With this beautiful weather and more importantly, beach weather fast approaching, I decided to get into my usual jogging routine. By usual, I mean jogging twice this week which makes two times in the past 18 years.
I didn’t want to push myself so I committed to jogging about 3kms. Seriously, this seemed like a lofty goal (and still does). Why do these show-offs feel the need to run 5 or even 10kms? Don’t they have things to get done?
I made the mistake of telling my six year old I was going to run as far as the fire station. Of course this intrigued her but then, it would have intrigued her if I had said I was going to run as far as the car. She saw this individual sport as a fantastic opportunity to turn it into something we could do as a team and hopped aboard the firetruck.
I agreed to her terms and she to mine. I would run to the fire station and then run a second time with her at her speed. She waited patiently for me to finish my 3km speed walk (and extra large ice cream sundae) and raced outside in her jogging dress and jogging crocs. We were off.
I’ve never been one to talk while running though my memory is a little cloudy given how long it had been.
Ellie however is not one to be short of words, ever.
When I pointed out our first milestone, about twenty metres from our starting block, she became enraged through her panting and clippety clop of her crocs that nearly fell off with every stumble.
“You told me we were running to the fire station!”
“I did. You’re right. Let’s have some goals along the way and if we decide to turn back before the fire station, we won’t be upset because it’s our first time out.”
Truth be told, there was no way I had another fire station run in me.
“You SAID fire station.”
I’m now huffing and puffing trying not to let a six year old think she could outrun me but thankful if we did make it to her destination, there would likely be some people trained in CPR if we needed them.
“I know I said fire station. Let’s see how it goes.”
“Fire Station!”
“Okay, we’ll try our best.”
“Fire,” inhale “Station.” Exhale.
“Fire” bigger inhale, “Station.”
“Fire.”
“Station.”
“Fire.”
Long pause, crocs about 100 metres behind us,
“Fffffffffffff.”
“Fine, let’s go back.”
