I know I’ve slacked off with my running stories for a few months now. The good news is that I haven’t been writing because I’ve been doing a lot of living and haven’t had much time for writing. Several people have asked me, “Are you still running?” My answer is an emphatic “YES!”

I’ve been running, I’ve been leading Nashville Running Tours, and I’ve been practicing yoga. Now, it’s a new year and for me, January and February mean getting my home and my body in shape for the coming year.

Around the house, we just had a closet system installed in our guest room closet, spurring me on to even more cleaning and organizing than usual. Sometimes I enjoy just throwing open the closet doors and admiring the marvelous organization. If you live in an older home like mine, you understand. They weren’t installing palatial walk-in closets back in 1949, so you’re thrilled any time you can build in more storage.

Getting my body in shape is trickier.

My weight is fine, but I’m working on becoming stronger and more toned. Running in the winter is tricky because of the weather, so I’m supplementing my runs with workout videos.

I’ve been fascinated by P90X workout infomercials for many years and recently saw their infomercial for their latest program, P90X3. My running partner-in-crime Erika has listened to me talking about P90X for a VERY long time and being my voice of reason, suggested I check out some of their free online workouts before actually purchasing the expensive videos.

After this morning’s run was rained out (call me a wimp, but running in the rain in the winter is just miserable), I turned to Tony Horton, Mr. P90X, for my morning workout. Erika warned me there’d be lots of push-ups and she was right. But there were also parts that weren’t so hard for me, like cardio.

I was thrilled to realize I actually enjoyed the workout. Honestly, Tony Horton seems more than a little full of himself (as my grandmother would say), but the guy is in enviable shape. He does one move where he goes into a handstand and then, with crazy control, pulls it down into a push-up. Insane, people. You can see it for yourself courtesy of YouTube.

A friend recently asked me if my motivation for working out is staying in shape. That’s part of it, but the biggest reason I work out is because I have honestly come to enjoy it. Like drinking water, once your body gets used to exercise, it craves more.

Working out is the grown-up version of playing.

If you’re stuck inside this winter, look no further than the Internet for tons of free workouts. In addition to P90X-style workouts, there are free yoga classes, barre classes and options for any workout you’re curious about trying. Expect to stumble through a workout the first time you try it, but you really do get better the more you do it. And if I keep at it, a set of P90X3 videos may be in my future.