That family struggle was a long time ago. Since, they've slowly come around to accept the fact that I am not going to stop moving forward. I don't know what has made them change their minds. It could have been a number of things. Or it just could have been that I had set my feet into concrete and I wasn’t budging. I'm willing to give on some things, but I refuse to compromise on my health. I may have done it before. But, knowing what I know now. I just can't.
Last year, my daughter joined ROTC. It wasn't a big surprise. She comes from a family of military and law enforcement. But, we were still very proud of her and her choice. I had asked her why she joined, because she never showed any interest up to this point. She said, “Because So and So said I couldn’t do it. He told me that I couldn’t hack it and would drop out so I am going to prove him wrong.” She had a very calm tone to her voice, and a very calm look upon her face, it was almost disturbing. She's like her mama. Don't challenge her. Don't tell her something is impossible for her to do, when she knows her limits and that is well within her limits. She made it through the year. She proved So and So wrong. She wasn't sure she was going to stay in it the following year. But, she did.
Jump forward to this school year. We went to the high school to get her schedule before school started. When I took a look, I was surprised to see that she was taking ROTC again. When I asked her about it, she just looked at me and said, "Yeah. I figured, why not?” I left it at that. I was happy she made a good choice, I wasn't going to drill her. I responded with, "Cool.", or something like that.
A day or two after school started, she came home and with a very excited tone, announced that she was trying out for the Raider team with in ROTC. The Raider team is the athletic team. Now, I got really excited for her! She said she has to be able to run 2 miles and do push ups. She asked that I help her with it. SWEET!!! If there was enough room in the house I would’ve done cartwheels! We finished our discussion and made plans to do our first run that Saturday.
As the weekend approached, everyone in the house started to fall sick with allergies and colds. It’s just that time of the year. School has started and two out of the three of us are at a school. Hubs works at a High School. I was determined not to let this get in the way of our plans. Generally, I’m the only one in the house that never falls sick. I may suffer from a little bit of allergies but nothing that is debilitating. If I pray to the gods of Claritin or Allegra, I’m good! This weekend? Nothing could touch what I had. None the less, I made a promise to my daughter and her birthday is this month.
She still needed to be fitted for the right running shoe. You just can’t start running several miles in any old pair of sneakers and expect to not have pain or not get injured. So, off we went to Fleet Feet, first thing on Saturday. Well, not exactly first thing. It was more like around 12 by the time we got in gear and out the door. Then we had to stop for gas first and get food. Neither of us had eaten. I knew I had a long drive, finger food was on the menu and I was in the mood for breakfast. Fresh fruits!!! Oh yeah! We stopped at the local grocery store and loaded up on grapes, pine apples, strawberries and other fruits. While my daughter was more in the mood for vegetables, she got a salad. I love fruits.
I had told my daughter on the ride there, the prices were high. We were going to get her fitted, buy the shoe and leave. I didn’t think about it being a Saturday. Once we arrived, it was like walking into runner’s heaven. I could spend a lot of money in a place like that. Then again, it makes me really mad that they take advantage of suckers like us. I’m not a retailer guru, nor a market specialist. But, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of those items only cost pennies on the dollar to make. I totally drooled over the camel packs. The price? Only $85. Wha?!?!? Come on! That is outrageous. The one I use was purchased at Wal~Mart. Sure, it’s a tad bit bulky but it was only $15 and works the same. The material and basic design were the same.
The place was packed and there was a line of people waiting to be fitted. So we had to walk around the store! How evil is that? That is like putting candy in front of a kid. We found the for sale rack. I didn’t think we’d find any good sales. But we did. One pair of shorts that were $25 and marked for 25% off. I was very pleased with the quality for the price. The plus was that they fit. It was the last one in her size. We heard her name being called as soon as we found the shorts. I love the time, questions, and care they take to make sure the fit is right. When we left, my daughter was 100% confident of her decision and never felt so good about buying a pair of shoes. She decided on a pair of Asics DS Trainers.
We hopped in the car and headed home. We had to wait until the evening to run. It was just too hot. Around 7, we headed outside. I decided to go on my bike while she ran. She did great for her first run. I don’t think she’s going to have a problem with the running test of the try out, at all. The push up test maybe a challenge for her. She’s already pulled a muscle in her arm. But, we’re going to work on it. I just hope she doesn’t give up, whether she makes the team or not. Push ups are my weakness too. When I started, I could only do 3. I’m up to 7. I do them with my toes to the ground and my hands under my shoulders. I know some put their hands out further. It makes it easier that way. It’s my understanding that the hands placed in line with the shoulders is the correct way. I’m sure to each his/her own. However, if I’m doing it the hard way then the easier way should be no problem for me. I’d like to be able to do at least 15 to 20.
Do you work out regularly? If not, do you plan to start?
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