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threadwalkerFitness
Running is going well. Glad I got that Reality Check.
Week recap:
Sunday, 8/15: 6 miles (slow)
Monday: 3 miles (fast)
Tuesday: 3 miles (fast)
Wed: Rest
Thurs: 3 miles (mod)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6+ miles (mod)
While out running today I got to pondering my fitness goals. In general, I don't think I should ever say "never". Specifically, normally I'd decry saying, "I will never do an Ironman."
So running along the canal at 9am with the sun beating down on me and contemplating the parameters of my life, I speculated what I could do versus setting myself up to fail. A year ago I outlined my scheme for doing an Iron Man within the next 3-4 years. However, I don't think it's something that I have the time to train for right now.
I know the difference that mental toughness makes and that you can wind yourself up mentally to do all sorts of things that would seem impossible if you were in a calmer mind. However, the first leg of an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim; mental toughness does not create gills or give you the strength to keep wind-milling your arms if you haven't trained that into your body to some degree. The bike-ride is over 100 miles; mental toughness does not relieve the pain you experience in your butt. The run is 26 miles... enough said.
(At which point the hubby says, "Why? Why do you want to do this? Why does this seem fun?" I can only answer, "Because I've never done it before and it looks nigh impossible. But clearly it isn't because other people do it over and over. I have to see if I can do it.")
I think I can stay in shape for Olympic length (which is about 1/4 an Ironman) but it seems that based on the evidence, that might be the most I can train for right now because of the amount of time it takes. Maybe I could do a half-Ironman if I stop falling off the fitness wagon into piles of brownies and cookies. I think that next year I'm going to shoot for 3 Olympics and a half-marathon.
I did toy with what it would take for me to have the time to do an Ironman:
*a spouse who did all the homework with the kids plus pick-up/drop-off (all I have to do is show up after work, be loving and have fun with them)
*a spouse who did all the cooking, dishes and grocery shopping
*a family that built it's expectations of fun around my training and race schedule
My life totally does not and never will look like that.
Miss E is a delight. After I was done recovering from my morning run Miss E and I ran errands at the mall.
The Wisdom of little girls (car conversations)
Miss E continues to be obsessed with the topic of marriage. She tells me (again) that she never wants to get married. Then she asked me if I wanted to get married when I was a little girl. No, I did not. When I was a little girl I agreed with her that boys were fun to play cops-n-robbers with but not for getting married to. It's a topic full of shoals and rocks because she remembers everything I say and will hold it against me in 10 years. How do you explain courtship to a 5-year-old-going-on-25?
"Mommy, when did you want to get married?"
"When I got as tall as Grammy I decided it would be okay to get married, but I'd have to marry someone who could be my best friend forever."
"So then you met daddy?" (danger, danger, danger!)
"No. I met lots of boys and went on dates with lots of boys before I met daddy. A lot of them were my friends, but none of them were going to be my special best friend forever."
"How did you know daddy was your best friend forever?"
"He was funny and we laughed all the time. Do you think daddy is funny?"
Giggles and dimples in the back seat, "Yeah... daddy is really funny."
"He was smart. He listened to me when I talked about my feelings. When I told him what the important things were in my life, he had the same important things. And he told me the things going on inside his heart, too. Does daddy listen to you, too?"
Sitting up straight, she agreed that he always listens to her when she's upset or has important things to say.
"And daddy was really cute. What do you think?"
Giggles again, "Yes, I think so, too. So then you got married?"
"Yup."
"And you'll always love each other forever. And after you die you can be buried next to each other and play together in the spirit world." And she wiggled her fingers to emphasize that.
There was a pause while I digested that and figured out how to respond.
"Right mommy?"
"Umm... sure. But let's call it Heaven instead of the Spirit World."
Not that I was offended by calling post-life-on-earth "spirit world", but Miss Nancy at our CCD program (aka the Catholic Indoctrination Program) might have issues with Miss E's choice of words.
Moments later from the back seat Miss E commented, "I guess if I'm as tall as you are and I meet my best friend forever, I could get married to." Then, a block later as the car continued to carry us to the mall, "But I'm not tall enough yet and none of the boys I know are my best friend forever so I'm not marrying them!"
Shopping with Miss E
Miss E brought a few dollars with her in anticipation of going to the Sanrio store. It looks like "Hello Kitty" is back in force. I vaguely recall the Hello Kitty Kraze 30 years ago because my sister was obsessed with it.
I let Miss E lead me around the Sanrio store where she showed me all the cute Hello Kitty stuff and showed me which items were cool and desirable. There's even a "goth" type Hello Kitty Critter in the brand lineup: Chococat. Welcome to the new generation where your brand has to cater to "cute", "preppy", and "goth" girl markets. Miss E, who could care less about "goth" vs. "cute", chose a Chococat toy because it was soft, had big eyes and looked like it needed some love pending my approval. Her final pitch to me was that since it was so small (5 inches tall), it wouldn't take up a lot of space which would therefore make me happy. How can I resist the logic? So I let her buy it since I had to pitch in a few dollars to cover her purchase.
Then we headed to my favorite store, Sports Authority. Being the articulate little girl that she is, when I was taking too long in Sports Authority she reminded me of Candy Factory promises made on the way to the mall. I'd mentioned in the car that we would go to the Candy Factory for a treat and she had been concerned that she didn't have enough money for candy as well as Sanrio. I hadn't planned on making her spend money on candy and for some strange reason she was not immediately grasping that the Sanrio purchase was her responsibility and all other Miss E-related purchases would be mine. I finally commented that I'd be buying the candy for her because I love her and that she did not need to buy herself or me any candy or earn it by being good. She was all smiles and dimples in the car. Fast forward to Miss E trailing behind me in Sports Authority, dragging her feet and bored while I'm searching for the perfect pair of running pants and another running bra.
She comments, "Mommy, do you remember what you said to me in the car?"
Me, digging through racks of pants and recalling all sorts of things we said and hoping we weren't going to reopen the spirit world conversation in public, "What was that?"
Miss E, "That you're taking me to the Candy Factory because you L-O-V-E me."
Yes, she spelled "love", she didn't say it. I thought that was pretty funny. Apparently so did other customers nearby because snickers promptly erupted from women around the clothing racks. A few peered over the racks to get a glimpse of Miss E and then glanced at me, smiling conspiratorially.
Me, "What was that? I 'what' you?"
Miss E, "L-O-V-E, you love me. So you're taking me for candy. Remember you said that?"
I didn't torture her any longer and I copped to remembering. But sometimes it's fun to string them along.
We also went to the Body Shop. One of the clerks encouraged Miss E to smell the body butters and spent several minutes entertaining her that way while I shopped. Not that Miss E needs any lotion. Normally she turns her nose up at putting on lotions and is strongly opinionated against all cosmetic-products including those marketed for little girls. However, the clerk actually found something that she liked (orange scent) and for the first time ever Miss E expressed an interest in getting some.
It's interesting to see Miss E decide what she likes and what she doesn't. One day she asked me about one of those "send us your check and we'll send you moon sand" commercials. I explained that the people who sell stuff want your money so they try to come up with things that you'll want so you'll give them your money. She took this to heart and if we are in a store and she sees something she does not want or some super-clever packaging, she will loudly claim, "They are just selling that so they can trick you out of your money. And they tried to make it look extra cool so you'll want it. Well, I'm not letting them have my money."
I usually respond, "Good girl!" But it's interesting how one explanation quickly turned into something that almost seems like a crusade. It seems focused and intense, which is a bit intimidating and overwhelming at the same time. (yes, I just had a pot-kettle moment; I am suddenly wondering if that's how I seem. Well, it's in the genes so she comes by it honestly.)
So what I perceive is that I don't think Miss E is swayed by marketting like other kids. Just because it's wrapped in princess foo-faugh doesn't impress her. She likes what she likes and someone else isn't going to tell her what to like. Even though she does not like typical goth stuff she chose the goth kitty in the Sanrio store. Her selection at the Candy Factory was based solely on taste and texture. After sniffing every body butter available, she liked the orange one and very politely asked me if we could get some and if she could wear it when we got home. Tomorrow she wants me to put orange nail polish on her toes with glitter polish on top.
I continue to be fascinated by who she's becoming.
Running is going well. Glad I got that Reality Check.
Week recap:
Sunday, 8/15: 6 miles (slow)
Monday: 3 miles (fast)
Tuesday: 3 miles (fast)
Wed: Rest
Thurs: 3 miles (mod)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6+ miles (mod)
While out running today I got to pondering my fitness goals. In general, I don't think I should ever say "never". Specifically, normally I'd decry saying, "I will never do an Ironman."
So running along the canal at 9am with the sun beating down on me and contemplating the parameters of my life, I speculated what I could do versus setting myself up to fail. A year ago I outlined my scheme for doing an Iron Man within the next 3-4 years. However, I don't think it's something that I have the time to train for right now.
I know the difference that mental toughness makes and that you can wind yourself up mentally to do all sorts of things that would seem impossible if you were in a calmer mind. However, the first leg of an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim; mental toughness does not create gills or give you the strength to keep wind-milling your arms if you haven't trained that into your body to some degree. The bike-ride is over 100 miles; mental toughness does not relieve the pain you experience in your butt. The run is 26 miles... enough said.
(At which point the hubby says, "Why? Why do you want to do this? Why does this seem fun?" I can only answer, "Because I've never done it before and it looks nigh impossible. But clearly it isn't because other people do it over and over. I have to see if I can do it.")
I think I can stay in shape for Olympic length (which is about 1/4 an Ironman) but it seems that based on the evidence, that might be the most I can train for right now because of the amount of time it takes. Maybe I could do a half-Ironman if I stop falling off the fitness wagon into piles of brownies and cookies. I think that next year I'm going to shoot for 3 Olympics and a half-marathon.
I did toy with what it would take for me to have the time to do an Ironman:
*a spouse who did all the homework with the kids plus pick-up/drop-off (all I have to do is show up after work, be loving and have fun with them)
*a spouse who did all the cooking, dishes and grocery shopping
*a family that built it's expectations of fun around my training and race schedule
My life totally does not and never will look like that.
Miss E is a delight. After I was done recovering from my morning run Miss E and I ran errands at the mall.
The Wisdom of little girls (car conversations)
Miss E continues to be obsessed with the topic of marriage. She tells me (again) that she never wants to get married. Then she asked me if I wanted to get married when I was a little girl. No, I did not. When I was a little girl I agreed with her that boys were fun to play cops-n-robbers with but not for getting married to. It's a topic full of shoals and rocks because she remembers everything I say and will hold it against me in 10 years. How do you explain courtship to a 5-year-old-going-on-25?
"Mommy, when did you want to get married?"
"When I got as tall as Grammy I decided it would be okay to get married, but I'd have to marry someone who could be my best friend forever."
"So then you met daddy?" (danger, danger, danger!)
"No. I met lots of boys and went on dates with lots of boys before I met daddy. A lot of them were my friends, but none of them were going to be my special best friend forever."
"How did you know daddy was your best friend forever?"
"He was funny and we laughed all the time. Do you think daddy is funny?"
Giggles and dimples in the back seat, "Yeah... daddy is really funny."
"He was smart. He listened to me when I talked about my feelings. When I told him what the important things were in my life, he had the same important things. And he told me the things going on inside his heart, too. Does daddy listen to you, too?"
Sitting up straight, she agreed that he always listens to her when she's upset or has important things to say.
"And daddy was really cute. What do you think?"
Giggles again, "Yes, I think so, too. So then you got married?"
"Yup."
"And you'll always love each other forever. And after you die you can be buried next to each other and play together in the spirit world." And she wiggled her fingers to emphasize that.
There was a pause while I digested that and figured out how to respond.
"Right mommy?"
"Umm... sure. But let's call it Heaven instead of the Spirit World."
Not that I was offended by calling post-life-on-earth "spirit world", but Miss Nancy at our CCD program (aka the Catholic Indoctrination Program) might have issues with Miss E's choice of words.
Moments later from the back seat Miss E commented, "I guess if I'm as tall as you are and I meet my best friend forever, I could get married to." Then, a block later as the car continued to carry us to the mall, "But I'm not tall enough yet and none of the boys I know are my best friend forever so I'm not marrying them!"
Shopping with Miss E
Miss E brought a few dollars with her in anticipation of going to the Sanrio store. It looks like "Hello Kitty" is back in force. I vaguely recall the Hello Kitty Kraze 30 years ago because my sister was obsessed with it.
I let Miss E lead me around the Sanrio store where she showed me all the cute Hello Kitty stuff and showed me which items were cool and desirable. There's even a "goth" type Hello Kitty Critter in the brand lineup: Chococat. Welcome to the new generation where your brand has to cater to "cute", "preppy", and "goth" girl markets. Miss E, who could care less about "goth" vs. "cute", chose a Chococat toy because it was soft, had big eyes and looked like it needed some love pending my approval. Her final pitch to me was that since it was so small (5 inches tall), it wouldn't take up a lot of space which would therefore make me happy. How can I resist the logic? So I let her buy it since I had to pitch in a few dollars to cover her purchase.
Then we headed to my favorite store, Sports Authority. Being the articulate little girl that she is, when I was taking too long in Sports Authority she reminded me of Candy Factory promises made on the way to the mall. I'd mentioned in the car that we would go to the Candy Factory for a treat and she had been concerned that she didn't have enough money for candy as well as Sanrio. I hadn't planned on making her spend money on candy and for some strange reason she was not immediately grasping that the Sanrio purchase was her responsibility and all other Miss E-related purchases would be mine. I finally commented that I'd be buying the candy for her because I love her and that she did not need to buy herself or me any candy or earn it by being good. She was all smiles and dimples in the car. Fast forward to Miss E trailing behind me in Sports Authority, dragging her feet and bored while I'm searching for the perfect pair of running pants and another running bra.
She comments, "Mommy, do you remember what you said to me in the car?"
Me, digging through racks of pants and recalling all sorts of things we said and hoping we weren't going to reopen the spirit world conversation in public, "What was that?"
Miss E, "That you're taking me to the Candy Factory because you L-O-V-E me."
Yes, she spelled "love", she didn't say it. I thought that was pretty funny. Apparently so did other customers nearby because snickers promptly erupted from women around the clothing racks. A few peered over the racks to get a glimpse of Miss E and then glanced at me, smiling conspiratorially.
Me, "What was that? I 'what' you?"
Miss E, "L-O-V-E, you love me. So you're taking me for candy. Remember you said that?"
I didn't torture her any longer and I copped to remembering. But sometimes it's fun to string them along.
We also went to the Body Shop. One of the clerks encouraged Miss E to smell the body butters and spent several minutes entertaining her that way while I shopped. Not that Miss E needs any lotion. Normally she turns her nose up at putting on lotions and is strongly opinionated against all cosmetic-products including those marketed for little girls. However, the clerk actually found something that she liked (orange scent) and for the first time ever Miss E expressed an interest in getting some.
It's interesting to see Miss E decide what she likes and what she doesn't. One day she asked me about one of those "send us your check and we'll send you moon sand" commercials. I explained that the people who sell stuff want your money so they try to come up with things that you'll want so you'll give them your money. She took this to heart and if we are in a store and she sees something she does not want or some super-clever packaging, she will loudly claim, "They are just selling that so they can trick you out of your money. And they tried to make it look extra cool so you'll want it. Well, I'm not letting them have my money."
I usually respond, "Good girl!" But it's interesting how one explanation quickly turned into something that almost seems like a crusade. It seems focused and intense, which is a bit intimidating and overwhelming at the same time. (yes, I just had a pot-kettle moment; I am suddenly wondering if that's how I seem. Well, it's in the genes so she comes by it honestly.)
So what I perceive is that I don't think Miss E is swayed by marketting like other kids. Just because it's wrapped in princess foo-faugh doesn't impress her. She likes what she likes and someone else isn't going to tell her what to like. Even though she does not like typical goth stuff she chose the goth kitty in the Sanrio store. Her selection at the Candy Factory was based solely on taste and texture. After sniffing every body butter available, she liked the orange one and very politely asked me if we could get some and if she could wear it when we got home. Tomorrow she wants me to put orange nail polish on her toes with glitter polish on top.
I continue to be fascinated by who she's becoming.
