Cross Country Cross-training

At the tail-end of May, we (my wife, my dog and I) hit the road and drove approximately 1,600 miles from New York City to San Antonio, and back again. It took three weeks. We made several overnight pit stops along the way, so as not to make the drive too torturous on ourselves.

Of course, I worked out consistently on the trip. The great thing about not being tied down to a gym is that I can do my fitness training on the fly. I brought two kettlebells and a pair of dumbbells. On Instagram, I posted a photo of said fitness equipment alongside my rather heavy and bulky suitcase, and made the joke that “I don’t travel light,” which was met with the metaphorical sound of chirping crickets (here’s the post if you want to give it a much needed boost!).

In addition to having some weighted objects, I knew that the surrounding environment would offer me ample opportunities to get in my usual amount of cardio, strength and calisthenics workouts. Being adaptable prompted me to revisit some activities that I hadn’t attempted since I was a child.

The following is a recap of the journey in three parts, with a focus on how I continued my workouts while traveling.

Part one: Escape from New York

Prior to hitting the road I got up early, and instead of a cup or two of coffee, I banged out 100 devils presses and kettlebell swings. I literally experience physical pain if I have to be sedentary, but feel much better about having to sit in a car if I’ve gotten in a round of intense activity. The endorphins from an early morning workout are just as good, if not better than the caffeine rush I’d get from a cup of joe.

Our first stop was a horse farm near Hershey, Pennsylvania, which in addition to being full of horses, had several very friendly goats roaming around. We took Palbert on a walk at a local park and got caught in a thunderstorm. Then I made a dinner of pesto pasta, artichokes and sardines, did a bunch of burpees, squats and push ups, binge watched Portlandia and went to bed.

The following day after breakfast at the excellent Hershey Pantry, we had an eight hour drive. It was well worth it for a lovely visit with friends on their cattle farm in Kentucky. Our dog, Palbert, enjoyed playing with his new best friend, Hank.

Being among the cows made me really want to workout with my kettlebells. Perhaps I was making an association between the kettlebell and the cowbell?

I woke up early the next day, had a cup of coffee and did five sets of ten kettlebell swings, deadlifts, rows, cleans and presses and goblet squats. We had a leisurely send off, which gave us all some much needed personal time and time to catch up. Quite frankly, it was hard to separate Palbert and Hank. It was clear that Palbert was missing his buddy for a while thereafter.

From the Bluegrass State, we arrived in Nashville, Tennessee. It was our first visit to (arguably) the music capital of the United States, but since we got in later in the day, I was ravenous and we only had one night to spare; we got dinner. Then I did a really nice workout in a cicada-laden backyard, and had a good night’s sleep (the sounds of cicadas proved to be quite relaxing).

Before heading out, we met up with my wife’s friend from college, watched his house get demolished (don’t worry, it was planned!), got some really nice donuts and left for Memphis. Similar to Nashville, we were in town for less than twenty-four hours, so we didn’t get to do much more than fuel ourselves and explore the surroundings nearby our Airbnb.

Part two: Texas

After Memphis, we endured another long drive down to Denton, Texas. I had never been to Denton, and I enjoyed how it had both the vibe of a small town and big cultural hub. It’s kind of like a mini Austin in some aspects. We met up with our friend who has been motivational to my running regimen. We had a really nice dinner with lots of veggies, which can be hard to get enough of when you’re on the road; and a big, filling breakfast with lots of fresh fruit (Texas is a great state for getting good quality produce!).

The Airbnb we stayed in had a pool. I did a set of kettlebell exercises and some rotational push ups to work my core. Texas was in the midst of a major heatwave (it was 100 degrees that day), so I was glad to have the option of jumping in the pool after my workout.

We drove about six hours to get to San Antonio. Finally we could unload all of our belongings from the car, since this was our home base for a week. Almost as soon as we arrived, we zoomed off to my wife’s twenty-year high school reunion. This week was full of socializing, eating nourishing food and sweating in the hot Texas heat.

Despite temperatures around 100 degrees, it was great to be back in San Antonio, a city I’ve gotten to know well over the past decade. While my wife and I were still dating, a large part of it involved a long-distance relationship, and lots of eagerly anticipated trips between New York and Texas.

The heatwave was daunting, but I was undeterred. San Antonio is one of the best outdoor cities in the country. There are so many great local parks, such as Olmos Basin Park and the Salado Creek Greenway. I frequented Olmos Basin Park because they’ve installed outdoor fitness equipment along a half mile paved loop. While walking Palbert around the looped trail, I’d stop at the pull up and dip bars, as well as the inverted row bar and do a set of ten chin ups, dips and inverted rows. I did three laps, which meant that I walked a mile and a half and did thirty chin ups, dips and inverted rows. It was a great way to combine low impact cardio with high intensity strength training.

At the Salado Creek Greenway, I decided to challenge myself by running a mile in over ninety degree heat. Like many of San Antonio’s trails, there’s lots of shade, and I was well hydrated, but I never attempted to run in such high temperatures before. It felt great, and my body actually kept cool from the breeze my strides generated.

Working out with my kettlebells in the backyard of my in-law’s house was a really nice outdoor experience as well. My mother in-law has done an excellent job with gardening and setting up a sanctuary for the native birds. I get to see a large variety of birds every time. The heat index made my workouts so much more strenuous, but the pleasure of birdwatching helped me cool down in between sets.

Our stay also included a lovely afternoon at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens with our friend and her daughter. The gardens had an “exhibition” that paired site-specific artwork by Hunt Slonem with their usual variety of plants. I personally didn’t think Slonem’s giant sculptures of monochromatic rabbits added much to the already striking arrangement of plant life. I was inspired by the garden’s landscape architecture, and enjoyed pumping out a few sets of push up variations alongside the artfully displayed flora.

Working out often means working up an appetite. In San Antonio, the food options are good, and far more economical than New York City. Healthy and fresh Mexican cuisine is not hard to find. I enjoyed several high protein meals (Texas Redfish easily makes my top five list of fish to eat) with abundant amounts of veggies, and cups of fresh fruit, generously sprinkled with chili flakes for dessert.

I didn’t want to leave San Antonio. Even after a week, it felt like we had just arrived. There were a lot of things I didn’t get to do or see this time around, but we're planning to return in the winter, when (hopefully) the weather is a little less stifling hot.

Part three: Arkansas and the return to New York

After Texas, we had another reunion to attend. My wife’s family has a biannual gathering in Arkansas. It’s held for one week at a state park with a large lake and lots of hiking trails.

It’s a fitness lover’s paradise with an enticing array of water and land activities to partake in. This spot is where I learned to love running two years ago. I didn’t do much consistent running this time because of the heat and humidity. However, I did a lot of different cross-training type workouts, and evoked my inner child through some playful, yet intense workouts.

We had a cabin that overlooked a portion of the lake and marina. Our cabin had a large deck and our own dock, both of which were ideal for enjoying coffee and exercising. I typically started my day with 100 burpees and 100 push ups, then had breakfast and socialized with the family. Then in the early afternoon (before it got too hot) I’d do my main workout session. This consisted mainly of dumbbell and kettlebell exercises on the deck/dock, but also a calisthenics session if the nearby playground was empty.

I drew inspiration from the setup of this particular playground. Being away from my home gym, I had to find less traditional ways to do some of my go-to training exercises like chin ups and dips. I hadn’t attempted crossing the money bars in a while (the last time was quite possibly 30 years ago!), and they're definitely a lot harder as an adult than they were as a child. I did a few variations of them in between sets of chin ups.

Palbert also got to express his athleticism at the playground. Taking a big and young dog on the road for so long is never an easy task. It turned out to be a great time to bond and work on his recall training. As an added bonus, he delighted us with some excellent agility training sessions. My wife and Palbert have a very strong bond, and through her guidance, he learned to perform two obstacles.

Another rewarding interspecies moment was taking Palbert on a five mile hike. We traversed a lovely and slightly strenuous trail (which I later discovered was full of ticks…), and I was so impressed by his handling of the rough and steep terrain.

The highlight of all the activities was a paddle boat excursion on the lake with my wife. It was a good transition from one of my intense workout sessions into solid state cardio; but much more than that, it was a way to enjoy the lake more intently with the love of my life. We paddled fast to get out to a remote spot, away from the other boaters, swimmers and fishers. Then we coasted, took it slow and enjoyed our surroundings and each other’s company.

There are many different species of fauna on the land and in the sea and sky. Being in the boat was a great way to get close without being disruptive. We saw so many turtles lined up on logs, a great blue heron and a longnose gar that gave us a pleasant surprise when it jumped out of the water right in front of us. We had this experience on our last day there, so we really did save the best for last!

From Arkansas, we had a nice layover in Franklin, Tennessee. Our Airbnb host saw me working out in the backyard, and recommended a nearby park that had outdoor fitness equipment. The park, called Pinkerton Park, reminded me of the Olmos Basin Walking Trail. It’s much larger though. Instead of completing two laps to make a mile, you only have to go around the loop once. The chin up bars are located roughly at the half mile point. I did three sets of ten chin ups, then another three sets of five chin ups, but this time I held the concentric contraction position for five seconds each rep.

Despite all its beauty and charm, Franklin felt haunted. That’s no coincidence, as it was a hotbed for the Confederacy, as well as a strategic site for the Union. It was the setting for one of the American Civil War’s bloodiest battles (nearly 10,000 troops lost their lives in the battle of Franklin). That tension is still present across the United States landscape, and traces of the turmoil Franklin faced in the nineteenth century are evident in today’s political and cultural environment. Being on the road, away from the comforts (and echo chambers) of home, really hammers in the fact that this country is full of hypocrisy and struggling to hold itself together.

From Franklin, we went to West Virginia and were reunited with my wife’s parents. Since we’ve been visiting them in West Virginia over the past few years, I’ve found a local park that is perfectly suited for calisthenic workouts. The chin up bars in the park are quite tall, so I have to jump up to reach them. This step adds a little extra exertion to the process.

Similar to my chin up routine in Franklin, I did both strict chin ups, as well as chin up holds. To be precise, my workout consisted of five sets of ten chin ups with ten air squats in between, then five sets of five chin ups holding each rep for five seconds.

Our last pit stop before returning back home was a farmstay in rural Pennsylvania. This was one of the most unique Airbnb experiences I’ve ever had (tied with the horse farm near Hershey). The cabin was situated on a small airfield. We got in around nine at night, and the grassy runway was lit up with orb-like lights. I was eager to see it all in the daylight. Before we left in the morning, I set my mat up alongside the runway and did a grueling set of 100 one pump body builder burpees followed by fifty alternating arm kettlebell snatches and swings.

The trip home was a swift three hours. We’ve been back for three days, and I’m already back to my bad sleeping habits and heightened anxiety. It may sound counterintuitive, but I tend to sleep much better and have less stress when I’m away from home…One of my summertime goals, aside from having fun in the sun, is maintaining good mental health hygiene wherever I may be.

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Thanks for reading this somewhat long account, and continuing to support all of my recent and ongoing journeys. I’d like to sign off by wishing y’all a happy belated Solstice. May your summer be fruitful and fantastic!

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