Run like a Zebra

I run with a running group.  Not all the time.  But once or twice a week, we get together and go out for a run.  My friends all run like gazelles.  They are fit and thin and run with grace and confidence.  I am not thin, but I could argue for fit.  I lack the grace and style of their ground-eating strides.  I feel like the ugly duckling compared to their obvious runner-hood.  They are gazelles. (Hmmm... I'm mixing my metaphors!)

I am not a gazelle.  I think I'm more of a zebra.  I trot along in short little strides.  I jiggle in more places than a gazelle.  I do not look elegant or lovely.  I look tired and sweaty, but I get the job done.

In my mind, I am a Kenyan.  I run like my friends, with long, sure strides, looking lovely while I do it.  In my mind, I am 20 years younger, and 30 pounds lighter.  It always surprises me when I see pictures that show me the contrary.

I wish I looked like a gazelle.  I wish I ran like a gazelle.  But I am me.  I am a zebra.  I can trot out there at my 10 minute mile pace, and I know I can do it a lot longer than most of the Navy guys who zip past me on their 1.5 mile PFT.  And I'm happy with me.  I do not have to be faster or better than my friends.  I only have to be faster or better than my goals.  And actually, I do not even have to be faster or better.  I'm looking 40 in the eye.  I'm not going to get much faster or better!  I just have to keep moving.  And I am.  I like the grazing too much not to.   I want to enjoy life.  I'm going to eat my chocolate, guilt free.  And I'm going to put on my go-fasters and run it off.  I'd rather eat chocolate and jog along like a zebra, then give up my chocolate and bound like a gazelle.

So I'm going to buy myself some black and white striped socks and get myself out pounding the pavement, and I'm going to love it.  Because I am a zebra.

Mini-Muck Mud Run Race Report

A few months ago, I discovered and immediately signed the 3 oldest kids up for a Mini-Muck Kids race.  It was held in conjunction with a full 5k Play Dirty obstacle course/mud run.  The kids were thrilled that there was a mud run they could do.  Marian and Callie had asked to get up and run with me before school.  Callie stuck it out a few times, but Marian hung in there and ran the loop 3-4 mornings a week for the past few weeks.  The loop is only 3/4 a mile or so, and she didn't run the whole thing, but she did a good job.

Anyway, back to today!  We got up at 5:45am.  I wasn't sure how things would go and I wanted to be prepared for chaos, so I planned plenty of extra time.  I didn't need to.  We got there at 7:15 and there were very few people there.  Our heat wasn't till 8:30, so there was plenty of time to kill.  Even with screwing around, and the kids making a grassman out of the mowed grass, we were bored.  So we jumped in with the 8am heat.  It was the first one, and there were maybe 50 kids running it.  There might have been more, but we were in the front.

The kids started off fast.  I didn't know what to expect, so I was prepared in case I had to jump in the mud with them, so I was in full running gear, and carrying nothing but my little water proof camera.  The pictures are very low quality due to that.  All the kids bolted at the start and I had to sprint to keep up.  The race was held at a big park around the Zephyrs Stadium, so part of the run was on paved trail. Then they had a few obstacles to go over and under.  Callie was disappointed there wasn't more mud.  I think the ground is not conducive to mud.  Or it got muddier as more people slogged through it.  There were only 2-3 water obstacles, which I think were suppose to be mud, but were just dirty water.

Marian rocked it.  She was ahead of Joshua and Callie for most of the race.  She's fast and she has been practicing, and she was great.  They loved it and had a really good time.  It was 85 degrees, so it was hot, but it was only a mile run.  The race ended inside the stadium, which was fun.  And everyone got medals at the end!  

My take.... it was a little disorganized.  Fortunately, it seemed like a smaller race.  Granted, I only have the enormity of the Warrior Dash to compare it to, and we were there for the first run.  The 5k run didn't begin till 9 am, which is when we were leaving, but it still didn't seem very crowded at all.  I hope they had a decent turn out, because it was fun.  And there are so few events like that for kids.  Joshua said it was awesome.  Even though he got his tail kicked by his sisters!  He didn't do any running at all prior.

And now you can enjoy the 500 pictures I took today!

Ready to go!

Chillin and being cool.

He ASKED me for a cape to wear!

Being silly.

Running around, trying to make his cape flow in the breeze.

Building a grass-man.  Callie also has a cape, in black.

Posing with their grassy creation.

I know, their talent astounds me as well.

First obstacle!  Marian is on the far left on top, and you can see Joshua and his cape in the center on top.

And they are over and away!

Run, Marian, run!

Joshua leaping the second obstacle.

Marian coming out of the tunnel.

Callie was right behind her!  Joshua is still on his way to the tunnel.

Marian on her way up the cargo net.

Callie on top of the cargo net and Joshua on the approach!

Joshua is on his way over it.

Marian coming out of the watery tunnels.

Joshua went through pretty quick and slogged right out.

Running out of steam.

See, mostly just dirty water.  But Callie said the mud on the bottom sucked at your shoes.

Not more crawling!

They wanted you to low crawl through this, but the kids were not having it!  They just hunched and scrambled!

Yep, stayed pretty clean through it, the cheaters!

Joshua actually went pretty low.

"Where is the finish line?!!"

"I have to walk, my feet hurt."

Glorious sprint to the finish!  That's my girl!

Followed by Callie.

And one tired Joshua.

Hot, tired, and quite pleased with themselves!  They finished it in under 15 minutes, too.

Monday with Rylee

Now that the big kids are back in school, it is me and Rylee all day long most days.  This is what we did on Monday!

 The big library has a great Story Time.

 Rylee dancing to "Ants in Your Pants"!

Reading Clifford. 

Carefully working on her craft. 

So meticulous with the glue. (I did assist with the cutting!) 

We stopped for an ice cream cone at the Dairy Dip. 

This kid takes FOREVER to eat a cone. 

Good to the last lick. 

Ooooh!  See the bird crossing the road right in front of us? 

Rylee likes to harass Levi whenever possible. 

This is her Binky Dog- his name is Collar.  (And she has been AWESOME about giving up the pacifier.  The build a bear dog was the best idea ever!) 

Capping off the day with a cupcake.  Yummy!

Sunday Thoughts

This week I had stuff to drop off at the Thrift Store.  You will be pleased to know that I brought home significantly less than I left there!   Be doubly impressed, because it turned out it was their monthly half off everything sale.

I stood in line with my few items behind 2 other ladies.  The one at the register finished getting rung up and paid in cash.  Except she was $1.12 short.

Now this place is crazy.  It is full of people from all walks of life and might occasionally be considered a bit of a low-income place.  I immediately thought, "I think I have $2 in cash in my wallet."  But then I wondered if she would be offended at the offer. I wondered if she would think me rude or presumptuous.  While I was debating with myself, and in all honesty, I was leaning towards not saying anything, the lady in front of me offered to cover the difference.  The first lady graciously accepted and thanked her and we moved on.

Except I felt like a shmuck.  I had the ability to help this lady.  The thought was there. The money was there. But I didn't do it.  I psyched myself out.  I talked myself out of an opportunity to do something nice for someone else.  Sure, it was $1.12.  But I couldn't even make myself do that. If I can't even do $1.12 for someone, how many other opportunities am I missing out on because I'm afraid?

Last Drops of Summer

Yesterday was Labor Day.  The kids were excited to have the day off, as was Dan.  I still had to get up early because it is too stinking hot here to run once the sun is up, so I was hitting pavement at 6:30.  Please, be impressed, I ran 7 miles.  But only because I ran with my friend Andie, who is gearing up for a half marathon.

The kids had a good day.  Dan took the 3 older ones to see the movie Planes.  I thought the movie was aimed for little-little kids, but they all liked it.  In the afternoon, I took the girls to the pool.  It is the only time we made it to the pool all summer!  I know how on earth did that happen?!  It was the very last day the pool would be open till next summer.  We headed over about 3:30, but they said there was inclement weather and no swimming for 45 minutes.  The kids were cross with me.  I took them home and we went back 45 minutes later.  They got a good hour and a half at the pool and had a marvelous time.  We stayed till 6, when they closed it all down.  It really was nice to go to the pool.  I was not enthusiastic about going and taking a passel of kids, but they had fun and weren't a lot of trouble, so it was a good time for all.

Delaney was awesome and can paddle all over like nobody's business.

Rylee had her puddle jumper on and floated all over the place.  She did not want assistance.  And she did a fine job kicking herself wherever she wanted to go. 

I'm not even sure what Marian did  She went out and did her own thing and had fun.  She hung out in the deep end a lot and I didn't see her much.

Callie was on to my sneaky across-the-pool-with-the-zoom picture taking and worked really hard to keep me from getting any good shots.  So this one, with Delaney is all I have.  I was impressed with Callie's endurance at swimming and treading water in the deep end. 

Rylee and Delaney having a good time together. 

And me.  The only time I managed to get to the pool in 2013.  Document it.