Wheelbarrow racing - a hobo "prowler sled"

A month or so ago, I picked up an old wheelbarrow off the side of the road.  Someone on my street was throwing it out, so I appropriated it for myself.  It’s old and rusty but it does everything a wheelbarrow needs to do.  Aside from being useful for gardening, firewood, etc., it’s become a good workout tool.

Here’s the ‘equipment’:

And here’s the resistance:

Kids are the best progressive resistance in the world.  They keep getting heavier, which means I keep getting stronger (that’s the theory at least!).  It’s like the old story of the Greek wrestler Milo of Croton who carried around a calf on his shoulders as it grew into a bull.   

Well kids also have the advantage of being a lot more fun than cattle.  And they’re also better cheerleaders.  I push my kids down to the neighbourhood high school football field (yes, we get a few odd looks from passing cars) and do 100 yard sprints while pushing a wheelbarrow full of 70 odd pounds of screaming motivation.  “Run faster daddy…faster than the last time…fastest ever!”  They have no mercy.  And of course they also like to get out and race each other and me on foot, which serves as a good cool down, and good exercise for them

I know they have a good time because whenever my 2-year-old and I drive past the field he starts yelling “Daddy, run” and, to get him to stop, I have to make promises about the next trip we’re going to take there.

Total cost: $0.00