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The Pelino Family
Fit Family Profile
By Pamela Staub Pelino
The alarm went off at 5:45 a.m. It was dark outside. My workout clothes, running shoes and heart rate monitor sat on the dresser waiting patiently for me. Why am I doing this? I asked myself. Between carting my two daughters to ballet and bundling them up for skiing lessons, running to Brownies, selling girl scout cookies and trying to get the dog to the vet, I was questioning why I had committed to, yet, another "thing." I wasn't even a morning person. And when it came to early morning workouts, a friend of mine used to say, "Just do it. Don't think about it. Once you think, you've talked yourself out of it." It was great advice – even if it did originate from a shoe company. "Just do it," I said to myself.
I tumbled out of bed for our newest fitness activity. The before-school running group. Parents invited. Arrival time 7:15 a.m. Prompt. I checked e-mails, packed two lunches, threw down some coffee and then woke up my daughter, Sierra. Once we were dressed, we scarfed a quick breakfast bar and we were out the door.
The group always started with stretching and then a nice run outside. Once we were in motion, Sierra was wide awake. And I felt great. Awake. Alive.
The before-school running group is just one way we try to stay committed to family fitness. With two girls, Marissa, age 5, and Sierra, age 8, it's not easy to stay active. I'm busy. My husband is busy. Our kids are busy with activities and interests. Life is well ... busy.
Before we met, my husband and I had always been committed to our own personal fitness. We both played sports. I was into softball, volleyball, soccer, cheerleading and gymnastics. T.J. stayed on top of his game when it came to football, wrestling, rugby and rock and ice climbing. Once we were older, we sought out our own personal challenges. I trained for and completed a marathon. T.J. joined an ice hockey team – a sport he had always wanted to play. We both vowed that we would always stay active with our family.