I'd like to introduce you to my new running partners:
(Please pardon the older picture but it's all I've got since I can't catch them for long enough to take a new one.)
Last week Max asked if he could get up and go running the next morning at 6:15.
I told him only if he brought me along.
Elle piped in that she wanted to tag along too so we all headed out into the crisp air early the next morning. I thought it'd be a nice leisurely way to get me running since I hadn't done it for so darn long.
And I could give my kids a pep-talk and whip them into shape as we ran. So there you go, exercising and pushing kids to do hard things are both right up my alley.
Well, I made a few interesting discoveries on our run:
1) My kids do not need any running pep talks. They are runners. Serious, stable, fast ones. Max was a little dot in the distance a quarter mile ahead the whole time and never stopped running for three miles. Elle mercifully stuck by my side jabbering and even singing camp songs while I was about to spill my guts out as I huffed and puffed wishing I could just crawl my way back home.
2) P90X does not, in any way, shape or form, mold you into a runner. C'mon, I felt like I was in pretty good shape before I just about keeled over on the pavement trying to keep up with my eleven and twelve-year-olds.
3) I am old. My kids are passing me up! As hyperventilated trying to keep up with Max I realized not only can they run circles around me without even breaking a sweat, but I bet they could show me up on the tennis court, they're too fast for me on the ski slopes, they can sight-read at the piano much better than I can, and they could out-swim me without even trying.
I took consolation in the fact that I've still got my water-skiing. I better kick it into high gear this summer before they pass me up on that too!
I was flattered when Max asked if I'd join him again this morning (even after all the huffing and puffing last week). He stuck with me this time and gave me a few pep talks along the way. He told me I'd do better if I tried a little slower pace (which was true) and he had no problems just running circles around me (literally) as I tried to keep up.
Oh man, I'm so grateful for these kids.
So here was my last running discovery:
4) I not only love and adore these kids more than I could ever express in words, I genuinely LIKE to be with them.
Maybe teenager-hood won't be so bad after all...Labels: Elle, max
