Yesterday I forced (yes, forced) my children to join my triathlon group for its annual Memorial Day track work out. It’s a day when the members bring children, family members, etc. and we do a fun track work out. Yesterday was 10 x 400’s with a partner.
You would have thought I had asked them to give up their electronic devices for a year (it was less than an hour!) or sports for their lives. I got so much flack (non swear word) for this activity. Honestly, even getting out of the car at the track the boys were saying, “Why are you making us do this?” “What do I get in return?” (my answer to the latter was not pleasant). My daughter was a bit more gracious about it, even when she got paired with the coach who claims she’s not fast, but really is VERY fast.
During the work out, my boys took it upon themselves to beat their old mom. They were not on my team (thankfully) and whenever they were coming along on the track when I was running, they would pass me with a smile, maybe a comment like “slow poke” and then bolt … like the road runner. I gotta say, they are very fast – those long legs and young lungs help!
Here’s the thing: I might feel bad if I had been a fast runner in my youth and I’m now slowing down for the next generation – but that’s not the case. Remember my friends, I was the queen of geeks at their age. When I ran the hurdles, I knocked down every single one and still was so last it wasn’t even funny! Any sport I tried, I failed.
Now, at 50, I’m likely in the best shape of my life (I’m not saying too much here) and although I’m slower than those three fast road runners in my family, none of them can keep up with me in the distance category (not yet anyway!). So, when my son said in the car after the run (post-appeasement with Jamba Juices), that I was “beast” for a 50 year old, I took it as a great complement! Hey, I’ll take it when I can get it!
Hope you all have a great day today!
theyearof50 