Six weeks of Women & Weights came and went quickly, more quickly than I expected. I learned a lot throughout the program, such as new exercises to incorporate into my solo workouts, proper form, and great AMRAP and EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) circuits to explore. I am excited about the knowledge and confidence I acquired, and I am especially grateful for the reintroduction to strength training, which will serve as an important part of ultramarathon training in the coming months.
But the end of any journey begs an answer to the question, “What comes next?”. For many of the women in class, Kris included, the answer is easy: they have already signed up for the next six-week session of Women & Weights, intent on maintaining the strength and friendships acquired through weeks already spent together exercising. At the conclusion of each class, I can see in these women personal satisfaction for having shown up and put in the effort to become better.
For some of us, though, life demands another path. Be it schedule changes or other obligations, that Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. class unfortunately can no longer fit in our busy lives. Thankfully, there are other options for those of us in that boat. Another Women & Weights class at 6 a.m., countless other live and virtual group classes at Beacon Health & Fitness, and other motivating programs such as Hiking Club, 5k Fridays, and Tour de Indiana – a six-week cycling program during which participants ride 270 miles, the distance of Indiana – await us.
These other classes and programs may evoke similar feelings of apprehension that stepping onto that green turf for the first Women & Weights class did, but we know now that the apprehension is no reason to say no. It is all the more reason to say yes. Because we know now that we are stronger for saying yes to difficult things, and we are better for coming together with other individuals seeking improvement. We are athletes. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. Better. Fearless.
And we will take that with us wherever we go next.
By Natalie Weiss
