Getting legal...

I woke up early this morning and had to go for a run. I know my plan was to do nothing until Monday, but I just couldn't resist.

Now before anyone jumps all over me for not taking my own advice, which is fair. I've given myself a forever "hall pass". I've added a disclaimer to the bottom of my blog.

It reads - Important Disclaimer: Any observations, advice, opinions, comments or personal commitments I make on this blog, are subject to change without notice or apology. I thought it was a fair thing to add in light of my personal nature. I just felt like my body was becoming weaker and weaker and I needed to do something to reverse it.

Also, last night didn't help. I was wrestling with Reid and he started lying on top of me. I had a tough time moving him, it was near impossible. My upper body had no strength. Now in all fairness, he's 13 years old and weighs 192 lbs. I did manage to get him off me, but just barely. I had to use finesse. I used the old "bend the fingers the wrong way" technique.

I'm so glad I went for a run this morning. It was beautiful outside and my legs needed it. At first it felt like I was running in slow motion, yet it was at decent 4:59 pace. Then I started to get looser. By the 15 minute mark, I felt fluid and I felt so alive. My breathing was back to normal, I was able to take deep breaths and my core energy was back. At no point did I feel I needed to walk.

Now here's the interesting part. My last run was last Sunday, I did 1:15. In only 6 days and after only 30 minutes of running, my quads started to hurt a little. It felt like it was my first run in a long time. It just shows that exercise is a "zero sum" game. If you don't use it, you lose it and it doesn't matter who you are.

I also noticed that I was getting a little joint soreness. I was so glad I went for a run, it was short, but effective. Immediately, I knew I stopped the "bleeding". My legs were no longer atrophying. I now have them in limbo. The only way to go is up. Another positive was my speed was much better than it has been in a long time for a moderate run.

It was the first weekend I had no training in the afternoon. Alice, Reid and I decided to the afternoon showing of the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine". It was a really good movie, especially if you grew up in the 80's. After I parked the truck and we started walking to the theatre, Reid started "lip-ing off", over and over, that he could easily drive my truck. I gave him the "yeah right, sure you could".

After the movie, just as we got to the truck, he wasn't expecting it, but I threw him the keys. I said, "okay big talker, Betty Crocker, lets see you drive my truck". He turned "white" and said, "you're serious? are you serious? you're not serious?". I said I was and to open the doors. He fumbled and had trouble even opening the doors. I got in the back seat. He still didn't think I was serious.

He slowly got in the front and then I started goading him, "You told me you could drive, so drive". I called his bluff. I told him to "put the key in, start it up". Which he did. Alice was in the passenger seat and he kept looking at her for help". I said, "I thought you said you could drive?" He then said, "well, um, this parking lot is too busy" and "I'd rather drive mom's car, yeah I'd feel much better driving mom's car". I made him squirm a little longer and then let him off the hook and took over the wheel.

The one thing I love doing, is abusing Reid. I'm his dad and I'm also the older brother he never had. On the way home, I kept "mocking" him, "I'm Reid, let me drive, I could easily drive your truck....yada, yada, yada". At one point I thought he was going to cry, so I pulled back. Then he started talking big again and I stopped the truck for the second time and got out of the drivers seat and said, "let's go big talker, let's see you drive".

He almost got in, but chickened out. Before he got in he wanted to know how to use the blinkers. I told him, "don't worry about the blinkers, just worry about the gas and brake pedals". He jammed out a second time. To his defense, there was traffic and it wouldn't have been a good thing. I started un-relentlessly started bugging him again, "strike two for Reid".

Now at this point, I'm sure my parenting style is being called into question and most would feel my son would do better in a foster home. Perhaps that's true and it definitely would be true if Alice wasn't part of the family unit. But, being the ever so caring father, I let him save face and redeem himself. I took him to an empty parking lot behind a school and let him drive. Which he did.

It was your typical fun stuff. First he pushed on the gas pedal too hard and then braked to hard, giving all of us minor whiplash. To his credit, he got the hang of it pretty quickly and started having fun. It was an out and back, so he had to do some 360 turns and even had to back up. The first time he backed up was funny, he hit the gas to hard and I yelled out "stop! your going to hit the pole!" and he slammed on the breaks (Even though the pole was about 20 feet away). Lots of laughter all around.

By the end, he was doing pretty, pretty, pretty good (Imagine it said in Larry David's voice) and I couldn't tease him anymore. Now he was teasing back because he feels like he's a great driver. A legend in his own mind. As he was driving, I was thinking to myself, "nothing like creating childhood memories". I know he won't forget today. Ever. Nor will I.

Changing subjects, below you will find a You Tube video. It is a voicemail recording I got on Friday. It's from my buddy Gord and it's about my Ironman China race. Gord is an ex-Ironman from 20 years ago and called to "cheer me up", as only a true friend could. Warning: Coarse Language, 6 times to be exact. Enjoy!

Mod Run - 37:57 / 7.86 km / 4:49 pace / 135 avg hr