Giving In

This afternoon, I thought it would be a brilliant idea if I headed out and took a nice bike ride. The weather was beautiful. I hadn't been out on my road bike since late November last year and it was high time that I got back in the saddle. The boys were set. M was busy in the garden planting tomatoes with little P as his trusty assistant. D was watching the As play the Giants in a pre-season game.

I pumped up the depleted tires and headed out. Crunch. Not the sound I was hoping to hear. The gears were grinding a bit after the almost four months of disuse. I hoped that riding would work the kinks out and I was right.

Then, I ran right into It - The Headwind that Would Not Die. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Say, was that three feet I just moved forward? Pedal, pedal, pedal. Still not moving very far. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Say, this isn't very much fun. I'm struggling against the elements, my ears are getting cold, I can't really appreciate the scenery because I'm trying too hard to get moving.

"Quit whining." I thought to myself, "Keep going."

Two seconds later...

"Hang on. I came out to have fun. If I'm not enjoying myself, why am I still out here?"

So I turned around and coasted back home with the wind at my back.

Sometimes, you just need to give in, quit swimming against the stream and go with the flow.

Earth Hour

What would you do with one hour without power? When we broached this idea to the kids tonight, they looked at us with a bit of disbelief in their eyes. No electricity? Why would anyone want that?

Had you heard about Earth Hour? It was created by the WWF in Australia in 2007. We read about it in the paper this morning and thought, "Why not?"

M threw the main switch at 8 pm and our meter ground to a halt. Not a single watt was being consumed. We got candles out. The kids brushed their teeth and their bedtime story was read by candlelight. They were a little worried but when they realized that having a candle in the bathroom instead of their nightlight didn't make a difference, they settled down. I didn't blog. Not even on the spare battery power on my computer and surfing off the neighbor's network.

It was nice. No distractions.

The lights came back on. The boys are deep asleep. I'm blogging and the TV is on. A sacrifice? I don't think so. Maybe this will become a Saturday night tradition. Maybe we'll even stretch it to two or more.

Every little bit counts, right?

First Swim of 2008

I finally did it. Got back in the pool and did some laps today. I'm not sure what the distance was but I was in the water for about 20 minutes. That's all I had in me, not too tired, just right. I took my time, back and forth, back and forth. It felt good. The water was nice and warm even if the wind was blowing outside. Yes, this is an outdoor pool. Yes, I'm so glad I live in California.

I'd forgotten how calming it is to swim. Time to focus on my breathing, on the stroke, on the kick. Time to feel the water flowing around.

Time to start training for another triathlon? I don't know. But it sure is nice to be swimming again.

Ukemi

The art of falling.

The art of blending with your partner's defensive technique and minimizing the impact on your own body. Done well, it is truly a thing of beauty. Soft falls, smooth falls, gorgeous rolls. No pain, just absorption and distribution of impact. Very, very cool. The best ones make it look so easy and effortless.

But it's not. It's different with every partner because every person is different in how they give and receive energy. After a while, you learn your classmates' patterns, their styles, their aikido, and you blend accordingly. I might go in harder with one person that I trust to throw me cleanly and softer with others.

So, I practice and I practice and I'll practice some more. Someday, I'll get there.

And then I'll practice some more.

Broken Record

Do your homework.

Clean up your toys.

Brush your teeth.

Get dressed.

Lift the seat.

Flush.

Wash hands.

How do you ask nicely?

Put on your shoes.

Where's your (backpack/jacket/homework/library book/underwear)?

Don't hit your brother.

I love you, too.

I'll always love you.

What Have I Read Lately

In the past few months, I've been blogging less and reading more. What a treat. I love to read.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Five Patients
Absolute Friends
Dos and Don'ts in the Philippines
A Painted House
The Beekeeper's Apprentice
White Elephants
An Excellent Mystery
The Thirteenth Tale
Snow Falling on Cedars
Memoirs of a Geisha
Everything is Miscellaneous

Currently: The Princess Bride
Next: Empire of the Sun

While all of these books were entertaining and interesting for various reasons, the one book that you MUST read is The Thirteenth Tale. Just go out and buy it or borrow it. Go. Now.

Ahhhhh, A Nice Longer Run

I haven't been running that much lately. I mean, I still run three times a week, but I haven't been running very far. Mostly 2.5 to 3.5 miles at a shot. On Wednesday, T and I ran the Dish. Or maybe I should say that he ran the dish and I ran/walked it. Those hills! Oh! Those inclines! I'm pretty sure that's about a 4.5 to 5 mile round trip.

Today, I thought I'd go out for a continuous longer flat run. Right along my usual weekend path from days of yore, along the creek and into the regional park nearby. I decided I'd go for 40 minutes and try not to stop running - 20 minutes out and then 20 minutes back.

It went well. The weather was gorgeous - sunny, with a little breeze, temperatures in the low 60s. I figure that I kept about a 10 minute mile pace, maybe 10:30. Definitely not fast but not slow either. I felt good and pushed myself the last quarter mile. My heart rate when I finished was 162.

I'm thinking about running Bay to Breakers again this year. It's the third Sunday in May, which gives me just under two months to get ready. It's doable.

Next week: 45 minutes straight.