I do believe I can pretty confidently say I'm a child from the 80's. Well, I say that, but if you factor in my high admiration of the 90's alternative and grunge phase, I can pretty confidently say I'm a child from the 80's and 90's.
I was born in 1981. So really, it was the late 80's when I, like may others my age loved New Kids on the Block. It also should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that the line "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" resonates a bit more with my generation than others; we take that very seriously.
As being a child from the 80's it also should go without saying that I was and still am a pretty big fan of John Hughes' films. One film in particular, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This isn't entirely because the film is a Chicago iconic classic, and I grew up in the backyard of Chicago. This also isn't entirely because during the final parade scene when Ferris jumps on the parade float and sings along with the marching band ... that was my High School. Now granted at the time I was 5, but later on in High School there was a signed photo from the movie set in the band room. And above those factoids, a reason I love Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the quote directly from Ferris himself "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
I've always been somewhat outspoken. Timid, but outspoken when I wasn't being timid. I also have always been up for an adventure. I tend to notice obscure things, details, I fixate on things others may find trivial.
During my journey I have met some amazing people. People that I would not have met had I not started on my journey. These people have become staples in my at least few times a week, if not daily life. One person in particular I am having a hard time imagining my journey without.
Kris. I first saw Kris one week when I was training with Kristine, Kris has just returned from knee surgery (if I recall correctly). Kristine ran over to say hi to Kris and give her a hug. I witnessed the exchange and though highly of each of the women in front of me. I didn't know either one very well at the time, but I thought that I was in good hands if my trainer first of all asked politely if she could run over and say hi, as well that she cared enough to go and check on someone and welcome them back. As well, I didn't know Kris at all at the time, but also thought that given the time span Kristine had mentioned she had been out from knee surgery, I sympathetically thought "I understand". Having had 9 knee surgeries there's not much about the knee I don't understand. I digress.
One day in spin class Kris introduced herself. As they say, the rest was history. We discussed spinning, training with Kristine, and in fact it was shortly after Will got me cycle shoes for Valentine's Day so I gave Kris my review of the shoes and the differences I found in wearing them. We said hello to one another every time we saw each other, and it's hard not to smile when you see Kris, she smiles and it's infectious.
Upon my graduation to Boot Camp this meatn that I would now be attending Boot Camp with Kris and others I have now gotten to know. Boot Camp, sometimes lives up to it's name. Well ok, no, we'd be wearing boots to go camping if we were going with the literal name. In any case, some nights Boot Camp is brutal. I'm sorry, but no matter how many times I do walking push-ups down and back across a gymnasium I am not going to like them. No, Sam Am I, I will not like them, and for record I don't like Green Eggs and Ham either.
Despite Boot Camp not being us wearing boots to camp, or even eating green eggs and ham for that matter, in the tough times Kris cheers for all of us. We can be struggling, literally crawling across that gym floor ... and you better believe I have crawled a few times and that floor is really dirty. Kris reminds us all that "We've got it". This seems to be the case even when I've fallen off of stability balls doing push-ups and knee tucks, but despite falling, I've completely nailed the landing as I envisioned.
The photos I posted from the last Indoor Tri, it was Kris who took them. She came to the gym, when she easily could have run outside that day instead of on the treadmill. However she came to the wave myself and a couple of other Boot Campers were in and cheered us on, took photos of us, high fived us. Then when we were on the bike she went upstairs and ran. While we finished our run, she cheered us on and took more photos.
Not to mention after completing my first half marathon, the first time she saw me she said "Hey there, half marathoner". That's me, I'm a half marathoner. I didn't run that race particularly fast, in fact at a few points I walked thinking it would never end. But I did it, I was a half marathoner, and Kris acknowledged it.
The same went for my first triathlon. The days leading up Kris reminded me that I would do great and cheered me on from afar. The first time she saw me afterwards she said "Hey there, triathlete". That's me, I'm a triathlete.
So, this all goes without saying, but when Kris asked if I would be interested in filling in for her daughter-in-law for the Chicago Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon, I honestly was honored. I of course first was worried about her daughter-in-law and why there was a vacancy, but I was truly speechless when she asked.
And now here we are just about 60 hours until we will be lining up for the race. I'm going to get to experience it with a new friend and it's a new adventure. Well ok, she's a lot faster than I am, but you know what, she's reminded me often that it doesn't matter how fast or slow I run, just that I'm running.
So Kris, thank you, I hope I Rock 'N' Roll my way through Chicago and meet you and your daughter at the finish line to celebrate. I'll get there eventually. Knowing me I'll get distracted taking it all in, I'll get overwhelmed at some point and time, and then I'll just think of you telling me "I've got it" and with that, I'll eventually make my way there.
I was born in 1981. So really, it was the late 80's when I, like may others my age loved New Kids on the Block. It also should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that the line "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" resonates a bit more with my generation than others; we take that very seriously.
As being a child from the 80's it also should go without saying that I was and still am a pretty big fan of John Hughes' films. One film in particular, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This isn't entirely because the film is a Chicago iconic classic, and I grew up in the backyard of Chicago. This also isn't entirely because during the final parade scene when Ferris jumps on the parade float and sings along with the marching band ... that was my High School. Now granted at the time I was 5, but later on in High School there was a signed photo from the movie set in the band room. And above those factoids, a reason I love Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the quote directly from Ferris himself "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
I've always been somewhat outspoken. Timid, but outspoken when I wasn't being timid. I also have always been up for an adventure. I tend to notice obscure things, details, I fixate on things others may find trivial.
During my journey I have met some amazing people. People that I would not have met had I not started on my journey. These people have become staples in my at least few times a week, if not daily life. One person in particular I am having a hard time imagining my journey without.
Kris. I first saw Kris one week when I was training with Kristine, Kris has just returned from knee surgery (if I recall correctly). Kristine ran over to say hi to Kris and give her a hug. I witnessed the exchange and though highly of each of the women in front of me. I didn't know either one very well at the time, but I thought that I was in good hands if my trainer first of all asked politely if she could run over and say hi, as well that she cared enough to go and check on someone and welcome them back. As well, I didn't know Kris at all at the time, but also thought that given the time span Kristine had mentioned she had been out from knee surgery, I sympathetically thought "I understand". Having had 9 knee surgeries there's not much about the knee I don't understand. I digress.
One day in spin class Kris introduced herself. As they say, the rest was history. We discussed spinning, training with Kristine, and in fact it was shortly after Will got me cycle shoes for Valentine's Day so I gave Kris my review of the shoes and the differences I found in wearing them. We said hello to one another every time we saw each other, and it's hard not to smile when you see Kris, she smiles and it's infectious.
Upon my graduation to Boot Camp this meatn that I would now be attending Boot Camp with Kris and others I have now gotten to know. Boot Camp, sometimes lives up to it's name. Well ok, no, we'd be wearing boots to go camping if we were going with the literal name. In any case, some nights Boot Camp is brutal. I'm sorry, but no matter how many times I do walking push-ups down and back across a gymnasium I am not going to like them. No, Sam Am I, I will not like them, and for record I don't like Green Eggs and Ham either.
Despite Boot Camp not being us wearing boots to camp, or even eating green eggs and ham for that matter, in the tough times Kris cheers for all of us. We can be struggling, literally crawling across that gym floor ... and you better believe I have crawled a few times and that floor is really dirty. Kris reminds us all that "We've got it". This seems to be the case even when I've fallen off of stability balls doing push-ups and knee tucks, but despite falling, I've completely nailed the landing as I envisioned.
The photos I posted from the last Indoor Tri, it was Kris who took them. She came to the gym, when she easily could have run outside that day instead of on the treadmill. However she came to the wave myself and a couple of other Boot Campers were in and cheered us on, took photos of us, high fived us. Then when we were on the bike she went upstairs and ran. While we finished our run, she cheered us on and took more photos.
Not to mention after completing my first half marathon, the first time she saw me she said "Hey there, half marathoner". That's me, I'm a half marathoner. I didn't run that race particularly fast, in fact at a few points I walked thinking it would never end. But I did it, I was a half marathoner, and Kris acknowledged it.
The same went for my first triathlon. The days leading up Kris reminded me that I would do great and cheered me on from afar. The first time she saw me afterwards she said "Hey there, triathlete". That's me, I'm a triathlete.
So, this all goes without saying, but when Kris asked if I would be interested in filling in for her daughter-in-law for the Chicago Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon, I honestly was honored. I of course first was worried about her daughter-in-law and why there was a vacancy, but I was truly speechless when she asked.
And now here we are just about 60 hours until we will be lining up for the race. I'm going to get to experience it with a new friend and it's a new adventure. Well ok, she's a lot faster than I am, but you know what, she's reminded me often that it doesn't matter how fast or slow I run, just that I'm running.
So Kris, thank you, I hope I Rock 'N' Roll my way through Chicago and meet you and your daughter at the finish line to celebrate. I'll get there eventually. Knowing me I'll get distracted taking it all in, I'll get overwhelmed at some point and time, and then I'll just think of you telling me "I've got it" and with that, I'll eventually make my way there.
No comments:
Post a Comment