Honey, I Embarrassed the Kids! Again.

by Carilyn on March 22, 2012

I’m working on my blog early this morning – instead of running, which is what I usually do at 5 a.m.  And I have that panicky feeling that I’m not going to be able to get everything done because of this delay.  Normally, I’ve already run more than a third of my daily miles by now, but this morning, I have only managed a third of my daily coffee consumption.

The reason for my change in routine is that my kids have a friend spending the night.  Now, usually this is not enough to deter me from getting up to run.  This week is different, however, because it is Finals week, so I felt like I had to do my part and not get on my screechy treadmill that sits directly below their bedroom.  I didn’t want their friend, who is not accustomed to the sound of incessant pounding mixed with grinding machinery first thing in the morning, to do poorly on his Final because he couldn’t get enough sleep in the Johnson Fun House.  But it was difficult to resist running.  I stared longingly at my treadmill for several minutes while I made my coffee, wondering if I could somehow make it quieter.  But McGuyver, I’m not.  And it’s just too dark at 5 a.m. to run outside alone.

So I’m sitting on the couch, typing, my right foot tapping, fueled by a triple espresso that I had no business drinking since I’m doing nothing but SITTING!  And it got me to thinking about the ways we affect our kids lives with our running, for good and bad.  I mean, do other kids have to ask their mother to shower before she picks them up at school?  I thought of all the ways my kids have been affected by my running:

Positives:

 

1.  They have gotten to travel all over the world for races, seeing places we probably would have never gone if we were merely tourists.

Grant and I in South Korea

2.  There is a lot of junk food in our house all the time because I am always hungry.  No need to worry about sneaking cookies in this house.  You only need to be concerned that all the new cookies will be gone before you get home from school.

3.  Laundry gets done every day.  I sweat a lot.  And I run a lot.  This leads to a lot of wet clothes every day.  Ick.

4.  I’m pretty open to letting them do, and be, whatever they want in life because…well, when you run around in circles for years, what can you say?  No pressure to conform in this family.

5.  My kids have full control of the television remote.  I am way too tired to watch t.v., so it is all their’s.  No bickering over whether we are going to watch Dance Moms or South Park.  I’m probably already asleep.

 

Negatives:

 

1.  I rarely look like Donna Reed.  In fact, I usually look like I work in a swamp wrestling gators.  This has caused my kids to ask me, on more than one occasion, “Hey Mom, can you pick us up on Orange Grove Street?”

Me:  “But that’s 3 blocks from the school.”

Them:  “Exactly.”

2.  While on the above-mentioned trips across the globe, my kids have been forced to crew for me during 24 Hour races.  Sleeping with a running shoes as a pillow in and aid station tent isn’t exactly travelling in luxury.

Another race, another city

3.  If we can walk, we never drive.  My kids call them “forced death marches” because I like to WALK.  No strolling.  Luckily, we live someplace where you can walk nearly everywhere – and we do.  And they hate it.

4.  Many of our “fun” vacations involve me figuring out how to get my miles in.  This has forced me to resort to being dropped off at the edge of a town and running through it while my husband gets gas and food, and then picked up on the other side – much to the extreme embarrassment of my teenagers.

5.  And finally, the one that started me thinking about this: I run on my treadmill every morning right under their bedroom.  They have become very heavy sleepers because of it.  I look at it as preparing them for dorm life later on.  Hmmm… I guess that makes it a positive 🙂

 

How do your kids feel about your running?

 

Happy Running!

{ 12 comments }

Kent March 22, 2012 at 10:28 am

My kids, (27, 23 & 20 yrs.) are pretty impressed that the “old man” – that was 1 1/2 yrs. ago when I was 56 and of course pretty OLD – started running at such a ripe old age (?) and has since finished 2 half-marathons with an eye to completing a full (maybe this year). Much more important then that is, I hope that they see you are never too old to have a dream and achieve it with hard work and perseverance. I hope they carry that ideal through life cause they will see it come to fruition in their Dad who never really had big dreams of anything let alone set out to achieve what he once thought was impossible.

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 10:49 am

Love it, Kent! I think it is so great that you are showing your kids that life can be full, chaleenging and exciting at all ages. Your kids must be very proud!

Anne March 22, 2012 at 2:23 pm

You certainly sound like a fun (and considerate) mom. I’m sure your kids are proud of you, even when you’re stinky.

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 3:07 pm

Thanks, Anne – I hope so. They are fun to be with 🙂

Alex March 22, 2012 at 3:32 pm

My daughters, 10 & 6 are use to their parents planning vacations around marathons. And because marathons only take about 1/2 day away from our getaways, they never complain. Last year my girls had the opportunity to see the Liberty Bell and Macy’s parade because of a marathon, so far just smiles 🙂

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 4:41 pm

I’m with you, Alex, taking the kids on the trips is the best part of racing.
I know your daughters will look back with great fondness at all the trips you took as a family.

Marcia March 22, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Ha! I could have written Alex’s comment! My girls are the same age and the running life is all they’ve ever known. We’ve had some nice destination race vacays we’ve all enjoyed.

olga March 22, 2012 at 5:44 pm

There are few things that come with territory. Questions my kids ask me: What, only a 50k? What, you didn’t place? What, he dropped at mile 80 when it was ONLY 20 left? Mom, don’t tell everybody you run these things, they don’t believe it anyway and think you’re crazy for making them up.
Laundry – their good clothes rarely gets done because there is always a need to run a dirty stinky load that can’t be combined (and I don’t like running electric appliances too many times a week). Thankfully, my son’s clothes are majorly stinky because he skates every day.
Travel – yeah, I gave up dragging them all around, because I am tired of feeling guilty. I rarely did it before, and not doing at all anymore. My cool places are not their cool places. Although all the hikes and backpacking trips, as much as they were hated by both kids half the time while in process, now fondly remembered and talked about as in “when I have kids, I’ll take them…”.
I don’t care for their “good looks”, so they look like homeless in expensive skating pants and shoes. Ripped and dirty (laundry doesn’t help anymore). When I wear a skirt, I get a wild look and “what’s going on?”.
But…today I sent my oldest the link to an article, and he said he plans to be as successful as I am:)

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 5:55 pm

Oh my gosh, those are classic, Olga! Too funny! Love the “only a 50k?” – ha ha! And I think it is so great that Alex paid you such a high compliment – that is the best!

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 5:57 pm

That is great, Marcia! I love it that “runner kids” get to see a lot of cool places and we get to run! 🙂

Char March 22, 2012 at 6:46 pm

I thought it was every parent’s duty to embarrass their kids as much as possible. It builds resilience (or totally destroys their confidence). I love that you make your kids do ‘death marches’. You are my new parenting guru – it’s just a pity that my kids are too old for it to make any impact now.

Carilyn March 22, 2012 at 6:48 pm

Thanks, Char! I loved your blog! And my kids are very unhappy with the death marches 🙂

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