When Molly Field decided to turn some new neighborhood friends into work-out buddies, she created a convenient gym where the women could gather, right in the backyard of her Burke Centre home.
Eight Ponds community neighbors meet biweekly in Field's backyard for a one-hour intensive work-out in the early morning. The twist is that all of the women are mothers in their 30s and 40s, so their children come along and play outside while the moms sweat it out with their personal trainer, Mike Gannon.
"A lot of moms can benefit from this type of thing," said Gannon.
Instead of working out in a gym and having to put their children in daycare to do so, the women work out together while their children play just feet away. Field's backyard is perfect for it, since plenty of space is available and a state-of-the-art playground structure is on hand to keep the children busy. Every once in a while, one of the mothers has to stop to attend to a child, but it works well since they take turns helping out.
"You'll see us doing lunges with the babies," said Field.
The women met while walking on the path to the Terra Centre Elementary School just down the street. Over time, they began introducing themselves, and after a while they were getting together socially for dinner or other activities.
"She lured us in with margaritas, and then presented this [work-out] idea," said Lisa Carey.
Field looked on the Internet for a nearby personal trainer who makes house calls. She found Gannon and told him about her idea for an exercise boot camp in her backyard. He thought it sounded interesting, and eight weeks into the program the women said they're seeing incredible results.
"This boot camp period has been one of the most exhilarating times in my training career," said Gannon. "I have just as much fun as they do."
Gannon wanted to keep the group at about eight, since he walks around and gives personal attention to each woman. The nice thing about the program, said Jackie McCown, is that each woman works out at a different level, but Gannon makes sure everyone does the best to their ability. He pushes everyone really hard, said McCown, but they have one way they can voice their frustration.
"We can say 'I love pain, I hate Mike,'" said McCown. "I tend to say it more than most of them."
The eight women share Gannon's time, and split the cost of his services. Terri Melone said it is cheaper, more fun and nice since they don't have to leave the neighborhood. No time is lost in a long commute because of traffic or distance, so the convenience of it is key, said Melone. Since the women pay ahead of time for Gannon's services, they're motivated to show up for the hour-long workout.
"You have to pay whether you're here or not, so that's your incentive to come," said Carey. "It's rain or shine."
The women have worked out through rain before, adding some refreshment to their hot outdoor routine. Since it is boot camp, it is no pain, no gain. Field had seen other boot camps at her former gym, but "treadmills and air conditioning isn't boot camp." The women plan to continue their routine until the cold weather and snow stop them, but they haven't planned a winter routine just yet.
Gannon travels from Reston to Burke Centre every Tuesday and Thursday morning. He said with all the children running around, it is sometimes "a challenge to keep everything smooth and flowing." Everyone always has a good time, however, making the work out that much more tolerable, even though the women said Gannon pushes them to the limit.
Field said the group doesn't need a gym, when they've got Gannon, their bodies and lots of exercise equipment to aid their intense workouts. They stay in Field's backyard in the shade and keep hydrated while they sweat. The physical results only add to the friendships the women have built.
"It really has brought them together," said Gannon.