IT'S ALL HAPPENING AT THE ZOO

So, I ran a marathon relay. Don't get all excited, I didn't run a marathon all by my lonesome. That ain't gonna happen. But I was one of a 4-person relay team that ran a marathon-length race at the Cleveland Zoo on Saturday. It was awesome.

CONFESSION TIME

Before I describe the race, a confession: up until the second the race started I was trying to think of ways to get out of doing it. The only reason I agreed to do it at all is because Rick asked nicely and I kind of have a crush on him. It's amazing what he gets away with because of that. Anyway, I agreed to run this race, knowing it was more running than I usually do in a day. I'm a 5k girl. I'm not fast, so 5k feels like a good amount of time, a good workout, and I never really feel like I need (or want) a longer run. When I'm training for a 5k race and am trying to improve my time for the race (something I don't normally care about - the fitness runner is a different animal from the competitive runner), I have "long run" days that take me up to 5 miles, but I'm always happy when those days are over. So when I looked at the total distance for this race and saw I'd be running a little over 6 miles (10k), I kinda panicked. The indoor recess voices emerged, telling me I'd never be able to do it. I'd be embarrassingly slow and my team wouldn't finish before the cutoff time. Or I would push it too hard because I'd be worried about being embarrassingly slow and would end up injuring myself. Or [insert some other disaster scenario] followed by [some version of feeling defeated and sad].

So the "reason-to-back-out" search began... and was unsuccessful. There was no conflicting commitment, or sudden illness, or car problem. The kids didn't need me to stay home, the zoo didn't have to close because of escaped tigers... so I went to the race, and I ran, and I loved it.

Seriously,how do you not
laugh when this is your
race number?

AT THE ZOO

The stomach butterflies settled down once we received our race packet and I saw our team race number. Nothing diffuses unreasonable nerves like the number 69. [pause here for giggles.] And then I met our other two teammates, Rachel and Tracy, and knew this race would be nothing but fun. Rachel is a friend of Rick's from high school who I'd chatted with but never met, and Tracy is a good friend of Rachel's (and a new friend to Rick and me!) who jumped in at the last minute when Rachel's husband wrenched his back earlier that day. They are both accomplished and speedy runners, but both were all cheer and smiles despite my snail's pace. The only person putting any pressure on me was me. So I asked the Queen of Indoor Recess to please shut up because I had a relay marathon to run.

Rick's mid-race fuel

RACE 411

The course was 22 laps altogether, two runners taking 7 laps and two runners taking 6 laps. Each lap was approximately 1.2-ish miles so we could reach the total marathon distance of 26.2 miles. The loop went through the part of the Cleveland Zoo housing bears, camels, some weird shaggy horse/mule things (I was running, didn't stop to read the signs) and would also have passed some monkeys and flamingos if it was a little warmer but those critters are indoors still. The various scents of animal helped to mask the scent of hundreds of sweating runners, so for once the zoo smell wasn't a bad thing. Runners were each provided a free beer ticket. Rick used his ticket mid-race, and noted that it added a little unwelcome "flavor" to his next lap, so I skipped the cup of Bud... coolers are allowed, bring your own brew. 

RUN LIKE A BEAR IS CHASING YOU

Ran past this 5 times,
twice in the dark...

My brother Pete has mentioned this tactic in the past, as a way to get yourself moving a little faster. Fear is a powerful motivator to hurry the hell up. We had our own unexpected fear-induced adrenaline boost at the zoo, and it wasn't bears. Every few years the Cleveland Zoo hosts a dinosaur exhibit featuring huge animatronic dinosaurs placed throughout the park alongside the walking paths. They are motion activated, so when guests approach they will move and make sounds. When we started the race at 6pm, it was still light - you could see the dinosaurs and knew to expect the T-Rex to move its head in your direction and roar. The last few laps for most teams were in the dark, and that changed the experience a little. The dinosaurs are placed not too close to any animal enclosures, obviously to avoid zoo critters being spooked by the movement and sound of robot dinos. And those parts of the walking paths that are not near animal enclosures are not well lit (who needs light in places where there are no animals to see?) So, imagine: you're running through a dark and quiet zoo at 9:00 pm and even though you know there are robot velociraptors around somewhere, you can't actually see them. Until you pass one and you notice jaws opening and claws moving and hear a roar, and the runner in front of you jumps three feet to the side because HOLY SHIT. Terrifying and hilarious and so, so fun.

WE'RE ALL RUNNERS

Tracy mentioned at one point during the race that it's always a little surprising to see how many different kinds of runners there are - she's so right, and its a good reminder to me as I work on improving my own running. I don't need to fit a mold, I am a runner of my own kind. Every imaginable body type and age was present at this race. Little kids, a very pregnant woman (rock on, super mama!), serious elite runners and not-so-serious, pretty-much-walking runners. And the guy in jeans and street shoes (!) who seemed not to notice that everyone else thought "you can't be comfortable" every time he ran by. It was fun to see a few teams get in the spirit of a zoo race with costumes - the crowd favorite was the team called "Don't Feed the Humans" made up of a rabbit (pink ears!), a lion (full-on lion mane on this guy's head for the whole race), a tiger (face make-up that amazingly didn't run!), and a zookeeper. I'm inspired for next year!

Team 69!

Yes, you read that right. I wrote "next year" and I mean it. I'd do this race again in heartbeat. Maybe my time will improve, maybe it won't, but I'll have a fab costume for sure and I'll be ready for a good time with good friends.

Thanks to my team for being awesome and supportive and faster than me so we could finish with a decent time, and to my fella for suggesting we do this and for being my loudest cheerleader, always.

WLC WRAP-UP

Eight weeks ago I launched this blog with a post about the Whole Life Challenge, the journey from the Realm of Indoor Recess to the faraway Kingdom of Get the Hell Up Lazybones, and the many reasons for checking in at the gym. It's been an awesome eight weeks. This project was invigorating and enlightening, probably in ways not anticipated or planned by the Whole Life Challenge organizers. Another Whole Life Challenge is scheduled for fall 2013, and I'm considering taking it on. And I'm looking forward to tackling some new challenges between now and then... more on that later.

From the Whole Life Challenge some major lessons emerged, and I had fun blogging what I learned. The major takeaways in the WLC categories (and some of my own):

FOOD: 

I love cheese and missed it like a kid misses a lost favorite toy.

I didn't miss sugar itself, but I did miss sweet things. Happy to have healthy alternatives like agave nectar. 

And most important food lesson (this I knew, but it was reinforced in my grocery shopping explorations): Big Business Food is evil beyond belief and scary-ass shit makes it's way into everything. Our food supply causes so many horrifying problems. Think about it... how many of your classmates had life-threatening nut allergies when you were a kid? (I'm addressing my age-peers here). I remember one. ONE. We now have nut-free schools everywhere. What changed? Boogie-man companies like Monsanto, for one. Think about it.

FITNESS/STRETCHING:

Daily stretching is necessary. I experience fewer post-running aches and pains, I don't notice my aging bones as much as I used to. Ten minutes a day, easy peasy, you can do it while reading or catching up on episodes of Game of Thrones.

Daily exercise is a tougher thing, and although I had fewer "skip days" while on challenge and am definitely stronger now than at the beginning of the challenge, there's something to be said for the occasional straight-to-pajamas-after-work day. 

LIFESTYLE: 

The lifestyle challenges were divided for me - two that I've concluded, as much as I wanted to be generous about this, were just idiotic, and two that were seriously valuable. Drinking stupid amounts of water every day to drive home the point that we should hydrate more was poorly designed and held little potential for lasting impact. Two weeks of bloated discomfort did nothing for me. Water World was followed by the challenge to sleep for seven hours a night - again, point taken that we should sleep more, but one of the benefits of more sleep is supposed to be less stress. Instead, I was stressed out for two weeks over getting enough sleep to be able to log the points. The mindfulness challenge, however was so deeply important for me. Being present, completely present, remains an ongoing challenge but one I happily embrace and will keep working on. Too much of this amazing life goes unnoticed. Meditation also continues to hold interest for me and I've been reading up, with help from some of my favorite author/bloggers. Maybe I'll get there someday.

And finally kindness... my cousin Eric phrased it well: he said "The kindness challenge was the best. It felt so good to walk around looking for a chance to be kind. This seems like something worth continuing forever!" YES! This is the best takeaway. Kindness above all else, in all things, only for the reward of knowing you've done a good thing. I agree with Eric, this was the happiest challenge, I loved it.

LOGGING THE POINTS: If nobody was watching, would you still...? 

For most of us, probably not as successfully, if at all. Accountability is a huge incentive to stick with the process of making big changes. AND it's fun to team up with someone. Support and conversation make it easier. Again pointing to my cousin Eric as an example - I know he forgot to officially log points here and there, but because he was on a team with Rick and me, he kept at it, checked in now and then, honestly owned both successes and bumps in the road, is game for the next WLC in the fall, and noted that he had fun "hanging out" with us. The feeling is mutual, good sir. The virtual hangout extended to our FB group, where we found recipes, clean food shopping tips, ever-present support and lots of humor. 

RICK:

Rick was the first in our household to participate in the WLC, and his insistence that it was a good thing was the reason I even considered trying it this time around - despite the fact that he made me want to kick him in his bony shins every time he said "compliant." He was less of a compliancy-fanatic this time around, having already proven to himself that this challenge was something he could do, and he was the best teammate, my favorite teammate, in this and all things.

OVERALL: 

In the process of making any major change or even a minor adjustment in our lives, we all fall down and get back up, but in doing so we can redefine our course. I learned in my high school years that everyone has a unique true north, and even that is not set in stone. Adjust your compass so that when you stray, you can come back to a healthier, happier path. Learn from each bump in the road... they are part of the adventure. 

THE QUEEN'S BLOG:

I considered putting the blog to bed. It was originally launched to document the WLC journey and that journey is complete. BUT - as the title states - this is the story of a Once Sedentary Girl, and that's not an 8-week story. Over the course of this challenge I've enjoyed the discipline of writing, the exchange of ideas in my own head and with my friends and family, and I have miles to go. So the blog lives on, as new challenges crop up every day in the life of the Former Queen of Indoor Recess. 

NEXT UP:

Like an idiot, I let Rick convince me to do this race. It's on my Google calendar as "Zoo Race, You Idiot." I like running, but that's a lot of running in one day for me. I'll be the slowest runner at the zoo, unless they let a tortoise or a sloth run with me. But no whining, I will enjoy the zoo time. The Once and Not-Future Queen is all about FACING NEW CHALLENGES WITH CHEER! (and the promise of cocktails afterwards).

Shortly thereafter my entire household will once again participate in the Race for the Place. I'm hoping to improve my 5k time, but as always this is dependent on available training time and that day's pollen count. Fingers crossed. Will keep you posted.

Long term challenge/goal: I'd like to achieve a headstand in yoga within the coming year. That may seem like a lot of time to allow myself, given I've been practicing yoga for a couple of years now, but there is a HUGE ball of scared-as-hell that swallows me when I think about head stands. Not sure why. I go upside down and panic. Advice welcome. Valium also welcome. Maybe someday this photo will be me. Shut up, everyone needs a dream.

EBEN

This post is a slight departure from the others. Today it's all about a Whole Life Challenge of a different sort. 

Today, Eben turns 16.

Tiny E.

EBEN TURNS SIXTEEN.

Sixteen years ago, at 7:36 p.m., I accepted the challenge of parenthood.

When I call parenthood a challenge, I don't mean the "grunt work" part of parenthood - the "feed and clothe and bathe and chauffeur and generally keep this living creature alive" part of parenthood. That, it turns out, is the easy part.

As most parents know, the true challenge of parenthood is to find balance between holding tight and letting go. The challenge is an ever-present sweet melancholy when that balance starts to - has to - shift a little more towards letting go. Because if you get it right (I hope every second of my life that I'm getting it right), this person who shows up as a tiny screaming package of the most intense love you have ever, ever experienced is going to grow up and be independent. And he will be fine. He will be spectacular and brilliant and you have to let go. And just watch.

Later today I will take Eben for his driver's license road test. He's excited and confident, and I'm a mess of nerves. Eben is a careful and responsible and skilled driver. Everyone else on the road, however... let's just say if you live anywhere near us, you need to start being a lot more careful. This mama bear will hunt you down if my son is hurt because you needed to text while driving. I. will. hunt. you. down. Sometimes I think "I'll just follow him everywhere in my car to make sure he's okay. I'll use the telekinesis I know I must possess and which has surely been a latent power until this day to move every car off the road as he drives safely to wherever he's going."

But that's the challenge. Eben wouldn't want me to follow him everywhere, and I don't honestly want my son to always depend on me to clear the way for him. He is well-equipped, ready and willing to face whatever comes his way, to learn and grow from every experience. And I need to let him, because he's got this. I am filled with pride. 

Rick took this photo of my boy
and me. He posted it with the caption "Joy."

I am in awe of how he conducts himself in his various worlds - school, friends, work, family, rock bands. He manages everything with a clear and calm sense of responsibility and an ethic of kindness above all else. He approaches new challenges with curiosity and excitement. He is an artist and a scientist and a philosopher and a teacher. He is a truly interesting person. He's just really, really cool. The greatest privilege of my life has been to witness the miracle of my children, and the greatest challenge of my life now is to hang around on this tightrope between their childhood and their adulthood. 

No falling, Nadia. Balance here, and watch.

Happy, happy sixteen to my boy. So much love. Always, all the time.

(in regular WLC news: 4 days left... so much learned. Wrap-up post with lessons, musings and the future of the Queen of Indoor Recess blog will come soon.)  

COMPETITIVE KINDNESS

Is an act of altruism still altruistic if you know you're going to get something for it? I don't mean the completely wonderful return of knowing you've done a good thing and feeling hopeful that your decent act will create a "pay it forward" ripple effect. I mean getting a prize. Winning a game. Does it count?

The fourth and final Whole Life Challenge Lifestyle category is to perform "Intentional Acts of Generosity, Support, and Kindness to Strangers and Others." Suggestions include sending a supportive email to fellow challengers, paying for coffee or bus fare for the person behind you in line, let someone in front of you in traffic, etc.

Each element of this challenge is about game points. I've already noted that I'm not in this to win a prize, but most participants are. There are people playing this game HARD and they want all the points they can get. They will buy you a cup of coffee specifically to get the game point. They will try to out-nice everyone else.

So, for the first few days of this part of the challenge I have been kind of conflicted... the "in-my-head" discussions go like this:

"Kindness is a human imperative, Nadia, it shouldn't be about winning a game."

"Yeah, but so what if it's about points for some people, just accept the challenge and find good things to do each day."

"But its not a good deed if we're getting ahead in a game, Nadia."

"Nadia, it's totally a good deed if the recipient of your kindness doesn't know about the game."

"But isn't that just disguised kindness?"

"Nadia, just shut up and be nice for two weeks." 

Talking to myself is exhausting.

I actually really, really appreciate the thought behind this challenge - the Whole Life Challenge organizers know that a massive group of people, worldwide, are participating in this contest. The WLC folks are issuing directives that are, for the most part, being followed to the letter by thousands of people for eight weeks. Why not take the opportunity to get everyone to think about someone else for a little while? The overall impact of thousands of acts of kindness should be significant.

Does staying caffeinated to
avoid extreme grumpiness
count as an act of kindness?
(it's possible we've been a little
GOT obsessed around here)

So that's what I'm choosing to focus on... a lot of people will hold onto the diet and fitness changes they've made during this challenge, some will continue to drink more water and get more sleep, some will keep meditating. And some will feel really great about having done a helpful, kind, thoughtful deed every day for two solid weeks and just might keep that going.

Maybe the hard game players will soften up a little. And maybe we'll all leave this challenge as better friends, spouses, parents, siblings, colleagues and neighbors.

**side note: the husband who makes coffee EVERY SINGLE MORNING, who races to Dunkin' Donuts at 7 a.m. when the coffee has run out, who brings you a cup every morning when you're still trying to convince yourself that getting out of bed is not, in fact, a terrible idea - that guy has kindness points for life. He already won this game.