Author: Kristine Binder

Old School 5k

The 4 dawned hot, sticky and humid. I got up, dressed and ate my usual yogurt before donning my tutu and heading out the door.

I arrived at the old schoolhouse just in time to write down my name and pay my $5. This is a very small town low key race.

We lined up behind a chalk line on the pavement and after a basic instructions from Higdon jr. we were off at the sound of the air horn.

I took off at my snails pace towards the golf course and 2 nice downhills….that are tough uphills coming back. The course travels through a lovely golf community of homes and I was annoying the scenery. A young boy of about 8 passed me running with his dad. He was thumping along and having fun. That fun soon withered about mile 1. He was walking more and dad took off. He commented that he just needed to catch his breath and wished he had water with him. Mom mode kicked in. I am never without a squeeze bottle of water (easier for sharing) so I asked if he would like water. He brightened and said yes. I told him his only goal was to stay in front of me and I had water if needed. He was struggling and his dad was no where in sight. I was worried. We got to the turn around and he told me he was to wait there for his mom who was walking the 5k. Do I leave this little boy sitting on a Rock at the turn and kept going? I was worried but knew the bike sweeper was behind me and would find him if his mom was not there. I decided to let him sit and wait on his own.

I continued on quietly thanking those wonderful residents who had already turned on sprinklers as I ran through each and every one of them! The cool water felt like heaven on my skin. I rounded the last turn and headed back towards the golf course and those hills. I was spent and drenched. I walked up the 2 consecutive hills and then took off toward the finish. As I was closing in on the finish I saw the dad of this boy coming towards me. He had already finished. I yelled out that I had given his son water and left him on the rock waiting for mom. He grunted and looked away. Really? Are you kidding me? You left you kid running alone on an 80 degree/88% humidity morning with no water and you can’t say thanks, wave or even smile?

I let it go and headed to the chalk finish line. I did a little pirouette as I crossed and was given my certificate. No bling but a certificate of completion and the opportunity to choose a T-shirt from the Higdon family collection.

I waited to see my little buddy cross the finish line. Mostly to make sure he was ok but also to give him a high five. Eventually he ran across that line just in front of his mom. I walked over to high five him. Then began to head home. I heard his mom ask who I was and he responded, “that nice lady helped me and gave me water. I think she is a mom”

“Well honey. Don’t talk to people you don’t know. You don’t know what she was giving you.”

I walked away deflated, frustrated and angry. I know that we live in a different time now but for this woman to chastise her son after both she and her husband had left the kid running alone on a hot, sticky morning. This community is like Mayberry RFD. No one comes here that does not know someone and everyone knows everyone’s business. Plus most people are related!

Lesson learned from this race: we are only as free as we allow ourselves to be. Peace.

If I only ran fast enough for sweat to fly off my head like that!

Yup…sucktastic is a word!  I say so!  Today’s run was sucktastic and I now feel sucktastic.

Not every run can be a great one…or a good one for that matter but today’s run was none of that. It didn’t even come close to an ok run. It was sucktastic. Every footplant felt as if I was stepping in mud and getting stuck. Moving my body forward was no easy task. Everything took effort. By mile 6 my back between my shoulder blades was aching and I was having trouble getting a deep breath. I slowed and did a run walk but was still struggling. It was Africa hot and the humidity I could cut with a knife. I can’t remember ever sweating that much during a run…. well… other than last weekend’s half!  Somehow today was worse. If my Garmin did not tell me that I was running the miles, I would have thought I was standing still because that is what it felt like to me.

So here I sit, run done, body showered, trying to cool down. Today I learned that I need to hydrate more in advance and that I am not a fan of humidity. Not every run can be great or even good. Today was sucktastic. Peace.

In the last few days I’ve had occasion to be treated…well…unfairly. It upsets me as I am an adult and can comprehend when I am being spoken to as if I am not intelligent. I can not imagine how/what my girls must feel when they are faced with a similar situation.
I made an appointment at a major computer retailer to seek advice and quotes on repairs for some devices. After arriving 30 minutes early and patiently waiting, my appointment time came and went. I asked when it would be my turn and, “Oh…oops…someone will be with you in a minute or 2”. Well it was more like 10 but hey, eventually a ‘tech’ came to speak to me. I explained my situation and asked about costs for repairs. First he looked at me like I had nine heads for wanting to repair the devices. Then when I asked again about cost, I was given incorrect information. How did I know the information was incorrect? I had done my homework before heading to the store just to know what I was in for cost wise. The ‘tech’ and I went back and forth for a bit until I was frustrated with his attitude and I asked for a manager. The manager was another young man who tried to feed me the same misinformation. At that point I pulled out my ‘smart’ phone and accessed the information on line to prove to them that they were not quoting me the correct price. When I did show them the correct information both of them looked at me with an “oh well” face. There was no apology. There was no change in attitude. I could see in their eyes that they thought I was just a woman …a blonde woman…and they were smarter than me.
I left the store and called the company headquarters to advise them of my treatment. Now, I completely understand that their treatment of me may not have been what they intended but it was how I perceived it…and perception is reality. The customer service woman I spoke to was very kind and understanding. She did tell me of similar experiences she had had in the company stores even being an employee of the company. She explained that it is an issue the company is aware of  and they working to correct these attitudes among employees.
The following day I walked out to chat with the construction workers that are overhauling my street. I had some questions about the work. Again, when I asked questions, the response was given in such a manner as if the man was speaking to a child. Really? I looked at him and said, “I’m a science teacher. I get it.” and proceeded to ask more detailed questions regarding the project.  His eyes opened wide and he began to answer my questions and explain in greater detail.
I think it bothers me most that I feel the need to explain to these young and older men that I am smart. I understand more than simple sentences. I am educated beyond grammar school. Have we, as a society, not yet evolved as much as I think? What is it like for girls to be treated in this manner? Do they feel the need to hide their intelligence from the males in their life?
One of the reasons I love the Girls on the Run program is that it empowers girls to be who they are. It empowers them to be confident in whatever choices they make in life. It empowers them …. to be.  What frustrates me is that society is slow to change its ideas of gender roles. When will society catch up and accept the progress made by women? Peace.

Summer in this family is carefree and relaxed. Perhaps it is lack of money or lack of ambitious planning but we take summer easy here. When the kids were younger, they would go to day camp but as they have grown older, they are not interested.
There are some families that meticulously plan every minute of summer break…wanting to ‘make the most of it’ but I find that allowing my family to be a bit more ‘free range’ provides for good times and memories as well.

Sidewalk art by my ‘bored’ girls

There are always kids in the house and someone to hang out with. While my kids may say they are bored, I don’t listen too much. I just encourage them to find something to do. They always find an activity, a book, something to occupy their time. I think it is good for them to be bored once in a while…ok, more than once in a while. The things they come up with amaze me.
I also take a more relaxed attitude in the summer. I ask them to complete a few chores and give them the time and space to ‘get ‘er done’. Don’t get me wrong….if chores are not done in a timely manner…there is proverbial Hell to pay (and extra chores in the future!) but the school drill sergeant is on summer vacation.

Occupy the living room

My house becomes a flop house. I never know how many kids I will find sleeping in my house when I wake up in the morning nor do I know where I will find them all sleeping. Mattresses are moved to the floor, blankets thrown over couches, and an occasional tent city erected. It really doesn’t bother me as long as they clean it up in the morning…which they usually do.
Many of my kids’ friends have rigid schedules of tutors, trainers, camps and practices. There is little time to relax and be bored. There is little time to enjoy friends and …summer.   I wonder what these kids will look back and remember about summer. I wonder if they catch fireflies in a jar and just watch them for hours on end like my kids do. I wonder if they even have time to wonder….
I am not sure what my kids will remember about their summers. I hope they remember time with family, time to soak in all that is good about summer and time to wonder. Peace.