What Even Is That Kid?

So I went "running" for the first time outside this year.  I put running in quotes, because I barely ran.  I'm so out of shape.

Remember when I worked out at the gym?  I pay for it and everything, and I even blogged about it here!  Yeah, I don't remember the last time I went either.  I need to cancel that thing.  I had hopes for that gym relationship.  I should have known it wouldn't last.

So I'm "running" on the Old Abe Trail (that's what it's called...I saw a sign) and after my nice, long warm-up walk, I begin my run.

Yeah!  RUNNING!  The first steps are great, but after about 30 seconds, I'm freakin' dying.  I should really cut down on the empty calories - I know I'd have more energy.  Reasoning: SCIENCE.

Okay, back on track, I'm "running" and this child...this little boy...this kid who can't be older than 10 years old approaches me.  He's running at an outrageous speed (I am shocked. I am jealous. I am feeling really bad about myself.), and to top it off, he is carrying hand weights!!!

WHAT?

WHO?  HUH?  IS HE AN ALIENNNNNNNNNN?  

And also, where is this kid's parents?  Hmmmmm?  He was running alone.

What a show-off.

But it was weirdly motivating.  If a kid (or alien - we will never know) can run with hand weights and do it with ease, then *HECK YES, so can I.

*Ha!  No, I will never run with hand weights.  It sounds exhausting and terrible.

Wednesday Musings: Take Fourteen

I haven't done a Wednesday Musing in awhile. I thought it was time for one.

-My nephew, Alec, loves game shows. He's only 7 months old! He loves Family Feud, Jeopardy, and The Price is Right! It's so funny. He likes watching The Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb too. Is it time for an intervention?

-Yesterday I went for a run and I saw six people snowshoeing by the creek. Good for them.

-CBS' new show Mad Love on Monday is really funny. Watch it.

-I recently watched the movie Trick 'r' Treat on Netflix and it's a great Halloween movie. I wish it would've been on instant streaming this Halloween, because it would've royally freaked me out. Needless to say, watching in in February didn't make it less scary. I watched most of it through my fingers.

Surprise!

I decided to wake up early this morning. Well, I didn't really "decide" to, but I couldn't fall back asleep. It was 6:30 AM.

This is early for me.

So I tossed and turned for a twenty minutes or so and then finally decided that falling back asleep and sleeping until 10:00 AM was a lost cause.

After a thinking about what my plans were going to be for the rest of the day...since I now have the WHOLE day to do things, I got out of bed, made my bed (this is also a first in a long time), and went upstairs.

The first person I saw - my mom. "What are you doing up so early?" she said.

I told her my dilemma about not being able to fall back asleep. Her conclusion: "You're finally on a normal sleep schedule."

The next person I saw - my sister-in-law. She gave me a funny look- "You're up early."

"Yep," I said.

My niece Caitlyn and my nephew Billy were the only ones not to give me grief this morning.

I decided to start my day early. I know this is really out of character for me, but in the realm of things, this is not the weirdest thing that I've done.

Then I went on my run, came back and stretched and stuff, saw my sister - "Did you already run?" she asked me.

I sat on the floor with my shirt pooled with sweat and my hair looking like I dunked my head in water, and thought to myself No, this is what I look like when I wake up in the morning. "Yeah," I said. (Kyrstin was pretty groggy this morning, so I felt my sarcasm would only make her crabby)

After my shower I went back downstairs and my nephew Connor screamed, because I was in a towel. Little does he know that he will soon love ladies in only towels. (Just not his relatives).

I ran into my dad and he said, "Super Kinsey's awake."

Yes, yes, yes, Super Kinsey is awake and ready to take on whatever this Monday is going to bring her.

I want to lay down in the grass

As I ran this afternoon in the hot sun of 72 degree Minnesota weather, I yearned to take a break and lay down in the soft green grass of a white house on the corner of 7th of Olmstead. How nice it would be to have a yard right now. My apartment "yard" is trimmed too short with sticks and weeds and empty beer cans. I do not yearn to lay in that grass.

So I ran to the beat of Katrina and the Waves, Carrie Underwood, and Foreigner until I reached the park. There I sat and watched the turtle and crane statues shoot water out of their mouths into the pool. I pulled out my pink earphones and listened to the water splash, the cars on the street, and the birds sing. If I had a penny with me, I would've tossed it in and made a wish.

Miles for Matty 5K

This morning I got up and ran a 5K after a long night of waitressing last night. I was so tired! I didn't get home until 1:15am and I didn't fall asleep until 3:00am. Then I woke up at 7:30am and ran 3.1 miles!! :)

The 5K run/walk benefits Matty's Place: Children's Advocacy Center in Winona.

"Matty's Place will strive to facilitate comprehensive, community based services for children in Southeastern Minnesota, ensuring their safety, permanency and well being, while supporting and strengthening their families. It will provide a neutral, child-friendly, home-like environment where a single, comprehensive investigative interview can take place with cases of alleged child abuse and neglect."

You can find more information here.

So that is what I ran for this morning.

And I ran the whole thing...despite my convincing thoughts of how relaxing and nice it would be to walk. But I didn't. I listened to my iPod and ran, and ran, and ran.

There was this one kid who ran without shoes on! Ummm, hello? That's disgusting and very dangerous. I've seen him run shoeless before in a 5K I ran two years ago in Winona. He's a cross-country runner. I know this because he runs with two other boys (one of which is his brother...I think they are twins) and one was wearing a CC shirt.

They beat me too. Surprise, surprise...

I did pretty well this morning. I ran it in 27:19, and for only running one mile this week and two miles last week, that's pretty darn good. I think I finished in the top twenty-five...I lost track of the number of people who passed me ;)