Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Words of wisdom

On Sunday morning (my sleep-in day) I really didn't want to get up for my run. It was only to be a short run in the neighborhood, but it was cold outside....I had eaten too much the night before...I had a headache...the bed was warm.....yadda, yadda, yadda. Experience has taught me that if I can just get myself out there I'll be glad I did. So finally, I invited my 7 yr old son along, knowing that we would probably walk a lot.

Our goal was 3 miles. As you would expect from a 7 yr old boy, he started off like a rocket, but I soon convinced him to slow down so we could pace ourselves. It was a clear, brisk morning and I was glad to be out running, even if it wasn't at my regular pace. I had my gps with me and when we were at about 1.5 miles, the little guy asked how far we had gone. We were holding a steady 12 minute pace at that point. "Let's shoot for 30 minutes!", he said. I explained that to make 3 miles in 30 minutes we'd need to speed up to 10 minute miles and that we'd have to go even faster to make up for the slower beginning pace. It was an unlikely scenario. But not to him. "There's no point in not trying, Mom!" he exclaimed as he started to sprint down the street.

Of course, we weren't able to finish the 3 miles in under 30 minutes. But his words and attitude have stuck with me. It's my new mantra to guide me into 2007. I think those words will serve me well as I train for my first 50 miler.

16 comments:

Backofpack said...

He's a smart little guy! And I'm impressed that a seven year old could go for three miles.

Jessica DeLine said...

We can learn so much from the innocence of children can't we? I love it!

Darrell said...

Out of the mouths of babes!

I like the new look, green is one of my favorites.

Olga said...

What happened to my comment?

Kim said...

That's great wisdom!! I might need to quote that myself!
Page looks nice too!

Anonymous said...

All right B! I was just thinking I should take A with me on my next short run -- now I know I will.

Unknown said...

That's weird, I know I left a comment as well. Sarah, you're losing comments.

That's a good motto for 2007. Let's see if this gets through.

Anonymous said...

i love it, that's awesome!

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...

"There's no point in not trying, Mom!" awesome words!!

U have to printout that saying and tape it to the fridge & bathroom mirror ... good for him to see it too!!

One of my best motivational speakers is Jim Rohn...

He said KIDS should have TWO bikes, ONE bike to Ride and One bike to Rent" --lol it's good to start your little guy thinking like an entrepreneur early !! and from what he said to you "There's no point in not trying, Mom!" sounds like he is on his way!!

Bob

Ryan said...

Seeing the world through children’s eyes is so humbling and inspiring...your son has a great spirit and definitely takes after his mom!

Cheers to the joys of parenting!

Jack said...

What a smart little guy, totally unblocked from the thoughts that bring an adult to a screeching halt!

Rick Gaston said...

I like that mantra, something to remember. Sounded like a great time with your son.

Bob - BlogMYruns.com said...

Sarahhhhhhhhhhh Email me when u get a chance my email is on my blog...

I have a couple of cool trail pics you can add between some of your links on the right side

Bob

Joe said...

What a cool story, Sarah!!! And, like Michelle, I'm impressed he went 3 with you!!

Not to miss the other part of the story...you got yourself out the door, even when you didn't feel like it!! A major win!!

Journey to a Centum said...

Sarah,

You should add this mantra to "the little voice inside your head" that most ultra runners use in the last few miles. Good luck with your training! I'm so glad Michelle and I were able to meet you and your family this year.

Thanks for all the encouragement at Autumn Leaves this year!

Ginger Breadman said...

How cool - what an inspirational little guy, and neat to learn lessons from our children.