the bag. A little low for me but it was still quite a workout. Angel is petite and the child is 10. It works at that height for them. That bag is a lot harder to move and control than I thought. It looks so easy in the movies.

Then we attempted the bicycle built for two. Someone gave it to Angel and she took it to the bike shop to have it checked out. A few weeks ago her and her daughter tried it, but Angel isn't tall enough to stand while on the bike. Gayle to the rescue.

First I tried it myself. Cumbersome, but doable. Then We tried together. There is a slight hill at her house, and we couldn't get started. We walked it to the top of the hill and tried again. We got it going and moved forward. We looked like a drunken sailor, but we did it. Eventually it smoothed out, we figured out breaking, balance and starting and stopping. Angel also had to figure out body language.  Then I got overconfident and we tried to turn into the alley and almost hit someones bushes. Oops. We only went 2K and I felt like I rode 5 miles.  Next time we are going to walk it to the bike path and try there. And take someone along to take pictures!

Afterwards we drove up to Mosey Wood to pick up the child at camp. "Worse time ever*" she declared as we met. And then spent the next half hours talking non-stop about how much fun it was and what she wants to do next year. 10-year-old drama.

Now I am headed off to pick up my niece. She's helping with a gold award project today—a walking tour of the murals in Allentown. Apparently there is more than the one in post office and in the art park.  The whole gang, plus, is going. She needs 10 for it to count. I think I'm delivering eight.

 This is Blue Franklin "Houdini" Ackerman-Parry. His name is really just blue, but when he escapes and gos to the neighbors the children call him Franklin. I call him Houdini because of his love of the escape.


 (*Roommate issues and a counselor who frowns on middle of the night latrine runs.)