One of the cool things about being a kid in a city like Portland is the sheer number and wide array of after school programs. My after school program typically consisted of doing the breakfast dishes and watching “Saved by the Bell.” One of the options for elementary school girls here in Ptown is called, “Girls On The Run,” where the girls train to run a 5-K race.
The program was looking for running buddies for the girls, ages 8-11, to help pace and encourage them. Being a runner myself, and believing that physical activity is incredibly important for kids, I signed up to be a running buddy. The time commitment is minimal, only one practice 5-K and then one race in June. Last night was our practice run, where we met our running buddies for the first time. It was raining and freezing cold but you couldn’t help but be affected by all the energy and excitement coming from those 240 girls.
I had the chance to talk to a number of other volunteer running buddies and the amazing thing is that most of them were just like me. There were a handful of teachers volunteering, but for the most part it was female runners volunteering their time and money to run with young girls. Few people had any ties with the schools or the girls, but everyone wanted to be a part of introducing a young girl to the amazingness that is running.
My buddy, Amya, was quite the runner. We ran the first ¾ of a mile without stopping once. We were previously warned to expect a lot of sprinting and walking, which turned out to be quite accurate. Amya like to sprint up the hills, which even this morning still baffles me. At first I was a little worried about what to talk to her about (I was prepared to bring up Justin Bieber if I got desperate), but I needn’t have worried. Amya was very interested in socializing with her friends and when she wasn’t doing that, could carry on a conversation by herself. The hardest part of the run was when she asked me what I did for work. How do you explain investment consulting to a 10-year old? She kept up a running chatter for the three miles and I learned that she is the oldest of five kids, her favorite part of fourth grade is PE, she’s going to sleep over camp this summer and her uncle doesn’t like people or dogs.
Parents, friends and siblings lined the running loop cheering every girl on. Encouragement came not only from the assigned running buddy, but from every other person in the park. Most of the other adult buddies I talked to were all volunteering for the first time, but I doubt it will be the last. Perhaps the most amazing part was the finish. It was enough to bring tears to the eyes of many adults. Watching the girls cross the finish, with cowbells and cheers ringing in the air, and a huge smile across their face was incredibly touching. They were so proud of themselves, and rightly so. Parents of the girls, tearing up themselves, had cameras flashing like crazy.
All that excitement and it was just a practice run! It’ll be exciting to run with the girls for their first real 5-K.
April 29, 2011
April 28, 2011
Life's A Journey
Way back in 2007, I took a trip to South Africa. While it was an amazing trip, the 20 hours on a plane each direction just about killed me. At that time I vowed that it would be a good long while until I took that kind of trip again. I’ve stuck to that and have only traveled within the US since then. The longest flight I’ve been on since then is to Hawaii, which since I live on the West Coast, is still only a fraction of the 20 hours it took to get to South Africa. This Sunday, that all changes when I board a plane to Italy.
I’m at the point where I’ve traveled enough that I enjoy the destination, but despise the journey to get there. I know, I know, Aerosmith’s “Amazing” tells us that “Life’s a journey, not a destination,” but I’m thinking they travel a little higher class than I do. They’re up there in those business class seats that recline into full on beds, (cot sized bets, but beds none the less) while I’m stuck in coach, trying to get comfortable in my 12 square inches of space and then debating on whether or not I wake the aisle person up so I can go to the restroom or can I wait until they wake up?
Since that brutal 2007 trip, I’ve invested in some necessary travel accessories. Perhaps the best investment was in a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones. Crazy expensive yet crazy amazing and worth every penny. I’ve also acquired a plane pillow and a Kindle, both of which will be taking their inaugural trip to Italy with me. I’ve come to the realization that just like anything else you get serious about; it pays off to make some financial investments in travel gear. Just like most serious runners I know have a Garmin watch, most serious travelers I know have the noise cancelling headphones.
Regardless of how dreary I find plane travel, I am looking forward to this trip. It will be my mom’s first trip abroad, which for some reason is making me all the more excited. Although I’m not entirely sure that isn’t due to the fact that I don’t have to sit next to strangers on the plane. Best of all, we signed up for an 11 day tour, which means I didn’t have to plan a thing. At this point, I barely know where we’re even going, which is so unlike me. I’m not too worried though. After all, I have 13 hours on a plane to curl up with my Italian guide book.
I’m at the point where I’ve traveled enough that I enjoy the destination, but despise the journey to get there. I know, I know, Aerosmith’s “Amazing” tells us that “Life’s a journey, not a destination,” but I’m thinking they travel a little higher class than I do. They’re up there in those business class seats that recline into full on beds, (cot sized bets, but beds none the less) while I’m stuck in coach, trying to get comfortable in my 12 square inches of space and then debating on whether or not I wake the aisle person up so I can go to the restroom or can I wait until they wake up?
Since that brutal 2007 trip, I’ve invested in some necessary travel accessories. Perhaps the best investment was in a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones. Crazy expensive yet crazy amazing and worth every penny. I’ve also acquired a plane pillow and a Kindle, both of which will be taking their inaugural trip to Italy with me. I’ve come to the realization that just like anything else you get serious about; it pays off to make some financial investments in travel gear. Just like most serious runners I know have a Garmin watch, most serious travelers I know have the noise cancelling headphones.
Regardless of how dreary I find plane travel, I am looking forward to this trip. It will be my mom’s first trip abroad, which for some reason is making me all the more excited. Although I’m not entirely sure that isn’t due to the fact that I don’t have to sit next to strangers on the plane. Best of all, we signed up for an 11 day tour, which means I didn’t have to plan a thing. At this point, I barely know where we’re even going, which is so unlike me. I’m not too worried though. After all, I have 13 hours on a plane to curl up with my Italian guide book.
April 13, 2011
Ripped in 30
I had the most amazing experience yesterday. I wish I could say that I wished upon a falling star and it came true or that I ran into Joel McHale and decided to leave his wife and kids for me, but no, this was a far more mundane amazing experience.
If you read this blog regularly (i.e. my friend Robyn) you know that I recently tried out Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred workout video. I made it a solid two weeks before skipping a day and over time actually did the full 30 days. Like with all my good intentions, somewhere along the way life gets in the way and I had to skip a day here and there. It probably took me 40 days to get the 30 days in. I realized that the workout system she uses might be good for me when I repeatedly found myself selecting the toughest workout. Lucky for me, she came out with a new video in March that follows the same principles. So I bought it.
The new video is called “Ripped in 30,” and the best thing I can say about it is it freaking hurts. It works muscles I didn’t even know I had. And muscles that I thought I used regularly, but clearly didn’t use them up to Jillian’s standards. Thank goodness she recommends doing this 5-6 days a week, which is much more reasonable than 30 days in a row.
I’m on the Week 2 workout currently, which is where the most amazing thing happened. At one point during the workout you have to do spiderman pushups. She calls them something else, but essentially you do pushups while bringing one knee up and to the side (like you’re climbing a wall) while doing a pushup. So balancing on one leg, doing a pushup and doing a crazy oblique thing with your non-balancing leg. In full disclosure, I’m doing these particular pushups on my knees (girly, or modified, if you will) because they’re hard as hell. Two days ago I couldn’t do them. Yesterday, I was able to do them correctly and completely. I was pretty damn impressed with myself.
That was my amazing experience. That I was able to do something this difficult and intense when I couldn’t do it the day before. That’s what I love about Jillian’s work out videos. They hurt, make you want to die and/or throw up, but you see results and changes over short periods of time. Even when you’re lying in a sweaty heap after finishing the last set you feel empowered. I’m almost looking forward to doing those spiderman pushups tonight. Almost.
If you read this blog regularly (i.e. my friend Robyn) you know that I recently tried out Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred workout video. I made it a solid two weeks before skipping a day and over time actually did the full 30 days. Like with all my good intentions, somewhere along the way life gets in the way and I had to skip a day here and there. It probably took me 40 days to get the 30 days in. I realized that the workout system she uses might be good for me when I repeatedly found myself selecting the toughest workout. Lucky for me, she came out with a new video in March that follows the same principles. So I bought it.
The new video is called “Ripped in 30,” and the best thing I can say about it is it freaking hurts. It works muscles I didn’t even know I had. And muscles that I thought I used regularly, but clearly didn’t use them up to Jillian’s standards. Thank goodness she recommends doing this 5-6 days a week, which is much more reasonable than 30 days in a row.
I’m on the Week 2 workout currently, which is where the most amazing thing happened. At one point during the workout you have to do spiderman pushups. She calls them something else, but essentially you do pushups while bringing one knee up and to the side (like you’re climbing a wall) while doing a pushup. So balancing on one leg, doing a pushup and doing a crazy oblique thing with your non-balancing leg. In full disclosure, I’m doing these particular pushups on my knees (girly, or modified, if you will) because they’re hard as hell. Two days ago I couldn’t do them. Yesterday, I was able to do them correctly and completely. I was pretty damn impressed with myself.
That was my amazing experience. That I was able to do something this difficult and intense when I couldn’t do it the day before. That’s what I love about Jillian’s work out videos. They hurt, make you want to die and/or throw up, but you see results and changes over short periods of time. Even when you’re lying in a sweaty heap after finishing the last set you feel empowered. I’m almost looking forward to doing those spiderman pushups tonight. Almost.
The Amazing Friend(s)
Growing up in a small town is different from growing up in a city in a number of ways. Where you find your friends is a major one of those differences. I remember talking to my boss early on in my working career and she was talking about her kids’ friends. They had friends from after school clubs and athletic teams and from places and activities I didn’t even know existed. As a kid, I had friends from school. There were 50 of us in the class and 30 miles to the next small town, so you were mostly friends with the people you went to school with K-12.
The good thing about small town friends is you’ve known each other forever. The bad thing is you’ve known each other forever. It’s too easy to be placed in or put other people in a box of how you think they act or what they believe. It’s hard to make changes in yourself. And there are very few other people to be friends with, because there are so few people in the area.
I remember sitting in a class in junior high once and somebody saying how they were sure that these people were going to be the best friends they’d ever have. I remember realizing that while I might maintain friendships with these people, I was still looking for the truly great friends. I longed for those types of friends. I knew other people that had amazing friends from college and at the time, I suspected that this is where my best friends in the world would come from. I longed for those types of friends. I enjoyed the people I met in college and still keep in touch with my friends from that era, but it’s the friends I’ve made post college that are my favorite and most treasured friends.
Recently I met up with some friends from grad school. Many classes, thousands of dollars and a few years later, four of us still get together regularly. We had so much fun at dinner the other night the waitresses actually asked if we really had to go because we were such a fun table. We’ve been through grad school, break ups, divorces and babies together. What is perhaps even more amazing and special about these friends is that no topic is off limits. My friends have been very open about their divorces and what they’re going through which has been very educational. (And makes me an even firmer believer in the pre-nup.) It’s fun to hassle the lone guy about his dates post-divorce, and pepper him with questions like we would do a girlfriend.
There are also the friends I’ve met through work. The friend that constantly challenges me to go outside of my comfort zone. The friend that I can call at 2 am if needed and the first thing they said would be, “where are you, I’m grabbing my keys.” The friends that share your hobbies and passions like baking and crafts. The friend that lets her kids be a faux niece and nephew to you because those kids are so freaking awesome it doesn’t matter that there isn’t actually a blood relation. The friends, and their significant others, who let you visit frequently.
It’s nice to realize so many years later that amazing friends are out there. You might not find these friends when you’re five or fifteen. It might take twenty-five years. But it’s pretty spectacular when it happens.
The good thing about small town friends is you’ve known each other forever. The bad thing is you’ve known each other forever. It’s too easy to be placed in or put other people in a box of how you think they act or what they believe. It’s hard to make changes in yourself. And there are very few other people to be friends with, because there are so few people in the area.
I remember sitting in a class in junior high once and somebody saying how they were sure that these people were going to be the best friends they’d ever have. I remember realizing that while I might maintain friendships with these people, I was still looking for the truly great friends. I longed for those types of friends. I knew other people that had amazing friends from college and at the time, I suspected that this is where my best friends in the world would come from. I longed for those types of friends. I enjoyed the people I met in college and still keep in touch with my friends from that era, but it’s the friends I’ve made post college that are my favorite and most treasured friends.
Recently I met up with some friends from grad school. Many classes, thousands of dollars and a few years later, four of us still get together regularly. We had so much fun at dinner the other night the waitresses actually asked if we really had to go because we were such a fun table. We’ve been through grad school, break ups, divorces and babies together. What is perhaps even more amazing and special about these friends is that no topic is off limits. My friends have been very open about their divorces and what they’re going through which has been very educational. (And makes me an even firmer believer in the pre-nup.) It’s fun to hassle the lone guy about his dates post-divorce, and pepper him with questions like we would do a girlfriend.
There are also the friends I’ve met through work. The friend that constantly challenges me to go outside of my comfort zone. The friend that I can call at 2 am if needed and the first thing they said would be, “where are you, I’m grabbing my keys.” The friends that share your hobbies and passions like baking and crafts. The friend that lets her kids be a faux niece and nephew to you because those kids are so freaking awesome it doesn’t matter that there isn’t actually a blood relation. The friends, and their significant others, who let you visit frequently.
It’s nice to realize so many years later that amazing friends are out there. You might not find these friends when you’re five or fifteen. It might take twenty-five years. But it’s pretty spectacular when it happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)