Wednesday, June 18, 2008

I AM Going to Run Tonight

It is 9:20 p.m. I am laying on my daughter's bedroom floor, in my just-arrived CARA Marathon training t-shirt with my laptop, waiting for her to go to sleep ( Please don't judge, Mike and I know we screwed up bedtime with her long ago. We're working on it.)

At approximately 3 p.m. today I commented at work that I really want to try to run tonight. My colleague couldn't really understand why it would be an issue . . .you run and that's that. I didn't explain in detail to my colleague why it will be a small victory to get me on the treadmill tonight so I will explain it to you. (Note: The following passage is not intended as commentary that I am busier than anyone else, or that I'm busier than runners without kids, or that I'm busier than runners who are stay-at-home moms, or that I'm busier than runners who are work-at-home moms, or that I am even remotely as busy as single parents. In other words, if you take offense, please lighten up.)

5 p.m. Conference call ends, I grab my stuff and rush out the door, down the looong walkway to parking garage. Forget I came later and not in my usual spot 9 (s#*t!), have to run up flight of stairs to car.

5:15 p.m. Arrive at 6-year-old's school. Sign him out and get back in car. Plead with son to stop doing the chicken dance and get in the car because we have to pick his sister up.

5:25 p.m. Zip down Higgins Road past Busse Woods on way to 4-year-old's preschool. See several runners on Busse Wood path. Remind myself I have to run tonight.

5:30 p.m. Waiting at stop light. Where is my cell phone?

5:35 p.m. Hit every godforsaken light on Arlington Heights Road. Crap. Still can't find cell phone. Hoping I didn't leave it at son's school.

5:45 p.m. Arrive at daughter's preschool. Sign her out and use phone at school. Call Mike, ask him to give me a couple minutes and call my cell phone. Tell him that if someone else answers, ask where it is. Silently hope that I still don't have the phone on "silent" from when I was on conference call at work.

5:47 p.m. Buckle kids in car; hear the familiar Flock of Seagulls "I Ran" ringtone. Phew!

5:55 p.m. Hit every godforsaken light going the other direction on Arlington Heights Road.

6:00 p.m. McDonald's drive-thru. Happy Meals for kids, two cheeseburgers for me. And just like that, I blow a day of otherwise decent eating habits.

6:05 p.m. Try to decide if I can get to swimming lessons faster by taking Golf Road or Higgins Road.

6:10 p.m. Start down Golf Road. See fast, fit runners. I am eating the second cheeseburger.

6:15 p.m. Tell kids to take shoes and socks off and put flip flops on in the car to save time. Swimming lessons start in 20 minutes.

6:20 p.m. WTF, why are we so backed up? Golf Road an obvious mistake as light out in front of Woodfield Mall, making a congested area even more congested.

6:3o p.m. Son warns me to slow down or police will pull me over. (One time it happened while he was in the car and he hasn't forgotten.)

6:31 p.m. Resign myself to the fact that we will be late for swimming. Tell son to take shirt off at stoplight to save time.

6:35 p.m. Kids should be in pool. We are pulling in to lot.

6:40 p.m. Pretending they are superheroes, kids put swimsuits on remarkably quickly.

7:05 p.m. Swimming over. Head home.

7:20 p.m. See that my CARA Marathon Training goody bag/packet/shirt has arrived. Very excited.

7:30 p.m. Kids and I take Quincy for walk.

7:45 p.m. Quincy steals potato chips out of daughter's hand. Meltdown.

8 p.m. Supervise son taking shower to make sure he is actually bathing and not just playing in water.

8:30 p.m. Pick out kids' clothes for Summer Camp/PreSchool tomorrow. Mentally calculate what time I can run and still get to bed before needing to get in office at 7 a.m.

8:31 p.m. Wonder if I can get to office at 7:30 a.m. and still be ready for first meeting.

8:32 - 8:50 p.m. Nightly battle of potty, pajamas, tooth brushing and sibling fights ensues - - without reinforcement, since Mike is at work.

It's 9:35 p.m. Daughter has stopped singing soundtrack from High School Musical and is asleep. Going to run now!

6 comments:

nwgdc said...

I LOVE the music themes of your post. Clicking on your page and hearing "Under Pressure" simply gets me ready to run! Now get that kid in bed!

(I'm done judging you ;)

Lisa said...

Wow...I'm impressed. After an evening like that to even THINK about running. I hope you were able to do it, but if not, that is understandable. Once I settle in...there is no way I will run. I think evenings like that call for a glass of wine.

I hope you were able to get some sleep....

Karin said...

I'm so impressed! You go! All this running around (figuritively and literally) can make you crazy.
Don't you just love the CARA singlet this year? Very nice!

tamblair said...

Your night sounds vaguely familiar to most of mine... it is very hard to find time to run with kids!! I totally agree!! I am impressed that you were still considering it after nine pm. I would have called it a day!

Jenn said...

NWGDC - Glad you like the music on the blog . . .I've had to point out to more than one person that no, that's not Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" but Queen/David Bowie.

Lisa - Thanks, a glass of wine sounds really good right now.

Thanks Karin - - I love the CARA singlet, and even happier that I can fit into the size I ordered :)

Tamara - - It is a challenge to find time to run with kids, isn't it? Luckily my husband is very understanding.

bluegame said...

Jenn your so busy!!!! I am getting nervous ready this!Keep up the focus passion to win and you will do it for sure.