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Geez, it seems like every blog post lately starts with “Sorry I haven’t had time to blog lately.” Well, I just haven’t had time to blog lately. But I am still working out. My favorite thing at this time of year is to head up to my local high school and use the track. I like to get out around 7 am, before it gets too hot. Even then, by the time I’m done, on some days it’s already too hot. But that’s as soon as I can get out of the house if I want to spend any time with my husband in the morning.
Today I had one of those “Duh, why didn’t I see it like this before?” moments. I think sometimes God puts those moments into our heads at the precise time because we are open to them and ready to receive the knowledge. Otherwise, why bother, right? I’ve had quite a bit on my mind lately. And between all of that and trying to keep up with Jack’s baseball tournament schedule and all of the fund raising that goes along with it, I’ve not had much time for blogging. Or thinking, for that matter.
So I get up to the track today and see that there are a few other ladies there. One is a woman about my age. She starts off walking and then jogs, slow but steady. I was immediately inspired by her because I noticed that she jogged at about my jogging speed whenever I was there. Thank.You.SISTER.
Next I saw another group that I’ve seen at the track before. Three ladies. All look younger than me. I’m sure they didn’t plan it this way, but they always walk in the same format: On the outside is the petite one, pushing a stroller. In the middle is a gal who looks like she might need to lose about 15 pounds, but is probably pretty healthy otherwise. And on the inside, closest to the center of the track is a gal who I would estimate to be about 80 pounds overweight. Now, please keep in mind I’m not judging. I just call it like I see it. It could be that the overweight gal is perfectly happy and content at her present weight, and the petite gal is totally miserable. I have no idea. Life’s funny that way, huh?
When I see that trio, I always have the same thought: Please, God, don’t let them lap me. These gals walk pretty fast, even with that stroller to slow them down. I try to make sure I stay at least a half a lap ahead of them at all times and know I need to get moving if I hear them talking as I round the corner or look over my shoulder and noticed they’ve made up some of the gap.
Today there were two more young women there that I’d never seen before. I would estimate that at least one of them was a high school track athlete and the other may have been a few years older. I never got a very good look at her. They were doing exactly what I used to do at that age: killer sprint intervals. Ever done those on the track? For an hour? It’s incredibly simple torture: Run the straightaways, jog the corners, repeat. Over and over and over. It’s fun for the first couple laps. Then you want to die. And then you just wish you were already dead.
I immediately heard my high school track coach screaming in my ear. “Dig! Dig! Dig!” (referring to my elbows, digging in so I could find a higher gear when I felt like my legs just couldn’t go anymore–there’s a lot of arm work in running) So I’m watching these two gals running. One is taller, slimmer, faster. The other is a little shorter, a little wider through the hips, a little slower. She had a soccer player’s body, if that makes sense. Strong, solid, just not very speedy. The taller girl looked like a hurdler to me. Long, graceful legs. Perfect running form. Stoic.
I looked at all of these gals as I walked my warm-up lap. And then it hit me and I saw it all so clearly.
That tall gazelle of a girl in the gray t-shirt? That used to be me. A long, long time ago.
That round, huffing and puffing woman in the stretchy black pants? That used to be me, too. Not quite as long ago.
And Steady Eddie? Little Mama chugging away at her own, comfortably slow but productive pace? That’s me right now.
In what I would call a convenient stroke of genius, God put them all in the same place, right in front of me, so I could see how far I’ve come, both ways, how far I have to go, both ways, and how I’m doing.
I took it all in for a minute and then got to work. First lap was an easy warm-up, second lap was a brisk walk, and the third lap was a jog. In the meantime, I passed up the trio. And the pair of young runners passed me a few times. And Steady Eddie and I pretty much kept pace with each other, whether I was running or walking.
I watched with appreciation as the young gals sprinted past me. I told myself, “Donna, you’ve done that before. You’ll do it again.” I think in the past, that would’ve made me feel bad, ashamed, guilty for letting myself get to this shape. But today I actually found it very inspiring. I thought about my old photos that I keep near the treadmill and really, really remembered what it felt like to go out and sprint at full speed. There was a delicious breeze blowing. Perfect weather for a running workout.
I looked at the trio and told myself that even though I may feel like it some days, I’ve come a long, long way from those stretchy black pants. One look at her and I knew I didn’t want to go back to that life. A very timely reminder, because I’ve been inching closer to it for a while now and it absolutely must stop.
I looked at Steady Eddie, just cruising along, her red ponytail bopping along in the breeze. That’s where it’s at. Slow and steady wins the race. I don’t expect to get back to my top sprinting form. For one thing, my knees are as old as I am. And for another, I don’t have 6 hours a day to train like I’d need to in order to get back to that speed. But I can do my best. I can continue to go out there each day and make the attempt, can’t I?
I did 8 laps total. That’s 2 miles on the track, plus it’s about a mile round trip from my house. So I figured I did 3 miles. I walked some, I ran some. But, I ran more than usual. I was tired but I thought of those girls and their interval training. I know I can’t keep up that same pace right now, but it motivated me to push a little harder and run until the next marker. I’ll take that for now. Every day I get stronger, if I allow myself.
I’m glad that I now have the perspective to see that.
Well, as I previously mentioned, the kids are out of school and Jack is busy with all-star baseball, and time is short. I have been keeping up on workouts as best I can. When the kids are in school, I usually start my workout between 8 and 8:30 am, and am done between 9 and 10 am. Lately, I’ve been lucky to start my workout by 9:30 am. I get busy writing while the house is quiet and then the kids are up and I’m pushing to finish writing and then have to squeeze in a workout. But there are only so many hours in a day, and I can’t seem to make time.
Last Friday, for example, I had to be out of the house by 8 am to drive to a tournament, and we didn’t get home until 10 pm. Then had to be out of the house by 8 am on Saturday. Got home at 6 pm, went to our church picnic – no cooking for me after two long days in the sun – YAY! And then, the next morning, we were at church at 7 am for our parish’s first annual Fun Run/Walk/Bike event, which my husband and I helped plan and organize. Now, where do we fit in a workout during all of that? Well, the fun run was it.
Brian has a leg injury and he’s never been much of a runner/walker, but he loves riding his bike, so he did the 6-mile course. The kids and I did the run/walk. Audra did a full mile with me – pretty good for an 8 year old, and she never complained once, which is amazing if you know her – then went to hand out waters. Jack did two miles, and even ran the last lap. After two long hot days of baseball, I was amazed that he had that much energy. I also did two miles, at a slower pace, walking and talking with a friend. Sunday is usually my rest day, so I figured I had a jump on the week. Which came in handy since I got busy doing “secretarial” work for the all-star team Monday morning and never got a chance to work out. That afternoon, I was mad that I’d let it go. Again.
So today, I took a different approach. I laced up my Nikes at 7 am and headed outside. Work can wait a few hours. I walked up to my local high school (about a half-mile each way) and did 6 laps on the track. I kept up a pretty good pace, walking most of it. The last lap I jogged all the way. That felt great.
When I’m on the track, I can’t help but think about my high school track days and it’s distressing to me to see how out of shape I am now. I remember jogging two miles around the track in high school like it was nothing. And now I get a half a lap in and I’m wanting to walk. But the beauty of the track versus the treadmill is that I have that visual cue right in front of me at all times. You know how each lane of the track is divided into quarters for a sprint relay? When I jog now, I tell myself, “Just get to the next quarter.” And then I repeat that. By the time I get to the last quarter, I’m at the top of the track, and I make myself run hard. Not a full sprint. But hard. And I feel myself getting stronger. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to jog two miles around the track like it’s nothing. I don’t see that in the very near future, but someday. I’ll get there.
When I got home today, I made myself a delicious shake with chocolate protein powder, the iced coffee I made before I left the house, a banana and some spinach. (forgot the flax – dang it!) It was really yummy and although I usually only do the chocolate protein powder once a week, I think I’ll definitely do the iced coffee for summer. What a refreshing treat, without all the crap stuff you get when you order one from Starbucks.
So, it’s 9 am. My workout’s done. I have some writing to do but it’s nothing too difficult and I think the kids know by now that they need to be quiet when I’m working. It will all get done today. Because I’m making time.
OK, let’s hear from you: How do YOU make time for workouts during the summer?
Boy, having the kids home all day sure is distracting! I wanted to let you know I am still here, just not finding much time for blogging. I did manage to get in a treadmill workout today – 30 minutes w/ lots of running. It’s been very humid today and I was totally soaked in sweat by the time I was done. But I ran for the longest I’ve run in quite a while. Almost all the way through the Red Hot Chili Peppers “By the Way.” I love that song for the varying speeds. It’s great for a walk, jog, run or sprint. I just wish it didn’t slow down so much at the end. I wanted to run to the end but the pace slowed down too much and I jumped the deck to catch my breath. Still, as I said, the longest I’ve run in quite a while. I am definitely feeling the effects of my walk through town on sidewalks and hard pavement yesterday. Hell-ooooooo calf muscles! A little achy, but that’s what I get for screwing off so much lately and taking it easy on workouts.
I had a great afternoon. Took the kids out for lunch at a local salad bar restaurant. I helped my daughter put a balanced meal on her plate – not too many carbs, mixed with veggies and protein. It was nice to see that she is finally able to make those choices herself and is more conscious of what she’s eating and how it affects her. Afterward, we strolled across the parking lot to the sporting goods store and picked up some extra sliders and socks for my son, Jack, who is starting tournaments this week. (You can never have too many clean pairs of socks during tournaments.) And it was my absolute pleasure to let Audra look through the running gear. She’s only 8 but she told me a little while ago that she wants to do track. Of course, I am absolutely thrilled since that was my sport. Just looking at her shape and the length of her legs, I know she’ll be a natural. Yesterday at Jack’s baseball practice, she was working on her “sprint form.” She would run about 50 feet and show me her technique, and then I’d give her a few pointers. Took her a while, but she finally put it all together. I am so proud already. Of course, it’ll be a few years before she pulls on a pair of spikes. And she could try it when she gets old enough and decide she hates it, but for now, I’m excited. And I’m excited that Audra’s excited about it.
And with that, I am off to finish some household chores and get ready to take Jack to his baseball practice and hit-a-thon. Just didn’t want you to think I’ve forgotten about you. I feel like I’ve been a bit out of touch, but I’m trying to make time most days to blog.
What’s happening with you?
One thing I’ve learned in life, sometimes a little too late, is that you’ve always got to have a Plan B. So, you may remember, yesterday I vowed to be on the treadmill today and that was the plan. Until I got a phone call requesting help on something that required immediate attention, just as I was about to start my workout.
Dang, really? Seems like that has been the story of my life lately.
But I want you to know I did not ditch my workout. Nope, just had to go with Plan B. I also had to swing by the post office and hardware store – located on the same block in my town – and decided to just walk up there. Yes, it was already 70+ degrees w/ some cloud cover, which means it was pretty humid. But I strapped on my Nike pack with my phone, ID (gotta be safe, ladies), keys, and mp3 and got out there.
It was hella hot. I forgot to strap on my pedometer since I was dressed for the treadmill and I don’t normally use it for that. (It’s just one more thing to knock off while I’m working out.) But I know from previous outings that the round trip is about 2.8 miles. At the beginning of my walk, there is a nice long downhill. (Unfortunately, that makes for a not so nice long uphill at the end, but I’ve learned to deal with it.) When I started at the top of the hill, I saw a group of people about five blocks ahead of me. Four boys on bikes, one girl on a scooter, two moms, one with a toddler in a stroller. I was actually chatting on my Bluetooth with a friend as I walked. By the time I got down the hill, I had caught up to and then passed the family group. Sure, you don’t normally go too fast when you’re pushing a stroller and trying to keep five kids out of the street, but it felt good to make up the distance.
I didn’t really check the clock when I left but I think I did it in about 40 minutes. That includes browsing at the hardware store and chatting with the nice ladies behind the counter. I was good and sweaty when I got home. And I knocked out my errands to boot! Double bonus.
Tomorrow, long treadmill day.
How about you? What’s your Plan B? What do you turn to when everything else falls through?
I must admit I didn’t have much hope for today. The kids got out of school last Friday (at 11:30 am – what’s up with that?!) and we have been busy ever since. We wound up going out for lunch and dinner on Friday, and lunch on Saturday. This is not anywhere close to our usual plan, but we had a few things going on and it was easier to stop and grab something. I did insist on getting a real turkey sandwich from the cafe on Saturday instead of succumbing to the ball park burger or hot dog. Sunday was a day to catch up on sleep and relax.
This morning when I got up, I was hoping to just get an article written and see how long it would be before the kids got up. True to form, they were both up around 7 am, which is the time they usually get up for school or church. And my article wasn’t even close to being finished. It takes a few weeks for them to get used to sleeping in for summer and I knew they’d be up early. By 7:30, I was already figuring I wouldn’t get a workout in today.
But I told myself that was unacceptable.
I made a chore list for the kids. We had a little meeting and I explained that we are going to go back to the daily chore chart. Not only does it help keep the house clean, but it gives me some quiet time to work while they’re busy with chores. To my surprise, they were pretty accepting of it. Of course, I neglected to mention that they should’ve cleaned up the play room floor FIRST so I could get on the treadmill without distractions. Live and learn.
Lately my workouts have been outdoor walks and it had been a while since I’d been on the treadmill. With the kids up, it’s hard to concentrate on my writing and I kept noticing that it was getting later and later in the morning. Way past the time I usually start, let alone end, my workout. I was ready to call it a day and just go up and take a shower when That Little Voice (you know the one – she probably talks to you, too) said, “Donna, this is the day to make a fresh start. If you don’t get off your ass today and get back on that treadmill, it’ll be that much easier to put it off tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. So get up and get moving.”
And that’s exactly what I did.
I’m tired of giving myself a pass when I come up with any old excuse to avoid my workout. There will always be a better time to do it. There will always be a day when I feel more motivated. There will always be something else I need to be doing.
But there will never be another today.
So I laced up my Nikes, fired up my mp3, and did a moderate 30 minutes of jogging intervals. Not the greatest workout of all time, but it kicked the crap out of sitting on the couch. And that’s really all that matters.
After my workout, I made a double recipe of my protein shake so I could share it with the kids. Hemp protein powder, water, banana, strawberries, grapefruit, a little agave nectar (to neutralize the bitterness of the grapefruit), spinach and almonds. For lunch, I mixed up a few cans of tuna with carrots, celery, red onion, a squirt of yellow mustard and some light ranch dressing. The kids had theirs in tortillas, and I had mine on a sandwich thin with a few pickle slices.
As for the rest of the day, I have some more writing to do, and more importantly, some organizing so I can conquer my writing tasks in a timely manner. It’s always a challenge to adjust to having the kids here and it seems like it takes me so much longer to get any writing done with them in the house.
But one thing is for sure: I’ll be hitting that treadmill again tomorrow. You can count on that.
What about you? How are you planning to keep on top of your workouts this summer with kids underfoot and/or changing schedules?
I broke from my regular routine today to combine two tasks: my workout and a church fundraiser. Our parish is celebrating its anniversary this month and we are holding a fun run/walk/bike event as part of the festivities. We decided to use the parish grounds for the run/walk course and I volunteered to come walk it with my pedometer so we could mark off the distance. And then it rained. And rained. And rained some more. Every day I had an opening in my schedule, it rained, or it had rained the night before. The course is not paved and when the other committee members and I went out to walk it after a meeting one night, we all had a good two inches of mud all over our shoes.
My ankle, unfortunately, limits my ability to cover a lot of rough terrain, so I wanted to wait to measure the course until the weather had warmed up and dried out. Well, if you’ve ever been to Idaho, you know that might take a while. Seriously, Memorial Day yesterday and we had showers. This is about the time of year that you remember that you’re not really getting spring. You’ll just get rain that isn’t freezing and then in a couple weeks it’ll be broiling heat for the rest of the summer. Not sure how I manage to forget that every year, but I do.
Well, today I had time in my schedule and the clouds didn’t look too bad, so I headed out there. We had estimated that a lap around the parish grounds was about a half mile when we walked it a while back. Ummm, not quite. It’s more like 0.386 miles. The good news? Two laps is about .75 miles, so that made it easy to estimate. I was soooooooooo hoping it would come out to an even half-mile so I could dump the rest of the workout, but apparently the Karma Fairy came and got me. (Nice try, D!) So I got to do about 2 2/3 laps for the first mile, and almost 8 full laps to get to the 3-mile mark.
It took me about an hour. Not sure since I didn’t check the time when I started. I had stopped to chat with the very nice man who voluntarily tends our parish garden and borrowed some garden stakes from him so I could mark the course. (I believe he is, or used to be, an ER doctor, so I knew I was in good hands in case I wiped out. Always good to know.) I stopped to talk to the sweet ladies who work in the office and then I was on my way.
It’s been a very long time since I really exercised outside. I don’t mean a nice stroll or bike ride through town or a walk up to the market when I’m out of milk. This was an hour of sweating. We had some cloud cover but it soon blew off, giving way to humidity. About a mile and a half in, my hair was drenched. I had my mp3 with me and was jamming along to that. The terrain on the back section of the course was really rough. I know it’s going to be smoothed over by the time we have the race, but it was really tough on my ankle today. When I was done, I really felt it in my knees, quads and shins. Something you don’t usually get from the treadmill.
I should also mention that because it can be so muddy back there, I wore my beat up KEEN shoes that I use when I go fishing. They’re kind of like a short hiking boot, and I found them in Cabela’s Bargain Barn for about 15 bucks a couple years ago. They’re about a half-size too small, but they don’t bother me too much. Oh, until I wear them on a 3-mile trek on uneven surface. Then my feet are screamin’, but how often do you think I’ll do that?
Oh yeah, right …
I felt great when I finished. Totally soaked in sweat thanks to the unexpected humidity and sore all over thanks to the terrain, but great. My heart was pumping and I really knew I’d worked hard. It kind of reminded me of my high school track days, going out after school and running for a few hours, not caring how sweaty you got or what you might smell like. (And holding those garden stakes like a relay baton!) Besides, everyone else out there was doing the same thing so your BO was not usually an issue. Or maybe I just never cared about it the way other girls did. These days, I much prefer to work out indoors, and tend to care a little more about knocking someone down with my body odor after a workout, but I’m thinking I need to open myself up to more outdoor workouts.
I took some ibuprofen as soon as I got home (and I’m about due for another dose soon). I know my ankle, knees and shins will be bitching sore tomorrow. But isn’t that how change is made, by going out of our comfort zone and pushing ourselves just a little farther? I like to think so, anyway.
How about you? Do you like to work out indoors? Outdoors? Or do you do a mix of both?
Today was my treadmill-a-thon to raise money for my son’s all-star team. I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to all of you who pledged and encouraged me along the way. It means so much more than I can say.
The final tally was 75 minutes and $90 pledged. (I had one very generous donor offer an additional $15 on top of minutes already pledged. You know who you are, and you know I love you.) So I laced up my Nikes (seriously, Nike, call me for some sponsorship or whatev. I’ve been a Nike girl since I started running at age 11. Look closely at that pic up there in the banner.), filled a couple water bottles, tuned my mp3 to my Sounds of Spring playlist and got busy.
 Sexy, huh? Be grateful it's not scratch 'n sniff. I am really proud to say that I kept up a good pace, even working in some sprint intervals. In fact, I went much harder than I thought I would. I did a 5K in about 46 minutes. I upped my “walking” pace to 4.0, which used to be my “running” pace a few months ago. I did a few speed intervals at 5.5 mph. The soggy, crappy weather has made my bum ankle a bit cranky lately (shall I just start referring to it as my “crankle”?) but I decided to run through the pain and you know what? It’s fine. At around 63 minutes, my Sounds of Spring playlist was almost done and I wasn’t quite ready for a crooning Uncle Kracker, so I jumped the deck (safety first! No more falling off the frackin’ treadmill–OK, I probably will) and tuned over to another playlist for Hurts So Good and Jessie’s Girl, two well-paced songs for running. And you know by now that I live and die for irony, so as I cranked up to 5.5 mph to do a nice run after more than an hour on the treadmill, I kind of chuckled that it really did “hurt so good.” An elbow dig on every drum beat powered me through to the end. I slowed for a bit to catch my breath on Jessie’s Girl and then at 74 minutes I busted out a 1-minute 6.0 mph sprint to end it.
 786 calories burned, 75:05, 5.08 miles - PHEW! I am especially proud that I covered more than 5 miles in 75 minutes. I’m no math whiz, but I know that’s a sub-15 minute mile pace and I haven’t been able to do that consistently for a longass quite a while. I grinned at the photo I keep by my treadmill–the one my sister took of me at age 14, decked out in running gear, down in the starting position, and fit as a fiddle. I know I’ll never be that girl again–5′7″ and 135 pounds of sprinting fury. For one thing, I’m two inches taller now, and for another thing, I’m pretty sure I’ve got the better part of that 135 in my bra. So, no. But I did close some distance on the gap today, and I’m happy with that.
But enough of that. What really, REALLY makes proud is those boys who go out and hustle every game, practice good sportsmanship, and cheer on their teammates, regardless of the score. This is why they’re all-stars. I’ll take hustle and a good attitude over talent and skill any day, but these kids have it all. It is my pleasure to watch them play each week and their enthusiasm is infectious.
What makes me proud is the way our team’s parents have sprung into action to raise funds for this team and have not turned down one request to help. Like most parents, they would do anything for their kids, and they have proven it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
What makes me proud is all of you–Jacqueline, Josie, Susan, Ernise, Sue, Shannon, Karen, Lori, Pocket, and Joanna–who pledged to help a good cause. And all of you who’ve helped spread the word on Twitter. You let everyone know that you think promoting good health is a better way to raise funds for a kids’ sports team than selling sugary treats. You are all people of principle, and I salute each and every one of you for joining me in this endeavor. (Truth be told, somewhere around minute 50, I swore I heard Sue whispering, “Go hotass, go,” in my ear. Might’ve been the ZZ Top. Not sure.)
At any rate, I know I speak for all of the parents when I say thank you for your support!
I came up with an idea on Friday afternoon and wrote a blog post about it. You can read it here: A dollar for a good cause. It’s my plan to help raise funds for my son’s baseball team by choosing health over sugar. I am on my way, thanks to some generous donors. But in case you missed it over the weekend or haven’t had time to consider it, I just wanted to remind you that there is still plenty of time to pledge a few more minutes of treadmill time.
My treadmill run for all-stars is this Wednesday, May 26, so if you’d like to pledge, please let me know so I can include your minutes. I’m up to 40 minutes so far, which is great. But a 40-minute treadmill session is like a maintenance day and I’m hoping to make it more of an ass kicker.
In fact, that’s where I’m headed right now–the treadmill. It’s been quite a while as I’ve been a bit under the weather and battling a very painful sunburn. But it’s a new day and a new week and I’m ready to see what my body is willing to do.
To pledge, you can leave a comment below, or on the original post. Thanks!
So, you may have noticed that I haven’t been blogging much lately. Lots o’ stuff going on in the personal and haven’t been feeling well lately. Kind of a crappy overlap, but I’m happy to report I’ve maintained my weight loss by trying to stay active when I’ve felt up to it and being smart with my eating.
One of the things that’s been keeping me busy has been my son’s involvement in baseball. Jack just made the 11U all-star team for our town and I am so proud of him. Though he has played baseball for several years, he just started pitching last year and has become quite good at it. We are looking forward to a fun summer full of baseball and travel, with many of the families we traveled with during all-stars last summer. Jack has a great coach who is an excellent fit for his personality – the perfect blend of sensitivity and “suck it up.” I’m absolutely thrilled that he is coaching him not only for the regular season, but for all-stars as well.
You guys already know how much I love baseball. It’s my life for 6 months out of the year. For the other 6 months, I get distracted by BSU and Raiders football, and my hometown San Jose Sharks, and those things are great, but at the end of the day, it’s kind of like kissing your sister. By Christmas, I’m watching Field of Dreams and The Sandlot on DVD. I keep the TV tuned to MLB Network in January, hoping to catch any hot stove news as it breaks. I count down the days until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. After waiting through the frosty Idaho winter, I actually get a little sad on Opening Day, because I know the clock has just started ticking and October will be here before I know it. My birthday falls right around the start of the World Series. I sometimes like to think God made me two weeks overdue so I could receive an extra little “gift” every year. (I’m sure my mother feels it was just to give her something to hold over my head for the rest of my life. “1967 was the hottest Indian summer on record, and you were two weeks late!” You’d think after 42 years, she’d be over that by now.)
At any rate, as much as I love watching my SF Giants, the A’s and Angels; as much as I love to reel off stats, extol the virtues of Mays, Clemente, Aaron, and others, and teach my son baseball’s lore; and as much as I love to hate on the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, A. J. Pierzynski, Manny, and other teams and players who think they are bigger than the game itself, what I love most of all is watching my son play. On Saturday afternoons, if he doesn’t have a game, Jack and I like to head down to the ball fields here in town and watch games, or we hang out after his game to watch whatever games are being played the rest of the day.
This is my paradise.
Sitting with my boy, watching kids learn how to throw to their cutoff, hearing the ping of aluminum bats, having giggling little sisters happily playing in the dirt, listening to youngsters yell, “Ball! Ball! BALL!” as they call off their teammates, catching up with friends and hearing how their kids are doing on their teams, and ducking every time someone calls “HEADS” as a ball is fouled out of play.
This is my paradise.
 Jack and me at an all-stars tournament in 2009 And I love that I get to share it with my son. Like every parent and child, Jack and I have a special bond. He is my Pumpkin, my sweetheart, my freckle-faced boy. He knows I get lightheaded when I have to squat down on my bad ankle for an extended period of time and often feel like I’m going to black out–Jack has literally held me up on numerous occasions. He is polite, thoughtful, sensitive, and silly. He has a surprisingly subtle and clever sense of humor for a kid his age. He makes funny voices and faces that crack us up. He is extremely patient and kind toward his little sister who can be quite the pest. And like most 11 1/2 year old boys, he is all about the bodily functions when it comes to jokes and comments. Good thing he’s also polite, thoughtful, etc.
So I’ve had a lot of hectic-ness in the daily lately and have been trying to think of a way to get myself back on track with my fitness goals. And I had this idea. Jack’s team is in the middle of a fundraising drive to offset our costs to attend the state tournament. We sell drinks, sunflowers seeds, gum, and other items at ball games and keep the proceeds. For the past two days, I’ve been baking a lot of goodies to sell at games. And I love to do this, and I know people buy it. But I’m getting to a point in my life that I wonder what kind of message I’m sending by selling not-so-healthy snacks to raise funds for my kids to play sports. I look at this as “sometimes food,” and my kids do too. But I just feel like I need to do something else, something a little more “pro-health” if you will, to make sure I’m sending the right message.
So here’s my proposal. I need to make a more serious commitment to my fitness routine than I’ve been making lately. And we need to raise funds for all-stars. I am willing to take pledges of $1 per minute of treadmill time — with a cap at 90 minutes — if you’d like to contribute to a very good cause and help our boys get to the state tournament. I will hit the treadmill on Wednesday, May 26, probably around 8:30 am, MST, and you can pledge any time. Ideally, I’d like to receive all donations by June 1. To facilitate things, I will take donations by PayPal, and you can email me for that information. Please understand that this is not for my personal use. The money goes to the team and is then divided equally among the families to offset travel costs and other expenses. We are always looking for new fundraising ideas and I thought this would be a great way to show the kids that there are other, more health-conscious ways to raise money besides selling sugary treats and sodas.
Want to help? I’d be honored if you would consider it. Please leave a comment below and let me know. Thank you.
So, I haven’t been working out much lately. I know. What a bum. Well, I don’t like to make excuses, but I do (conveniently) happen to have one. See, on Saturday, I spent the whole day down at my town’s ball fields, watching my son’s game and others. This is what I do for fun — go watch free baseball for the afternoon, hang out in my little town, talk with parents and players, have a great time. And it was a gorgeous day, the first really warm day we’ve had all year.
I just forgot one thing: sunscreen.
 The red doesn't really come through, but trust me, it hurts No, I’m not going to do the whole Kurt Vonnegut speech on sunscreen. But let’s just say, it’s a really good idea to remember the sunscreen.
Just now getting to where I can wear a regular bra without wincing and hoping to get into a sports bra in a day or two. Between this and my platelet donation debacle (I spared you photos of my heroin addict-esque bruises), I’ve been taking it easy lately. But that’s fine. I’m still holding steady on the scale, not gaining, so I’ll take it.
And yes, before you lecture, I know. I bought some already. My parish nurse even gave me a little travel pack for my purse. I’ve added it to the list of dumb stuff I don’t want to do again. Believe me, I won’t forget the sunscreen next time.
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