Gastrocnemius

It's an unseasonably warm here in DC today so I decided to wear a skirt to a meeting because honestly I'm tired of wearing pants all the time.

I am settled in the UberX back to the home office when I realize the driver is going to be chatty; he's not just asked how I am but how my week has been.

"So, do you walk a lot?", he asks.

[internal groan...must be reasonably polite]

Me:  "No, not really.  I'm a weightlifter."

Him:  "Oh, that's it.  'Cause I seen your calves."

[internal groan/feminist outrage/oh right the calves again]

He continues "yeah, your legs they are large so that must be why.  What inspired you to get into weightlifting?"

[not a question I was expecting, thinking this conversation could go in a more productive direction]

"Well," I explain, "I'm a Crossfitter and that's part of it."

"Right," he says, "but how do you stay motivated?"

And that question was the moment I knew this was an opportunity to actually coach this guy.  How wild and unexpected.  Put down my feminist outrage and we had a really interesting conversation about his fitness routine and journey during which he seemed to resonate with the following of some of my favorite lessons:

1)  Sometimes you're not motivated, and that's OK.  You've got to do something and the motivation will come.

2)  This guy was trying to get back to a 2 hours per day fitness regimen.  I suggested to him that it wasn't necessary, and potentially not sustainable.  And, it would be important for him to change it up.

3)  I talked to him about rewards--setting small goals and rewarding himself.  For example, I said, if you workout three times this week, you get to buy something for yourself--not food--that you want, like a new album or something.  He LOVED this idea.

4)  He told me he no longer had equipment in his home like he did when we was working out every morning.  I said, "hey, no problem.  Start with bodyweight exercises like planks, push ups, burpees (yes, I said burpees), lunges, squats..."

But I'm still a city girl so I had him drop me at the corner instead of in front of my house.