Thursday, April 4, 2013

Continuing The Streak---Even When It's Hard

We live .43 miles from our neighborhood elementary school, so when my son started school this year, I decided to walk him there every day.  I knew that it would be good for him since he has a crazy amount of energy.  It would help him get some of that energy out before having to sit for much of the day in his classroom.

Enter the warm, sunny days of August and September!

Walking was a joy (well, once I figured out how to get everyone out of the the door by 7:20 a.m.!). We had the best time, walking and chatting with each other and lots of neighborhood kids who were also walking. We even started bringing the dog (our pug, Monte) along for some added fun!


Then a RAINY and cold winter hit (did I mention that it was rainy??).  Instead of just breezing out of the door, we required things like real shoes (so I switched from flip-flops to Crocs), jackets, hats, mittens, gloves, raincoats, and umbrellas.  Our walks required fortitude as we braced against the annoying elements. Our neighborhood friends quit walking.  Still we pressed on!  In the freezing temperatures, we noticed the frozen puddles and ice everywhere.  In the rain, we jumped around avoiding all of the worms and commented on how high the creek was.


In early spring, the vet told us our dog had lost a pound (we attribute it to his daily walks with us).  The kids started doing a "Kids' Marathon," where they have to run/walk 25 miles in the 2 months leading up to the race-day 1.2 miles.  They were happy that our walks would count towards that total. We faced a tardy since we couldn't locate the rain shield for the jogging stroller (a must for my daughter on the rainy days!). Rick stepped in to walk our son on the days when he was able to go into work late, a much-appreciated lightening of my load.

Picture from earlier this year
Today's walk was another rainy one.  My son donned raincoat and boots and carried his umbrella, while I wore his backpack on my front to prevent it from getting wet.  My daughter rode in the stroller with the rain shield, and the dog stayed inside.  I felt a little clumsy pushing the stroller while juggling my umbrella, and I groaned as my Croc-adorned toes hit yet another puddle, soaking my already cold feet (I never did get around to buying rain boots for me this year!).  But then I remembered.  I am a runner---and a trail runner at that!  I have spent hours in the rain, in soaking wet clothes getting filthy and muddy as I ran.  I could do this.  So we walked another day.

I am proud to report that we have kept this streak alive.  Rick or I have walked our son to school every day of his first grade year.  Through the hot summer days, the cool fall days, the frigid and rainy winter, days where I'd already run 10-20 miles before our walk, and even through my nasty stomach bug.  We are heading into a nicer and easier time.  We will keep this streak alive.

What will my son learn from all of this?  I hope he learns not to give up.  On the worst of the winter days, we would all give high fives once we made it to the school.  We would celebrate another day of walking.  We were meeting our goal.  He has learned about nature as we comment on the things we see around us in the different seasons.  He's learned to rely on his own two feet to get him where he wants to go.  He's learned that things may not always be comfortable.  Our car would have been much warmer and definitely drier than many of these days.  But where is the triumph in always living a comfortable life?

So here's to discomfort.  Here's to feeling annoyingly cold.  Here's to wet feet.  Here's to tired legs.  Here's to seemingly impossible goals.  Here's to using the body God gave you to the fullest.  Here's to not giving up when the going gets tough.  And here's to running, which taught me all of these lessons first.

8 comments:

  1. You rock. You know how close we live to Coop's school and we have not done the daily walk! But I do think that you need to invest in a pair of Hunter rain boots. You deserve them!

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    1. Yes, I do need some boots! Apparently I must have mentioned it enough times that Nate actually told me that he was going to buy me some! Of course, now that the weather is nice, we have lots of people to walk with and finally do not need jackets! I am loving it. Good seeing you today at school!

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  2. What a great tradition and great way to start everyone's day! I'm going to have to remember this when my little ones start school if we are fortunate enough to live close! :) I love keeping up with your blog! Your kids are adorable!

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    1. Thanks, Brooke! I didn't know you read my blog! I still read yours too and see Steve at some of the races, and he gives me the updates. I love the pictures of your kids too. It reminds me of mine a few years back.

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  3. This is AWESOME!! I love the dedication required to continue a streak and this one is so great because it involves your kids AND fitness. I think you are teaching MANY valuable life lessons.

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    1. Thanks, Tia! I think I just read that your kids' school does a 100 mile event throughout the whole year? That also sounds great. I love it when the schools encourage fitness!

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  4. That is awesome! Our neighborhood is actually right across the street from Emma's school, BUT we are told we can't walk. Apparently there aren't enough kids that live in walking distance so there is no crossing guard. It seems so silly but I definitely don't want to try and cross the road. The drivers are crazy.

    The kids and I saw all of you walking on Tuesday evening. I wanted to honk but then was afraid it would scare you. :) I think the kids were on their bikes.

    Brandy

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    1. Brandy, That is crazy! We too have some "crazy drivers" and people in a hurry---and no crosswalk on Balch/Mill, so needless to say the kids will not be doing this walk alone anytime soon. That was us on Tuesday night--Rick and I were trying to keep up (and Rick had the dog). Nate was on his new big bike, and Clara was on her scooter. It was such a nice night!

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