A Flashback to When My Boys Were Little:

Note: This Hip Mom Rule was originally written my oldest (who's now 12) was three and the middle child was still the youngest. I am posting it, however, because the less I learned that day has been a recurring theme in raising three lively and entertaining boys!

Hip Mom Rule #17: Ask for help

Having written an entire rule about being on time, this is hard for me to admit – I was running late. I was supposed to be at my friend’s house for dinner at 5:00. It was 4:40 and we were just getting our shoes on. Knowing that it would take about 15 minutes to bike over there (and five minutes to get the kids into the bike trailer), I knew had to get moving. Just jumping in the car was not an option since the car was on vacation with my husband.

Well, as the luck of any hip mom sometimes goes . . . my younger son couldn’t find his sandals. He is two, so they could have been anywhere. After madly searching for a couple of minutes, we found them under his bed (that was a new one!). Then, after successfully getting both boys buckled into the trailer, I realized that the air on the trailer tire was a little low. Have you ever tried pulling 90 pounds of kids in a bike trailer with low tires? I pulled out the air pump and went for the tire valve. Oh, the tire valve. It was wedged tightly against the tire rim. Frustrated, I tried to pry it out with pliers, only to hear a quick “phssssp.” Not even a whole second long, and every ounce of air came out of the tire. I guess I should have taken the 90 pounds of children out of the trailer to relieve the pressure on the tire first?

Now I didn’t know what to do. The tire was far too flat to limp to the nearest gas station for air, and my wimpy air pump was getting me nowhere. I was about to give in and call my friend to cancel our dinner date when my neighbor walked over. “Why don’t you just ask Jerry to air up your tire?” Betty asked. “Oh, I could never bother him,” I quickly replied. Jerry is our professional cyclist neighbor. His bike is worth more than my car. I did NOT want to ask him to put air in the tires of my piddly little bike trailer. But as options go, mine were limited, and Betty wasn’t about to let me stay home when a solution to my problem was so obvious and close. So, with my well-intentioned neighbor watching to make sure I followed through, I walked my bike, bike trailer, and two boys over and timidly knocked on Jerry’s door. And, as is generally the case, he was more than happy to help out.

Sometimes we confuse being hip with being able to do it all ourselves, but things often come up that prevent us from getting it done. I could have stayed home (and almost did), but instead, I took a very small risk and asked for help. The payoff was great. My tires were filled by an expert, my bike trailer has never pulled more smoothly, and I got to have a fabulous supper with one of my hippest friends.

Now if I could just figure out how to make that bike helmet look hip . . . 

Ten Things I've Learned as an Outdoor Runner

1.       In my teens and 20’s, I ran for competition. In my 30’s I ran to control my weight. In my 40’s, I run to keep my heart healthy. I have loved running the most in my 20’s and 40’s. Apparently, running to control my weight isn’t as much fun.

2.       I prefer running outside during the winter. Here’s a truth: I don’t want to be hit by your car any more than you want to hit me. When people are too busy or lazy to shovel their sidewalks, let’s just agree to share the road.

3.       A running partner can be a great thing; however, if in Minnesota, be sure to choose a timely running partner. Waiting for her to show up in summer while the mosquitoes swarm in to drain your life blood is not fun. Likewise, standing around in -10F temps? Not going to happen.

4.       I have a lot of running gear. Treadmill junkies have it easy. They only need gear for a 70F gym. I have to have gear for temps ranging from 105F to -10F (that’s the coldest I’ll go. Back in the day, I might have ventured out in colder temps, but this girl is too old for that now). 

5.       Running outside has made me a better driver, particularly when looking both ways before I turn. Just this morning I nearly sent a women to the ER with a heart attack when she turned at the last second and nearly hit me.

6.       I know the law about pedestrians having right of way, and for some reason, I’ve taken it upon myself to educate all drivers who encounter me at intersections while I’m running. It’s harder for me to break stride and sit at the corner while you turn than it is for you to wait the 4 seconds it takes me to cross the street. Just be patient.

7.       I don’t see running as my social time. It’s not my me-time. It’s not supposed to take a huge chunk of my day. Outdoor running allows me to decide to go for a run and be out the door in less than 3 minutes. Depending on how far I go, the entire endeavor can easily take less than half an hour. The benefits from a run long or short will last me all day.

8.       I want to run for my entire life. For that reason, you will never see me training for a marathon or some other race that will require my posting huge mileage. It’s not sustainable for me. I typically run three 8-min pace miles 4-5 times a week. It works for me. More importantly, it is enough to keep my heart healthy and my mind happy.

9.       Once I learned that it was the food I was eating that was preventing my losing weight, I began to enjoy running on an entirely new level (see #1). I used to say, “Well, I ate that extra piece of cake, so I’d better log a couple extra miles” and then see no difference from the run. News Alert! You can’t outrun a bad diet. Taking the pressure off of my running to control my weight has brought a joy to running that I haven’t experienced since I ran competitively in college. 

10.   I kind of think people who run on treadmills are wussies. Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad you’re running, but deep down in my secret “I know I shouldn’t say this out loud” place, I think a real runner has to have contact with the ground while battling the elements to be able to call themselves runners. And yes, I did just go running straight on into a 25mph. And it was AWESOME. J