We took on a big project this weekend — ripping out our old sod. There was a clear difference between me and the husband’s fitness levels.

Last weekend the hubby and I spent quality time together ripping apart our backyard. Thanks to our dogs, half of our lawn died. The other half succumbed to  crabgrass. It was time for some old fashion, back-breaking DIY work — digging up the old sod and reseeding the lawn.

Initially my plan was simply to replace the brown spots with grass seed and deal with the crabgrass in the fall. It seemed manageable.

Well that wasn’t good enough for the hubby. Nope. He wanted to reseed the entire backyard.

“Since you’re more fit and healthy, it would be a snap for us,” he assured me.

Within 15 minutes of starting this expanded DIY project, I realized that “us” meant “me.”

All That Healthy Living Paid Off
It was an ambitious project. One that wasn’t possible 3 years ago. There was no way I could do that much physical labor (at project’s end we moved more than 2,000 pounds of sod!). Back then I was too heavy to do much of anything without being in pain or getting winded after a couple of minutes.

Now I’m like that annoying Energizer Bunny.  I’ve got the energy, strength and stamina to keep going and going, regardless of the activity.

My hubby’s favorite workout location. Raising that foot-rest is his own 2-second, full body workout.

On the other hand, my husband has strength but cardio isn’t his strong suit. You see he hasn’t worked out in more than a year. The bulk of his exercise happens as he pushes back into his La-Z-Boy to raise the foot rest.

From the get-go, my husband had a difficult time with the work. Five minutes into the project, he needed a break. Within minutes of him starting back up, I could hear his very labored breathing.

Truth is I got a little annoyed with him. My worrying about him slowed me down.  So I did the only thing I could do — I forced him into a long “timeout” (a.k.a., sitting in his La-Z-Boy with a fan pointed at him).

At that point, I took over. I was a machine – stopping only for water, a light lunch, and the drives to the county dump. Amazed, the hubby grudgingly admitted I put him to shame by doing 90% of the work.

Lessons Learned
I’m a lot stronger and tougher than I realized. When my husband suggested doing the yard I thought he was nuts. I knew how much work it would take. But once I started, my doubts were gone.

I think if I only focused on losing weight and ignored building strength, no way I’d agree to take on this project. Heck, I’d probably hire someone to do it for us.

So, I chosen my path wisely.

As for my husband, well…he asked that I slap him the next time he suggested a DIY project.