Running in the Rain

This morning I went for a run, even though the sky was pretty black. Folks in southern California don't take kindly to rain, so I was pretty much alone on the streets. It didn't pour down, but there were enough drops that I was pretty wet when I got home. And, the kids would have been too, except for the fact that they were so covered up.

These children travel in the lap of luxury these days! Remember when we were kids and when you went on a long trip you just had to sit there and listen to whatever crappy 8 track your dad was playing and pinch your sister for getting on your side of the backseat? Not these days! These kids have all the comforts of home, whether in the car, or even in the jogging stroller!

Check out these boys: It looks like they are protected from the rain. Good thing, because it prevents any CPS calls, but the reality is, they have to have that cover so they can see the screens of their personal DVD players. Yes, I said PLAYERS. As in, plural. Because, why would you share something like that?
So, for one little hour long stroller ride, these kids have with them: pop tarts, sippy cups of milk (don't harrass me about the sippys--they know how to use big boy cups, I just like the cleanliness), jackets, a blanket for their laps, a blanket to create the movie theater atmosphere and the DVD players. What else could you want (other than for your mom to stop every 50 feet or so and change the volume or adjust the picture or whatever)? Nothing. They barely even notice that we've left the driveway.

All of that stuff they bring along adds up to about 10 pounds. They weigh 42 and 46 pounds. The stroller weighs 32 pounds. That is a grand total of 130 pounds. Do you know what happens when you push 130 pounds in front of you as you go up a mountain? You go MUCH SLOWER. As if I needed that. I'm already slow--at this point it is like I am going backwards.

But, guess what happens when you are pushing 130 pounds in front of you as you are going down the mountain? YOU GO FAST. Really fast. Uncontrollably fast.

There is a certain point on my favorite run route that I tend to stretch out my stride and speed up, because it has just the right angle to make me feel like I am a great runner without causing undue damage to my shins and knees. For the last few months I mostly run on my own during the hour and 15 minutes I have while J is in school and I'm not in the other kids' classrooms. Since it is spring break, today they were with me. As I came around the corner, I picked up my pace and stretched out my stride--and then the stroller took off and tried to leave me!

It was flying down the mountain! Guess what happens when you try to stop running with 130 pounds dragging you--you CAN'T! Even if you try to surprise the stroller and suddenly jerk to a dead halt...no such luck. If you are lucky, it will drag you along like a crazy great dane puppy the first time it is on a leash. If you are not lucky, it is possible that you will ruin the knees of your gray yoga pants and flip your double jogging stroller up in the air like a rearing stallion, frightening your children enough to look up from their movie and wonder how they got this far from the driveway. I don't know from experience or anything--I'm just saying, hypothetically, that it could happen.

The good news is that my run time was pretty good. Even pushing the 130 pound stroller. I guess the flying compensated for the moving backwards. Lovely. Tomorrow I will leave them with the neighbor!