There are few things as sad as the heartbreak of a little boy who has dropped his latest LEGO creation to the ground.
FollowHumbled
September 17, 2011
At our summer track meets, one of the races some of the kids and adults participated in was a one-mile race. My kids always sat out of this one, preferring instead to watch the older kids sprint by. Because there were so many races those evenings (50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, relay, along with the mile), the only request made to run the mile was that you be able to run it in under 10 minutes.
I was always curious if I could do this. It seemed doable—after all, I ran a 5K in just over 33 minutes—surely I could run a single mile faster. But, I was too chicken to join those running, especially with so many finishing in 6, 7, 8 minutes.
Today, I gave it a shot.
I haven’t run in a long while; I have only just started exercising again (hi, Shredheads, it’s been a while!). But the cool fall-weather day had me itching to put on my sneakers and hit the road.
I mapped out a single mile, stretched out, and took off down the street.
I felt like I was flying at first, really sprinting. Even at the uphill about halfway through, I felt strong and quick. The last couple of minutes were a real struggle but my arms were pumping, legs striding.
I crossed the mile, and glanced at my watch, certain I must have done it in eight, maybe nine minutes.
Blink. Blink.
9:46.
Whoa, I JUST beat that ten-minute mark. Barely.
Running is so humbling.
There are days when a half-mile feels like a marathon. Times when every little incline is a “hill” to be conquered. Times when I feel like I must have run four miles, only to find out it was just over three (that hurts).
But, there is nothing else that makes me feel so connected to my body and its ability to push itself beyond what I think is possible. And though I barely got in under ten minutes, I did it.
And that is good enough for me.
Though next time? I’d better break 9:30.
Just do it (without sweating)
September 15, 2011
Last night, I got into a conversation with some moms of girls in eighth grade who were from different towns. The discussion was about their schools’ gym classes and the fact that kids no longer change into “gym clothes”.
After having a brief, yet horrifying, flashback to the ugly one-piece, zip-up gym uniform that I wore in sixth and seventh grade, I realized what they were saying: Kids in gym wear their “everyday” clothes from class, to gym, to class again. No peeling off sweaty tees, or removing wet gym socks, and certainly no quick shower on super-hot days.
I realize that Time In The Classroom is seen as sacred nowadays but I also think this is an interesting message to send tweens: Exercise is important, but if you don’t want to stink up your entire biology class, you’d best take it easy.
Sure, many kids play very competitive sports after school, often meeting every day of the school week. But, what about those kids who get very little physical activity, or kids at risk for obesity?
Or maybe gym class meets so infrequently nowadays that no one really believes it makes much of a difference.
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Did you used to change for gym class? I honestly can’t remember much about junior high/high school, but know we did through middle school. I also remember having to take swimming in first period of eighth grade which was a horror show for all girls who were wearing non-waterproof black eyeliner. Yes, that would include me.
