@postaday 292; #postaday2011
It is much easier to do things myself, alone. I prefer it. I like it. But sometimes we do things we know we should and rather not. When I launched into Brad Gansberg’s #5kin100days program last month, I didn’t think I’d be taking my daughters along with me. I go to 24-Hour Fitness Hawaii Kai alone most of the time. Sometimes John joins me. I go to masters swimming, and the girls go play in the pool somewhere else. I ride my bicycle, mostly alone, but sometimes John joins me.
On Mondays, since John is off, he joins me on my Kahala Triangle Park jaunt. We tried to do it in Hawaii Kai this past Monday, but traffic is too intense around Hawaii Kai Drive and Keahole Street. So I returned to Triangle Park. It’s not perfect. Dog walkers smoke and there’s one really big guy with a sissy dog and he doesn’t pick up its poops. There are evening athletes far superior to me who include Triangle Park in their route. They have to run around we three Benderettes as we keep to the right on the sidewalk.
Part of the reason I’m not thrilled with having Kid1&2 along is that Kid1 has these standards that are correct and true and right, but she’s such a whip cracker when it comes to getting Kid2 to stay to the right. So Kid2 gets pretty frustrated and behind me is this trail of bickering littles.
Three times last night I stopped to give ’em hell. They don’t expect it, and it’s rather Keystone cops-like because I stop then the other stops right before crashing into me and then the other one crashes into the the first one. So, while I think it’s kinda hilarious that they just did that, I have to read them the riot act, with a straight face. The fact that I had to do it three times last night really got my goat. So the last time I told them they better figure out a way to get along while we are doing this because we are doing this and the best way to do it is to do it while getting along.
All I really want is to slip into my thoughts while I do my 5-minute warm-up walk, my 20-minute fast walk, the six 90-second runs interspersed with six 90-second fast walks, and a final 5-minute cool down walk. That was last night. Despite having to shut down for about two minutes total to let my inner drill sergeant emerge, we had our personal best time last night.
After our sixth run was pau, I let them know and they were very happy. I was, too. We had a group hug right there under the street lamp. That’s when I noticed the old dudes sitting out in front of their very nice house across the street. Last Friday they took delivery of pizza. I guess they hang out in the evening and watch the athletes, and the wannabe athletes strive for some personal greatness in their lives.
The evening ended well. But I really can’t stand that I have to boil over for we Benderettes to achieve that.
Lavagal 
I guess the pre-run lecture needs to include some coaching for kid1 to relax and not be her sister’s keeper for 50 minutes or so, and for kid2 to find a happy place where kid1’s bossing won’t get to her, while at the same time keeping to the right, because it’s the polite thing to do. maybe that can be combined with the stretch, so they’re loosened up mentally as well as physically. thanks for going to the trouble of including them in your 5Kin100days challenge. if you manage to give them the gift of running, and it sticks just a little, you’ll have an accomplishment even greater than your own 5K transformation to be proud of.