Motivation Monday: The truck tire edition

I’m in the Tampa area visiting my mom for Mother’s Day weekend. Staying in a city that isn’t your home for several days on end always means interesting and exciting changes to your workout routine, and this is no exception.

Running is always an option, of course, but Florida’s hot, soupy conditions can make outdoor runs prohibitively uncomfortable. On past visits, this has led me to swim at the crack of dawn with a local master’s team or visit the local rec center to use the free weights and stationary bikes. On this visit, it led me and my mom to a gym near her home that offers a la carte classes to nonmembers.

When we parked in front of the center, my gaze immediately fell on a giant truck tire sitting in front of the center. A dear friend of mine coaches high-school football, and has his players flip truck tires to build functional strength. Is it possible that the little gym near my mom’s house does stuff like that? We walked inside.

A friendly receptionist greeted us, and described the various membership packages. We scanned the list of classes. I spotted a few I thought my mom might like, but nothing that sparked my interest.

“What’s up with the giant truck tire outside?” I asked.

The receptionist’s eyes lit up.

“That’s for our Boot Camp class,” she said, grinning. “It’s on the schedule for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but we meet on Tuesday and Thursday, because we like it so much.”

Turns out, “Boot Camp” is code for “non-branded CrossFit.” I took a CrossFit class in Bethesda, Md., in the fall for a Bethesda Magazine feature I wrote earlier this year. I enjoyed the workout, but haven’t felt the need to find another class since then. But a non-branded version at a random gym in Florida involving a truck tire and people who are so into the workout, they meet between classes for more torturous fun? Yes, please!

I’ll try out the class tonight. I expect to be sore tomorrow, and to have some fun stories to report back to you on Wednesday.

What’s motivating you this week?