The Drive-In and a Run
Dusty and I have always loved the Drive-In. We used to go all the time, but have been out of commission the past few years. When Silas was born, this was the easiest way to go see a movie. After all, you're in your own car and if your baby cries, he's not disturbing anyone. If he gets hungry, you can easily feed him. Once Silas hit a certain age, the drive-in experience became non-existent. Where it had been amazing before, he was no longer at an age where he'd sit there and cooperate. Understandable. So that's the reasoning behind us not having been in years.
Yesterday morning we were talking and decided we should do something fun as a family that evening. I thought about it. I looked up what was playing at the Drive-In and Megamind was showing. I'm not gonna say I wasn't a bit hesitant to give it another go just yet. But, I cleaned out the car, got snacks, blankets and pillows and told the boys what we were doing. Silas couldn't stop looking outside to see if it was getting dark yet and also decided he wanted to sleep in the car. When Dusty came home, Eli told him, "Daddy, watch movie in car!" Dusty sat the boys down and told them the rules, of which they added a few of their own.
The rules were:
1. No wrestling.
2. They needed to either be sitting or laying down - no standing and walking around.
3. No crying.
4. Keep your hands to yourself.
Silas added, while Eli repeated after him:
4. No hitting.
5. No poking.
6. Sit criss cross applesauce, just like at school.
7. Eat your snacks.
8. Each could bring one toy.
They were totally geared up to go and giddy as we were walking out the door. On the way there, they were so happy, laughing and excitedly talking to one another in the back seat. It was precious.
When we got to the drive-in, we put the car seats in the front seat, laid the seats in the black completely flat, and made a big bed with the blankets and pillows. They thought this was the greatest thing ever. They loved it and I can promise this will be a new activity to add to our "Fun Things to Do as a Family" list. I'm so glad we went!
So... this morning I got up and went for my usual Saturday run without the boys. I look forward to this all week, because it's my only opportunity to run sans stroller. Pushing 85+ pounds up and down hill is getting more and more challenging by the day. In any case, I got to my half way point and was ready to turn around. I saw a guy running towards me, so I decided I would wait until he passed before I turned around. As soon as he passed, I did just that. I quickly realized that I was going to have to sprint ahead and pass him, which I hate to do. He was a legitimate runner. Sometimes you see people that you can just tell are not runners. They are not dressed for it, are just beginning or are "running" for a minute and walking. But this guy, he was a runner.
Before going on, I must say that I truly believe running is 90% mental. You have to have your head in the game, constantly reminding yourself to put one foot in front of the other. You have to focus on your posture and breathing, keep at a steady pace and not overdue it in the beginning, which can be easy to do when you first start running. Running around other people can totally throw you off course. When I see someone up ahead of me, rather than focusing on going at my pace, sometimes I'll find myself running too fast to catch up, not even consciously thinking about it. So, when I knew I'd have to pass this dude, I felt bad because I didn't want to get in his head. I do not say this to be arrogant, but let's face it - no guy wants a girl passing him. But I just had to, otherwise I would be running too slow and I certainly didn't want to run alongside him. So, I did it - I passed him. And as I did, he turned and looked at me like, "seriously??"
The next 2 miles, I just focused on my music and forgot about him. As I was nearing the last quarter mile, I saw him out of the corner of my eye. He was trying to pass me. This is where it gets really bad. This is the point where I always sprint to the end. Seriously - I kick it as hard as I can the very last stretch which is about 1/4 a mile - right at this very point where he had decided to pass me by. Sorry dude. I darted full speed ahead. I may have sprinted even harder than normal. When I got to the end, he was way behind me. I came home and the first thing I said to Dusty was, "I think I psyched some poor guy out on his run." Maybe this is something that is confusing to anyone that's not a runner. But, Dusty and I have had numerous conversations about running around other people and how hard it can be. You can ruin a run if you're too focused on passing or catching up to someone or just don't have your head in the game. So all that to say, I'm sorry, guy from the lake that I passed this morning. It was nothing personal. I just have really long legs, and therefore a much longer stride. And, you weren't all that fast. I really would have rather avoided this awkward circumstance all together. Happy running - I hope I don't have to pass you again!
2 Comments
First, I WISH I had long legs, running would be so much more awesome!
ReplyDeleteSecond, passing someone running is such a game! It's so funny how to do it, when to do it. I love the way you explained it!
You know you loved it!
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