Put Me In Coach

My youngest is taking basketball lessons. She has liked basketball ever since she could stand and stare. She learned to dribble on her own. I am writing not only to brag but also because I learned a bit about myself tonight in class. I am not a good basketball player. Partially because of my physical size but I make up for being small by also not having fundamental skills. I watched her learn to stop, plant her feet and assume the "triple threat" pose. I didn't even have a one threat pose which explains why I sat on the bench and was ignored by the coach. I also don't think I'm as coach able as I pretend to be. I kind of figure things out on my own which may explain my bench like performance. One of my goals for this year of the dragon is to be more like my 3 year old and focus on basics and listening to coaches.

Feeling sick in the pool

I'm swimming at a new 24 hour fitness now which is a bit closer to my house and the pool is a bit nicer, except for one thing.  The one thing I don't like about the pool is probably the one thing that 80% of the other people who use it really like.  It is the hot water that pours into the pool from a certain vent in the deep end.

This vent really doesn't spew its evil purpose until about 5:45 AM.  By this time, I've been swimming for a while and am really warmed up when the torture begins.  I've gone past this part of the pool quite a few times already without a problem so I'm kind of surprised by the sudden nausea.

There is something unpleasant about going from cool to hot water while swimming.  Maybe it is just a reaction because I've been warned about what hot (or warmer) water in a pool can be from.  So maybe my nausea is just because my mind assumes I'm swimming through a huge cloud of pee.

So, after about 10 minutes, the little vent stops the madness, after a few more minutes, the pool returns to more of a consent temp and I get my swim back together.

Why am I sharing this?  I'm not really sure...you tell me.

Avoiding becoming a premadona

There isn't much snow in Idaho right now. I've talked to a several people who won't go skiing even where there is man made and nicely groomed ski runs. I understand how frustrating it is to have a bad ski day. I know it costs a lot and why waste money. But I also know a bad day skiing is better than none. I grew up in Nebraska and we skied at a place called Nebraski. It was a short icy hill beside the Platte River and it wasn't like the Rockies or Nagano (Place in Japan wher I learned to ski when I was 4). I would ski in nebraska every chance ingot because I loved to ski. So I just don't get not going unless things are perfect. There are a lot of great things missed simply because I forget that good and great are missed chasing perfect. Short runs, swims, bikes are great but skipped because they are too lame. Amazing memories are missed because we don't play games or read during those 15 minutes between dishes and bed time. What am I missing waiting for the right time? I choose to take less than perfect opportunities.

Why we get outside

I had one of those heart pounding, catch your breath moments today during our family walk.

It's been kind of cold and foggy today and we spent most of the day inside but the sun came out late afternoon and we went for a walk to the park.  Pretty basic, hold hands, look both ways, avoid dog poop type stuff.

The girls are getting awesome and it takes more and more for them to think I'm superman.  Today I introduced that thing where you push them on the swing and then run completely under them.  I'm sure I'd remember the name for what that is called except I've replaced that memory area of my braid in more important things like annoying song lyrics.

So, we played, climbed, didn't slide because of wet slides and jumped quite a bit and then headed home.  So far the most exercise was trying not to get kicked in the head while pushing on swings and the occasional pull up I tried to do on the monkey bars.

Then the event happened.  As we walked past a neighbors tree this bird swooped right over our heads and swerved over a couple of branches at an amazing speed and then poof.  A bunch of feathers fell to the ground and about 10 feet past the feathers there was a death scene as a little bird lost to the big, fast, ferocious predator bird.  The bird picked up its dinner and flew a bit further and started eating.

You wonder why I'm telling you this gruesome story...because over the next few days I'm going to tell everyone and you just happen to be the first.  Seeing nature in its reality creates problems for us parents.  First, we need to explain in non-nightmare causing terms that a bird killed another bird and is eating its brains for supper.  Second, there is something in that flight and fierceness that leaves me speechless and amazed and just wanting to jump around like an idiot yelling, "Did you just see that" but I've learned not to frighten my girls with shouting and jumping too much.  Finally, it makes me feel vulnerable.  Like I'm that happy song bird in the tree and before I start my "oh no, a ferocious falcon..." song, I'm lunch. 

Wow, that last one is a bit too much isn't it.  I'm not a doom and gloom person but wow, nature does make you think about realities.

So we were outside today and I'm so thankful we went.  Yes, nature causes questions and maybe a few nightmares for kids and parents but "wow, did you just see that!"

Riding to Nowhere

I'm finally back into bike training.  The move is done, basement is pretty much set-up and I now own what many call a "pain cave".  I'm not sure exactly whether I should call it a pain cave because if I was really looking for pain, I would be riding outside all winter, avoiding cars, but instead, I'm in the comfort of my home, riding my bike and watching movies. 

Sure, it hurts on the bike, intervals aren't easy but for me, I've created a road to nowhere rather than a pain cave.  I noticed recently that I've put about 1000 miles (okay 989 but who's gonna know) and I haven't moved an inch.  If I had decided to actually ride down the road, I could have made it to the following places.

• Glacier National Park (620 Miles)
• Hollywood, CA (974 Miles)
• Moab, UT (997 Miles)
• Calgary, AL (779 Miles but I guess I would need to ride kilometers rather than miles...)
• Almost halway to Hawaii

So this winter as I ride to nowhere, I'm going to maybe pull myself away from spinervals and whatever nonsense I'm watching on Netflix long enough to pretend that I'm actually riding a bike and and arriving someplace cool rather than just exercising.

After reading this post again, I think I need more oxygen in my pain cave...I'm starting to get weird.