At the tender age of 8 I realized I was not a swimmer. I could swim strong to be sure, but I lacked one necessary skill in order to be the next Dara Torres... I failed to be able to dive. I threw a fit, stormed around on the pool deck like Captain Hook being stalked by that crocodile and generally said NO I CAN NOT DO THIS AND YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME! I was never a drama queen as you can tell. Needless to say I never learned how to get into the pool without gently testing it with a toe or two before sliding my body in ever so carefully into the icy cold depths of the pool. There ended my swimming career never even making it off the blocks.
Let's go back further... Soccer was filled with games of tag and absolute no chasing of the soccer ball... I am not even sure if I ever learned how to score a goal properly. My dad was so proud I'm sure of the darling daughter he was coaching. Basketball, I learned in one practice that it was not my sport. Something about not even being able to heave that gigantic basketball halfway to the goal devasted my dreams of the WNBA. I wasn't too heartbroken though! I also couldn't dribble the ball without it bouncing off my foot which would have been a cool trick had I been a Globetrotter, but trust me I wasn't and it just bounced sadly across the gym away from me. Running for it's life more like it, to someone that wouldn't abuse it.
Baseball, tennis, volleyball all met with the same fates. I was scared of the ball so I delicately shrieked and ran away from the ball intent on coming after me to knock me out and generally make me look a fool. I did ride horses for years (still do) and that was the extent of my athletic ability.
Until these last two years. I have finally emerged out of my cocoon and found something I can do that met of all the requirements.
Requires no coordination? Check
No balls? Check
I now RUN. And loved it! I have achieved new PRs all fall race season with a 1:50:36 half marathon time, to a 23:37 5k (hoping to smash this weekend) that led me to a second in my age group and all of this has been leading up to my crown jewel the marathon which is a week away and why I am slightly crazy right now. Taper does not serve me well!
So PEOPLE even the unathletic can be a runner! If I can you can so run some miles for me since I'm not supposed to be due to this taper thing designed to test the will of all runners the world wide.
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Great post and I love your blog! It's not JUST because you have a Jack Russell too, really! I laughed at your little story about her being too fast and tiring you out. I totally get it. The honking was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAbout being a runner...I was never athletic until I started running and now I feel like a stud. Go figure!