This morning I drank my coffee out on the patio because the sun was out, which meant it was warm enough to be outside without getting goosebumps. Later I went back out there to jump rope and do this tiring weight exercise we learned in boxing class. You hold one dumbbell (ten pounds, for me) straight out from your body with both hands at shoulder level, and you swing it to the right and left, pivoting on one foot (as when throwing a hook) and keeping the other foot pointing forward, the back straight, shoulders pressed down, etc. In other words, you're trying to be very controlled and not wrench anything.

I'm all enthusiastic about exercising outside in the backyard since I read this interview with Holly Rustick, Ms. Fitness Hawaii. Ignore the goofy page layout and read the whole interview, if you're interested in fitness, because Holly has some excellent methods that stray far from boring gym habits and equipment. Many of her ideas involve doing a workout program outdoors. I wish I could work out with her. I'd love to try those Clubbells and the Tornado Ball. (I found this via one of my husband's latest sources of strength and conditioning information.)

It looks like the Ms. Fitness competition is a serious one, but that it nonetheless hasn't broken away from cheesy traditions like the evening-gown round and the swimsuit round (to show "body symmetry"--come on, you could evaluate a great physique in shorts and a sport bra, especially since the competitors actually perform drills to show their strength and fitness). I like Holly's attitude toward all this. She knows and acknowledges the difference between judging women on how they compare to supermodels and judging them on strength and athletic ability, and she's experienced both sides.