The spectacular views while running in Waterton National Park, Canada

I really hate running…all the panting, the aching knees, the back pain, the burning chest, the inevitable stitch in the side. I really want to love it, but I am just not a big fan of running.

However, one thing that I do at every RV park we go to is take at least one run. I’ve done it at every RV park from New York to Montana…in every RV park we’ve stayed at so far.

As I’ve written before, I am a tad obsessive when it comes to working out in the RV, so running is just a part of managing that obsession. After all, when you live in a cramped tin box RVing full time, you gotta get the hell out of that thing every now and then or you WILL go insane.

Doctors have proven this to be true…

Not one to ignore a doctor’s advice, this is exactly what I do.

The Worst Run I Ever Had Full Time RVing

The worst run I did was in Mitchell, South Dakota. I really wanted to run at mid day, but it was nearly 105 degrees, so I figured I’d wait till it cooled down at night. As soon as it turned a balmy 102 degrees at 5 o’clock at night, I went for it.

I ran on a road that was so long, so straight, so boilingly hot, as I was running I couldn’t see the end of the road clearly because it had those heat waves that blur your vision. I eventually deduced that the road actually disappeared at the horizon. Needless to say, I didn’t run to the horizon…that would have been in Wisconsin somewhere.

Instead I ran to a parked corn harvester I figured was probably a mile from our RV camp site, then I turned around and came back. It was the most brutal run I have ever taken.

The Best Run I Had RVing Full Time

The best run I have ever taken while RVing full time was the last one I just took in Waterton, Alberta, Canada.

Waterton, Alberta is on the other side of Glacier National Park in Canada. Its not a very well known town, as most people usually just visit the American side. In my opinion though, it is not to be missed.

Waterton is surrounded by some of the most majestic mountains in the Glacier/Waterton National Park and the views of the mountains from the town are spectacular.

So after we drove the two and a half hours to get there from our RV camp site in Hungry Horse, Montana I was ready for a run in the cool mid 60’s temperatures.

And it was the best run I have ever had. In fact, despite the elevation, I felt I could run for hours…although everyone was waiting for me back in the hotel to go to dinner. Here’s the view:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjRsyEpbekc[/youtube]

As we were in Canada, I felt the only thing I could play on my ipod was the crown jewel of Canadian rock, Rush. I was in a mid 80’s Rush mood and listened to “The Big Money” in fact…an odd choice for me as its really one of their weaker songs. But the view was the real story anyway.

What a run it was.

What’s the best workout you’ve ever had? Its OK if it was the 12 ounce variety as well. Comment below and I’ll respond…I even answer the phone while I’m running….

I sure as heck dont look like this guy....I wonder if he's ever full time Rved?

OK, I have a confession to make…I am totally addicted to exercise, I admit it.

I go INSANE when I don’t exercise every day. When I don’t exercise, I turn into a cross between a rabid grizzly bear and one of those nasty ogres from the Harry Potter movies.

And when you live in less than 300 square feet of space, this has a tendency to put a damper on your quality of life…

To put it mildly, its been a bit of a challenge while we’ve been RVing full time to exercise regularly. And when you live in a small space and your exercise of choice is lifting weights, how the hell do you bring a weight bench and weights in a full time RV?

I don’t think Lee Haney or Arnold ever had these issues.

It’s not like I don’t have other vices as well (do I have to mention them all here?)….but if push came to shove, I think I could give em all up except one: exercise.

Exercising in an RV Full Time

My wife thinks I’m totally obsessive compulsive on this exercise thing but I don’t think so. I gotta give her credit though, she knows when I need to exercise…its like she has a sixth sense and encourages me to do it. She even makes sure I have TIME to do it.

God bless her.

I kind of equate exercise to brushing your teeth. Exercise, like brushing your teeth, is something that I have to do every day (at least for me)…and in the case of brushing your teeth you gotta do it twice a day. But with exercising you only have to do it once a day (although it takes a little longer, especially if you brush like my kids).

The Full Time RV Workout

Anyway, my workouts now have consisted of shutting the door to our seven by nine foot bedroom and in the roughly19 square feet of space that isn’t taken up by the bed. I do push ups and curls (with the dumbbells I brought) until I either puke, pass out or collapse from exhaustion – whichever comes first.

Here is a picture of “the full time RV Gold’s Gym”…its really kinda pathetic:

Ahhhh how I miss the days of having my own private gym in my basement….

Surprisingly though, my workouts while RVing have actually been pretty good. Its kinda like P90X meets the Brady Bunch.

I do 50 push ups, the kids come in and harass me, then I go do another 50 push ups.

Did Mike Brady ever have this issue in HIS den?

Setting aside the annoying (although I do love my kids – but they are annoying at times, all kids are, don’t even think about refuting this point especially if you have kids) distractions aside, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I can do even with a severely limited space.

It may have to do with the fact that I have given in to the distractions in a sort of tai chi/feng-shui/ju-jitsu kind (no idea what any of these really are) of way and started using the distractions to make my workouts more efficient.

I heard somewhere that Sun Tzu would use the strength of his attackers against them to defeat his opponents.

Or maybe that was Bruce Lee?

Did Bruce Lee ever RV full time? I don't think he lived long enough....

I have no idea…

Anyway, here’s how I exercise while living in an RV full time.

How to Exercise While RVing Full Time

All Eastern philosophy that I clearly don’t understand aside, here’s what I do: Alex or Eli come into “the gym” and instead of me yelling at them to get out, I grab them and immediately instruct them to jump on my back while I’m doing push ups. I do these pushups until I can’t do any more.

And they jump off my back just before I am going to either stroke out…or dislocate my shoulder.

They seem to sense when to hop off. It is truly amazing.

In fact, I think its one of the miracles of RVing full time…like the Jesus in the slice of bread thing you hear about all the time in midwest.

It works out pretty well. In fact, these Bruce Lee workouts are some of the best workouts I have ever had…

In the nearly two months since I’ve been RVing full time, I haven’t gained any weight and I actually seem to be getting stronger. Its kinda crazy but it seems when I work out now in the RV, there is so little time, so many distractions that I know are on their way into the full time RV gym, that I work out DOUBLY hard and do it in half the time I used to do it in.

After all, I did Insanity and P90X, but I actually think my RV workout is harder…

Maybe I should record my workout, put it on video, do infomercials like Tony Horton, advertise on GoRVing.com and call it the “Full Time RV Bruce Lee/Feng Shui/Sun Tzu Workout”???

What do you think?

Post a comment below and let me know what you think. Trust me, I’ll respond…even if I’m mid-workout….