I remember 2014’s photoshoot vividly. It was a beautiful spring day in May. I packed up the City Select with snacks and strolled the boys a mile down the road to Kevin Hammett’s studio on Webster Street in Lincoln Park.
… if you live in Chicago, maybe you know Kevin too. He is THE best family photographer.
What a difference 8 years makes.
…for my boys
…and for me
Am I the only one feeling the time warp?
Before kids I was an endurance athlete (ya know, marathons, Ironman & various road races in between) and had a TIGHT KNIT group of endurance athlete friends.
We traveled in packs to put in long training days and raced together on weekends.
#purejoy
I tried to hold on to those endurance training days after my boys were born and built up to compete in a half IM triathlon when the boys were 2.5 years old.
Guess what.
…IT SUCKED!
Nope, not because it was physically challenging, (that kinda goes without saying).
It just wasn’t FUN.
Why?
Simple. I didn’t have “my people” on race day.
Inevitably I lost my training buddies during my transition into mom-ming as I needed to schedule my (solo) training runs and rides on my family schedule, which usually entailed my husband and I tag-teaming our workouts.
BUT, soon after, I discovered “my NEW people” at i.d. Gym….
I learned how to swing and press Kettlebells at a beloved 6am KB class every Wednesday and Friday. I LOVED this new challenge.
Kettlebells slowly became my new jam. I got physically stronger at the young age of 45!
I developed deep friendships and a belonging to this badass Kettlebell tribe. My people. ❤️ (2017 I got certified to teach KB!)
Then… COVID
Gyms closed. The world shut down. We moved to Wisconsin the summer of 2020.
My tribe… broken up again.😢
Maybe you can relate.
The silver lining of Covid… the introduction to LIVE-STREAMING training and classes!
Like most fit pros, I quickly pivoted from in-person training for Active Moms’ Club to live-streaming training via Zoom.
While I lost my in-person AMC community & KB tribe, we all continued to meet up online for our workouts (who knew!!!).
AMC alums who previously moved out of Chicago returned to live-streaming training! #winwin
FUN FACT: I have clients stream classes from California, New York, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota!
It’s the women inside of AMC who helped me stay connected when I moved out of state.
❤️ Together, through Covid we learned that we could lean into each other and felt a sense of belonging through our live-streaming workouts while the world felt so isolating.
Live-streaming classes continue to provide belonging for all our mamas.
It is what truly makes AMC so unique from just ‘another fitness class’.
So what else has changed for me in 8 short AND long years…
I’ve dialed down my time commitment for exercise…
(The reality is most mamas don’t want to spend their precious time doing an hour workout to get stronger! Well, besides me and the mamas inside AMC’s community.)
I’ve discovered some extraordinary a-ha moments on my personal journey:
- exercise doesn’t have to be an hour, or even 30 minutes for it to be effective
- deeply understanding basic movements and utilizing them in different ways
- listening to my body’s pain points and transforming them into possibilities
- boosting my consistency by making exercise ENJOYABLE
- following a specific format to take brain work out of exercise
I brought this new framework to AMC.
The shorter workouts have been transformative for my clients over the last couple of years.
It’s actually why I created AMC’s 30-Day Fitness Challenge that includes these 20-minute workouts.
I wanted to MAXIMIZE your workout time AND take the GUESSWORK out of exercise to help you feel more body confident and stronger— without going to a gym.
I’m opening up the doors again in April.
Until then, you can learn more here or hit reply and let me know if any of this resonated with you.
xoxo ~Coach C
P.S. We all want to feel supported and have a sense of belonging, that’s exactly what AMC’s provides. As my client, Katie declares…
