5K Training Update: What Running Is Teaching Me About Myself

Remember that blog post where I was freaking out about starting to train for my first ever 5K? The blog post where I thought for sure it would take me 3 months of training to get ready, and I couldn't understand what fun anyone could find in running? That blog post from two months ago where I was (as usual) filled with self-doubt?

 I wrote that post before I had even once hit the pavement. Since then I've been running a few times a week and surprising the hell out of myself. I hit the three mile mark two and a half weeks ago. My best run was a hilly 3.4 miles last weekend. And I think I get it now...where the fun is in this sport. I totally understand how people can get hooked. It feels amazing. When I committed to the 5K it wasn't even the idea of running that I liked, it was the idea of setting a goal and accomplishing it. Now it's the running I like. Plain and simple. Here are some things I've learned...

Worrying about getting started was the hardest part. In my mind this was going to be a miserable experience. Something I would do once just to say I did it. (Okay, so yes, the first few weeks were in fact miserable.) But once I quit talking about it and started doing it, I quickly realized perception is NOT reality.  

Running is completely mind over matter. My cousin told me that once you've been running for a while you'll hit your stride and realize you can just keep going. And she was right! I was amazed at how fast I was able to just keep running without stopping to walk. Here's what the voice in my head sounds like when I'm running. "Yeah, this is hard...but you're not dying. Just because it's hard doesn't mean you can't do it. Keep running. Do not start walking. Think of how strong you're getting." 

Running is awesome ME time. I love my family. I really do. But I also crave alone time because it seems like I never get it anymore. I can't tell you how good it feels to put on my iPod and listen to Green Day on full blast...something I can't play at home with three little sets of ears listening. I would have to say that "running ME time" might be just as fun as "going to Target without kids and grabbing a Starbucks ME time." (It's definitely cheaper.) 

If you told me last October that I would be enjoying my 5K training this much, I would have laughed at you. If you told me last October that by the end of spring I'd be feeling jealous when I drive by people running on the side of the road, I would have said you were crazy. I never in a million years thought I was capable of this. Shame on me. Of course I am! Bring it on 'Go Commando'...see you in 6 weeks. 

A Letter to Jack On Your 6th Birthday

I had it in my mind that you were turning 5 this year...I really did. Maybe that's because I wish you could stay this way forever. But thanks for setting me straight with a smile and a giggle. "Mom...I'm gonna be SIX!" You have always been our model middle child. You go with the flow, find the fun and the funny in every situation, and get so excited about the little things in life. When you were just 5 months old Papa started calling you 'Happy Jack.' That name that has stuck well all these years.You always have the most impeccable timing with your humor (weather it's appropriate or not.)  I'm sure your pre-school teacher will always remember when you got up in front of the class and gave the daily report entirely in a British accent after seeing so much TV coverage of the royal wedding. I'll never forget how excited you were to get on that bus on your first day of Kindergarten this year. The look of excitement on your face was enough to bring me to tears. I'm so proud of what a good student you've become. It makes me beam with pride when I listen to you read Magic Tree House books all by yourself! And isn't it wonderful that your big brother Ben is always there to teach you something new? I'm sure you'll have fun sharing all of your knowledge with Anna soon too. Do you think you can teach her how to fish as well as you do? It should be lots of fun watching you use your very own, brand new tackle box this spring! I hope you will always keep the energetic spirit that we love so much about you. Keep learning and laughing always. I love you so very much...Happy Birthday my little Jack-a-Dee!

When Bad Family Photos Happen To Good People

That perfect family photo...I've been chasing it for years. But I'm starting to realize that it probably doesn't exist. Sometimes the most perfect family photos are the obnoxious outtakes. Those are the photos that tell the true story of this family. They make me laugh, cringe, roll my eyes, and remember. Yup, that was how it really went down when we were trying to force 3 little kids sit still and act adorable. That's what happened when we bribed and pleaded with (and probably even threatened) our kids to just let us get ONE good shot. Here are just a few of my favorite outtakes from over the years.  

This appears to be a sweet family photo, right?

Don't be fooled...

This is literally two seconds later...after a strategically placed kick from little brother.

Just in case you were wondering...this is what I look like when telling one of my 

kids to "go sit on your bed!"

This is just lovely...I'm so proud. (See no evil, pick no evil, smirk no evil?) 

Don't you think Christmas is a beautiful time of year? 

All that togetherness and family bonding....

Grandparents can even have a difficult time wrangling their little 

angels for that perfect holiday snapshot...

...but it CAN happen. I think my parents are actually sweating in this one.

Here's one I took this Easter. See how peaceful they are all 

dressed up and behaving like little lambs?

This is my favorite family photo outtake of all time:

A real Easter whodunit from a few years ago. Somebody farted as we were posing for the perfect family photo. I won't name names, but it may have been the big guy in the upper left corner who also happens to be my brother. Perhaps not so coincidentally...there was an earthquake that very morning in California. I'm certain it was triggered by the exact moment you see pictured here. 

We may not be a picture-perfect family...but we're perfect for each other. 

Do You Worry About Bullying?

One of the things that scares me the most about parenting school-aged kids is bullying. Because even though we're all positive that we're raising the most intelligent, kind and responsible kids....the truth is we send them off on that school bus every morning and we have no control over their social interactions with other kids. I cross my fingers every day that I've given my boys the tools they need to go out and conquer the elementary school world with confidence. But what if they are being bullied? And perhaps worse...what if they are bullying others?

The recent buzz about the documentary 'Bully' has gotten me thinking...a lot. Have you seen it in the news? It chronicles "a year in the life of America's bullying crisis" and some of the scenes are beyond heart breaking. I think it's going to be a game changer for lots of people. Take a look at the trailer:

It's obvious by now that bullying is a major social issue facing kids today. So serious that it has even driven some kids to suicide. (How terrifying is that?) Statistics show that 3 million students will miss school each month because they feel unsafe. 1 in 7 students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying. These statistics always leave me feeling very helpless...with more questions than answers. What's the best way to talk to our kids about it? What do we say and when? How involved should parents get if it happens? Can I trust that the school will handle bullying appropriately? Is my child telling me everything that's going on? What can we do to change things? 

I think the most important thing we can do is just TALK about bullying...often, openly and honestly. Even if I don't know the most effective or appropriate things to tell my kids, I know for sure that we have to keep that line of conversation wide open for them. I have made my boys promise me two things. First, that they will NEVER bully another child. And second, that if they are being bullied in any way they will not be afraid to tell me or my husband. If only it could stay that easy, right?  I'm bracing tightly for the day they turn into moody middle-schoolers who want a Facebook account and a cell phone. 

How do you address the topic of bullying with your kids? Have you or your child ever experienced bullying? What words of wisdom do you have for other parents? 

Check out http://thebullyproject.com/indexflash.html for more information about 'Bully' and some really great resources for parents, kids, teachers and advocates.