It's time to start....RUNNING!!!

Last weekend was the Mudhen 5K race in Longmont.  Not being a runner, let alone a distance runner, I did not participate in the race (and after waking up to a steady SNOW, I was even more thankful I hadn't committed). However, many friends from Alpha and some families from school did run, and I was able to catch the tail end of many of their races.  Kathy competed for the first time in quite awhile and ended up 4th in her division.  One KB student from Alpha, Stephanie, won her division.  Several others were there running with their kids or supporting their friends.  But probably the most inspiring runner was another kickboxing friend, Erika, who was doing her first 5K.  She is as strong as they come, very dedicated to coming to class and has made monumental improvements across the board in her overall fitness.  But she is not a runner, and yet she decided to set a goal and see it through.  And she finished, and it was really cool to see that and all the support she was getting.

Well, the end of those races is always great, with people congratulating each other and just hanging out and realizing they just did a pretty intense workout, and now they are done and they can enjoy the aftermath.  Kathy was looking for more races to run, which is beyond awesome, because quite often she is just too busy or tired to train or compete in stuff like this, and she is actually very good at it.  She found a half marathon being run for the first time in Longmont this July, and she thinks that would be a good race to train for.  She talked to some of our friends about it, and they showed some interest.  And I will probably look back at this decision as one of the most whacked out decisions I have ever made, but I told her I would give it a go myself. 

Yes, I am planning to run the Redline 13.1 in Longmont on July 16th (happy 40th birthday to me).  Let me just list a few things that are fundamentally flawed about my decision:

1.  I am not a runner.  I have never enjoyed running.  And I have never been very good at it.

2. I have no endurance.  I swam in HS and college, and when I was in top shape, I was a SPRINTER.  I can hang for four laps in a pool.  13 miles on a path....um, not so much.

3.  Did you see what time this thing starts?  6:30 a.m.!  I am never up at 6:30 a.m, but on July 16th, I not only get to wake up at least 90 minutes earlier than that, but then I get to go run (which I hate) for 13 miles (which takes endurance). 

4.  I don't remember the last running race I competed in.  Pretty sure it was a 5K.  Pretty sure it was at least 10 years ago.  Pretty sure the elevation of the race was about 50 feet above sea level.   

5.  My knees and feet have been giving me lots of trouble lately when doing martial arts.  I imagine 13.1 miles  of foot pounding on a paved trail is not going to give my knees any warm fuzzies.

All that said, there is one thing that I have going for me.  I've never raced that far before, but it will be a challenge, and one that I'm not yet convinced I can achieve.  I fully expect to suck, and I fully expect that the race will nearly kill me, but I also expect that there will be a lot of support for me and my other friends who plan to do this, and that will be all it takes.  By the time I turn 40, I hope to at least be able to say that I've run a half marathon, and anyone who knows me at all will know that if I can say those words honestly, hell must certainly have frozen over.  One of my favorite motivational quotes is "Pain is temporary.  Pride is forever."  No doubt.  Time to bring it.....

Certified

 That's certiFIED, not certiFIABLE.  I just received my "AFPA Cardio Kickboxing Instructor" certification in the mail today, so I'm pretty pumped.  This is my second AFPA certification, along with "Certified Childrens Fitness Specialist".  Almost looks like I might know what I'm doing when I'm "encouraging" my kickboxing class to do a few more pushups or working with preschoolers on their throwing and kicking techniques. 

A couple of years ago, when I realized that I would enjoy working in the fitness industry, I looked into which certifications actually meant something.  There are dozens of fitness certifications out there, and from what I've researched, there are maybe half a dozen or so that are actually worth anything.  That brought me to the NSCA, which offers a Certified Personal Trainer cert (for those looking to get into a personal training gig), and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (for those who want to design exercise programs for athletes).  I liked the way the CSCS cert sounded, and thought that it could be useful for designing martial arts training programs.  I got my study materials and went to work studying.  The test takes several hours and is closed book.  Needless to say, without a degree in exercise or fitness or anatomy, the material has been pretty difficult.  And without any real "need" to get this cert, my studying tapered off and I eventually just put it on the shelf after about 9 months.

When I started to teach kickboxing, I looked around to see if there was a KB cert that actually meant something, and my search lead me to the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA).  They did indeed have a cardio kickboxing cert, and from what I could tell, it is a pretty respected certification.  In addition, the AFPA has a whole bunch of other certs available, including the Certified Childrens Fitness Specialist (which I thought would be great for the Tiny Tigers class I was helping teach).  I got the study materials for the two AFPA certs, which have a 6 month deadline, but are open book tests.  The CCFS cert was over 100 short answer questions and a couple of essays.  I received that cert in October of last year.

The KB cert included a true/false test, and I also had to send in a video of me teaching a class according to the guidelines of the AFPA cardio kickboxing program.  I finished the test pretty quickly, but in typical style, procrastinated on the video for several months.  Eventually, the perfect opportunity arose for me to shoot the video, so I jumped on it.  I had help from 4 of my incredible students (Erika, Amber, Carey and Kathy) to be my "class", and had another friend (Ashley, who is pursuing this same cert as well) actually run the camera as I "taught".  After a couple of hours, things went off without a hitch, and I was able to compile almost an hour of footage to send in to be evaluated.  The materials said to expect 4 weeks before I hear if I pass or failed, and for 4 weeks, I went to the mailbox every day like a high school senior waiting to see if he got into the college of his choice.  And today, almost 4 weeks to the day, my envelope arrived, and I passed. 

I'm lucky to have friends who were willing to help me out with things like this, as I could not have completed this certification without their help.  A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of them, and I'll see you in class again soon!

Spring Cleaning

The last couple of weekends, we've been doing some serious spring cleaning around our house.  I used to be a hoarder (and my son apparently has inherited that trait from me BIG TIME), but I've gotten much better at going through piles of clutter and realizing that some of it really is meaningless and just taking up space.  Today, I went through several boxes in our crawlspace that had all kinds of goodies in them from my youth.  Here is some of what I found:

- All of my old swimming trophies and medals.


- Newspaper clippings from my childhood days as a swimmer and baseball player (I had a .432 average one of the years I played and won my team's golden glove award one year).

- Pages and pages of "progress sheets" from all of my swimming events over about 9 years from elementary school through high school.  I kept some of the ones from state championships and nationals.

- Swim meet heat sheets.  Dozens of them.  Found a whole lot of names from the past I had forgotten about but used to compete against frequently.

- Award certificates.  Among them:  4 time Georgia swimming all star, Augusta Swim League team record holder in 50 free and 100 fly, high school letter in swimming, highest academic honors as a freshman in high school, high school foreign language award, and best of all....Mrs. Wix 3rd grade Green Dot Reading Program completion.  GREEN DOT baby!!

- An AWESOME collection of sea shells.  My grandparents used to own a beach house in Clearwater FL, and my dad and brother and I used to spend hours combing the beach for shells.  The beach was covered with mainly broken bits of them, so we eventually got to the point where we only kept the really cool ones.  My mom has a bunch of them at her house in GA, and I've got a box of really cool ones here now and have no idea how to go about displaying them.

- I found a body fat analysis I had done at a national swimming camp when I was 16.  I weighed 138 lbs, and my BF% was 7.3%.  Needless to say, I've added substantially to both of those numbers.


- My age group swimming sweat shirt.  In Illinois, many teams gave out patches for various achievements that we would have sewn onto our sweatshirts.  The best swimmer usually had the most patches.  Becca might fit into this sweatshirt now.

I always love going through my old stuff and remembering the old times and the people I shared them with.  I'm friends with many of them on Facebook now, and some I'd forgotten about for at least 30 years.  And seeing all of the swim meet papers made me realize again how fortunate I was to have parents who didn't mind driving (sometimes hours) and spending entire weekends sitting on hard bleacher seats on a hot pool deck in air that smelled like chlorine.  (Or if they did mind, they never let on that they did).  It was fun to see the notes and splits my dad had written on the heat sheets. 

The stuff that was just taking up space has been removed from these stashes, and I've got a couple of very manageable bins now with many of my childhood memories waiting to be cracked open again during the next big cleaning or when my kids get curious about stuff I did when I was their age.  I can relax easier now knowing that my life is a little less cluttered than it was at the beginning of the day.

American Girl

Today is my daughter's 8th birthday.  Kathy and I are usually pretty low key about birthday parties, or more to the point, we are generally too lazy to make the arrangements to actually make them happen.  So for Becca's 8th, we let her invite a friend over to spend the night last night, and this morning we took a trip to the American Girl Doll store in Denver.

I'm not an expert at all in the ways of the American Girl doll, but from what I can gather, the dolls can be designed to look more or less like the girl who is buying it.  There are all kinds of accessories available for the dolls, and the store even has a little spa in it that will do doll makeovers.  Becca got her doll as a Christmas present last year and plays with it frequently.  The whole thing kind of sounds like an overpriced fad, and it may well be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I love seeing how my daughter interacts with her doll.  It is probably no different than a million other little girls who have an ingrained mothering instinct that shines through during pretend play with their dolls, but this is MY little girl, so it takes on a little more meaning for me.  It is wild to see her in this light.  We didn't sit down and teach her how to do this stuff.  She just does it, I assume, from what she has observed in her relatively short life.  One day, I'm sure American Girl dolls will seem childish to her just like princesses (which she used to love) seem childish to her now.  In the meantime, more power to her, as I'm sure this is a healthy progression in her life that will one day help her learn to be a good mother to a real child.

As any parent with older kids can tell you, our children grow up so quickly, and I'm by no means the first parent to realize this.  Recently, as Becca was holding my hand as we walked to school, I told her how much I enjoyed holding her hand now because there will probably come a time when she won't be so willing to do that.  She looked at me with a confused look and asked "why?", and I told her that as kids got older, they just tended not to do that kind of thing so much anymore with their parents.  I know this is part of a child's normal progression to becoming an independent teenager and adult, and it is hard sometimes to think about what that transition will bring.  But today, the thought of not wanting to hold my hand doesn't even cross her mind, and I like that.  I've read that daughters who are close to their fathers during childhood tend not to act out as much in those transition years as daughters who were not as close to their fathers.  I really hope that is the case, and I really hope I've established that close relationship with my daughter now.  And every day I walk to school holding her hand, it will remind me that I must be doing something right.  And I like that.

My son and Tae Kwon Do

My son, daughter and I currently are studying Tae Kwon Do at Alpha Martial Arts here in Longmont.  Yesterday, my son tested for his orange belt (which is the 5th of about 15 belts at this school on the way to black belt).  Anyone who knows Aaron knows that he can be a very, let's just say "challenging", kid to deal with.  Yes, yes, I know, "aren't all kids at that age challenging to deal with?"  Sure they are, but Aaron presents some challenges that are a little beyond your typical 11 year old, as anyone with a child who has an autism spectrum disorder can attest to.  He tends to either lose focus on things he is supposed to be doing, or is hyper focused on things like television or video games.  He has trouble handling situations that don't go the way he wants them to or the way he thinks they should (and by "trouble handling", I'm literally talking throw yourself on the floor, kick and scream at the top of your lungs, full out tantrums.  Last week's lasted 40 minutes at school I was told).  If it doesn't involve one of a couple of major interests that he has, he tends not to spend much time trying to be good at it.

Of course, it could be a lot worse, and I have to remind myself of that when I get a phone call from the school in which I hear his screaming in stereo through the handset and from the school itself which is two blocks away.  At least he can function on his own.  And when he wants to be, he is one of the most polite kids I know.  Needless to say, when he did his TKD testing yesterday, I wasn't expecting too much.  TKD is not an area of interest that he dwells on.  He says he likes it, and it is usually no problem getting him to go to classes, but a lot of times I think he just goes through the motions.  But again, it could be worse...at least he is here willingly.  He is a little clumsy and lanky, and his technique is not terribly crisp yet (and since he is just a high yellow belt, I don't expect it to be).    But when he went through his testing, he shined.  He was focused.  And whenever he kicked or punched, the yell or "kiyap" that came out his mouth was quite simply awesome.

I think every parent says they are proud of their kid when they do some activity or sport, and of course I am too, but I struggle sometimes to see things he does as really, TRULY great.  Yes, I feel guilty for feeling this way, and I try not to let it effect my parenting decisions and actions with him, but I'm also a realist, and although of course I love my son and am proud of what he does, he truly is just not that athletic, and it shows when he does physical activity.  So when I can find something physical that he does that makes ME go "wow!", that's a huge deal.  And this weekend, I said wow many times. 

I think one of the more difficult aspects of martial arts is channeling your energy, and in TKD, one way we do that is by kiyapping.  You might be surprised just how hard it is for people, especially adults, to learn to actually just let go and kiyap from their core to allow themselves to really channel that strength and energy when they strike.  Many people sound like they are forcing it (if they do it at all)...after all, most of us find it uncomfortable to yell loudly on purpose, particularly in a room full of people.  Aaron is not one of those people however.  He truly has one of the best kiyaps I've heard from anyone in TKD.  He doesn't sound like he is just trying to scream, like younger kids tend to do.  And it obviously is coming from deep in his belly.  He sounds powerful.  He sounds focused.  Truly a thing of beauty, and I don't think I'm just being a biased parent.

Martial arts is a huge part of my life, and I'm glad my kids are doing it with me.  And I'm not just proud of how Aaron did in his testing, but I was truly impressed and got several compliments on how he did.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that he is unique and has areas in which he excels that might not be so obvious.  I think I'm getting better at realizing that and not getting so frustrated with him, but I know I've got a ways to go yet before I'm where I think I should be.  So this post is going to be tonight's reminder that, although there are things in my life I wish would be different sometimes, I can't argue that overall things are pretty good right now.  And to Aaron:  Good job, buddy!

The Cracks in the Earth

Obviously everyone by now has seen the utter devastation in Japan from the earthquake and tsunami.  Lots of videos floating around, but this one intrigued me.  It doesn't show the massive destruction that so many other videos have shown, but it has some really cool closeups of some smaller cracks forming through some paved paths and sidewalks.  You can actually see the ground moving back and forth. 

And the Earth moved.....

I have only been in one earthquake in my life, in San Diego probably some 20 years ago.  I woke up to the room rocking back and forth, and before I knew what was going on, it was over.  I think it was a magnitude 5. something, so really small, very little damage.  It was still disorienting, so I couldn't even imagine being in a 9.0 that last for over a minute.

Also found an interesting article about why there is so little looting going on in Japan.  If only the citizens of all countries could come together more like this in times of crisis. 

Where are the looters?

 Here is hoping the Japanese people can put their country back together quickly and safely. 

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

I think everyone has a movie or two that they can't pass by when they find it playing on TV.  Rudy is one of those movies for me.  This is the ultimate story about overcoming adversity.  Rudy has a dream of playing football for Notre Dame, one of the best programs in the country.  He has all kinds of heart, but not the physical attributes necessary to achieve that goal....or so we think.

Before Rudy graduates, he is denied access to a bus that is taking prospective students to Notre Dame because "some people just aren't cut out to go to college".  So he enrolls at a smaller college literally across the street from Notre Dame.  While in college, he applies to ND several times, and he is turned down every time, except for his last opportunity, in which he is finally accepted.  Hurdle one....overcome.

While at ND, he tries to walk on to the football team.  The prospective players are told that on the team, there are dozens of players on full scholarships who will never even get to play in a game, so they shouldn't even consider making the team.  They try out, and because of his effort, Rudy is invited on the team.  Barely, but he makes it.  Hurdle two...overcome.

After a season of being a tackling dummy for the first stringers and never seeing the field for a game, he convinces his coach to let him dress for one game the following season.  The coach balks, but realizes that Rudy has in fact earned it, so he agrees to let him dress for one game next season.  His hopes raised, he tells his doubting family to be ready next season to watch him play.  He sees his goal in reach.  And then.....

ND hires a new coach.  The goal is gone, but instead of giving up, Rudy continues to bust his ass every day at practice and more than earns the respect of his teammates and coaches (at least the assistant coaches). Each week, he checks to see if his name is on the players list, and it isn't.  Before the final game of the season, with his name still absent from the list, he quits the team before his final practice, because after all, what is the point?  Fortunately, his mentor, the head maintenance man of the stadium, convinces him that if he quits, he'll regret it the rest of his life, so Rudy goes back to his final practice.

In spite of his lack of size and ability, every member of the team bands together before the final game and tells the coach that Rudy should play in his place.  It is team unity at its finest.  And the coach agrees.  Rudy dresses for the final game.  Hurdle three....overcome.

Rudy leads the team on the field but stays on the sideline for the entire game.  ND eventually wraps the game up, and the offense is instructed to take a knee to end the game.  However, the team knows that if the offense is on the field, Rudy won't get to play a down, so they run one final low percentage play...and score a touchdown.  Defense is back on the field, and the team convinces the coach to let Rudy in for the kickoff and the final play.  Hurdle four.....overcome.

Through his effort and dedication, Rudy realized his dream of getting to run out of the tunnel and play in an actual game for his boyhood football idols.  But it didn't end there.  On his only play on defense, Rudy sacks the opposing quarterback to end the game, and he is carried off the field on his teammates' shoulders.  Unexpected hurdle five....overcome by a long shot.

I've probably watched this movie 50 times, and I still get goosebumps every time I see the ending.  This kid had a huge dream, and he worked hard to achieve it.  He didn't ask for special favors, and no one granted him any.  He played by the rules, was knocked down many times, but he got up and kept going.  In the end, things worked out better than he ever could have imagined.  During the time I've been teaching kickboxing, I've had (and continue to have) the pleasure of witnessing many success stories, but an ongoing one is sticking out in my mind right now.  While watching Rudy today (for the second time today, probably time number 53 overall), it struck me just how ridiculous and almost contrived this story of Rudy is, and that there is no way stuff like this happens in real life. 

But it hit me today that I was wrong.  I have a good friend who is currently navigating the Ethiopian adoption process.  I know nothing of the details of this process, but I read her blog religiously, and it reads like Rudy on steroids.  I can't even begin to describe the unbelievable roller coaster ride that this woman and her family have been on.  Hopes up, then dashed.  Up again, then another setback.  Another change of direction, and another roadblock.  This has been going on for two years, and it continues today.  There are so many parallels between her story and Rudy's, and this week, in her real life story, she just got a new coach (figuratively speaking).  Things are looking dark for her, and I'm sure she is full of doubts right now.  But I can't help but see that, just like Rudy, her dream is huge, she continues to put in the effort to realize her dream, and she has an incredible support team that continues to see and admire her.  The movie gives me goosebumps when everything works out for Rudy in the end, and I thoroughly believe that I'll have goosebumps again when her story ends just as spectacularly for her down the road.  Hang in there my friend...your efforts will not go unrewarded.