My maiden voyage to running outside didn't go so well. My boat didn't float. It actually sank pretty badly or at least got filled up with water so it barely moved. So disappointed...
I had no time to get to the gym today and hadn't been there since Thursday! Busy weekend, sick kid..you know how it goes. After school I considered going to the gym with my streppy son and his siblings in tow but my mother guilt got the best of me and I decided to run around the field track across the street while my oldest practiced lacrosse and other son was resting in the car. My only problem with this plan was my girl. Couldn't leave her in the car to breath in all the bad germs so I tried to break out the jogging stroller, but it had major flat tires. Next plan, pump up the bike tires so she could ride around while I jogged. Have you ever tried to jog next to a four year old trying to ride a bike with training wheels up and down hills? Not that easy.
After 20 minutes of trying to pump up the tires and lots of frustration, we started to run around the field. (Before I continue, let me tell you that it is up and down hills and a windy path so you do get a good balance of terrain.) We started up the hill with me pushing the bike up with J on it. I considered this my warmup. As I tried to hold my phone for timing and find a good song on my Ipod to get me motivated, I started my jog at the top of the hill when it got flat. I told J to just ride her bike and I would keep on circling back if she was slower than me. After not even two minutes, she was already off her bike, asking for water and said she needed a break. Hmmm...sound like her mother. But I was determined to see if I could run 3 minutes outside. As I turned around to deal with her, I looked at my clock and realized it had only been 2 minutes. I could barely breath already but wanted to keep going. The perfectionist in me said, "This is not going to work...you should be running for 3 minutes. You can't stop to help her!" But of course the mother in me said, "You have to help her, she is only 4 and can't be expected to ride up hills with ease yet." Forget the fact that I was thinking, this is way harder that the gym. So an angry, disappointed and frustrated mother turned around and said, " This is not going to work. Let's go back to the car and get your stroller." I trudged down the hill to get the stroller, wondering if this was worth it at all. (Anyone remember by day 2 training? That wasn't so successful here either).
So, next we headed into the stroller. As I started to walk again, I realized this was not a good idea either. Have you ever tried to jog with a Maclaran stroller? Not very fast at all, even for a walk. Great. So, I begrudingly tried to jog and walk. It felt like I was pushing bricks because the wheels moved so slow and I really needed my arms to get me going. Holding onto the stroller was harder than I planned. Forget the fact that when I used the clock to time myself, I could barely make a minute and a half! I wanted to throw in the towel but kept on trying to do what I could. I ran down the hills so the stroller felt lighter and ran slow so I could go a little farther. It was no great workout like at the gym. I felt like a failure and thought about all the reasons I should quit. As I was mumbling to Jayna how ridiculous this was and thinking outloud to her about quitting, she looked up and said, "Mom, Zivec girls don't quit, remember?" Technically, I am a Marchese ...haha) But then I realized this was a perfect moment to teach her what I always tell them. Just because something is hard, doesn't mean you should quit. You just have to try a little harder and have patience because it may take a little longer to reach your goal. Well, now I couldn't quit and I had to keep it up. Easier said than done but I guess I will have to live what I preach. So, back to the drawing board to come up with a plan on how to fix the holes in my boat and try and sail again. Maybe I will try less days inbetween my training and walking on the inbetween jogging days to improve my endurance. Also, I need a flatter surface to build me up. Starting on a hill when I can barely run down a flat driveway may have been ambitious. So, till the next time, I will give it a little more time and patience and head to a new location for now. As my friend says, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
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