For fifteen minutes

The baby wakes at five to nurse- he is punctual like that. When we are done I set him on a Boppy pillow next to E in the bed so I can get dressed. My clothes are laid out, a bag packed. I leave a ready to feed bottle and top on E's nightstand so he doesn't have to get up if the baby wakes. Then I quietly slip out, bag slung on my shoulder.

I get there after a quick ten minute walk, and check in. I know exactly how much time I have. I find what I'm looking for- a bicycle that reads heart monitors and counts cadence and provides a spin class type experience. Only, I have 15 minutes. Twenty if you count setting the bike up properly. I have my music ready for some work out tunes. The machine challenges me to keep my cadence at a specific rate and keep my heart rate rising, then falling at a specific rate. I pick an intensity that will make good use of my 15 minutes.

When the time is up I head to the locker room for a basic shower. By this I mean the water takes so long to warm up this early in the day, that I spend less than a few minutes getting clean under the weak and at best "not cold but not warm" water.

I check the clock as I dress for the day. I am exactly on time. It is cold out so I need to dry my hair. Thankfully my short hair makes that a quick task. I am bounding up the stairs and on my way home at 645.

I walk in with baited breath, hoping there is no screaming or crying. There isn't. Ranger remembered the prep talk from the night before: mommy will be gone when you wake up, she is going to the gym, but she will be back to take you to school.

It's now seven and E needs to start getting ready for his day. I have prepped the diaper bag already, and picked out clothing for Ranger for school. Now it's like any other school day.

It seems like a lot of time, waking up at five leaving at five thirty returning at seven, for a fifteen minute work out. But it is MY fifteen minutes. Plus the walk there and back- it is time I have devoted to keeping me healthy.

What do you do to stay fit? Do you go to a gym? Play Wii dance dance? Bike with the family?