This morning, Sunday, we got up early to participate in a road race. It wasn't fun to get up early, but neither was it fun to hear a MARCHING BAND going down our street at 6:30 AM.
(Well, that's not completely true; it was a little bit fun to hear a marching band at 6:30 AM. We're still enjoying the daily mysteries here--they are mostly happy discoveries, after all. Case in point: This week Sean and I were driving along a street and saw a crowd of people gathered around a culvert. I was thinking the worst--a drowning--and we pulled over to ask. It turns out that some kids had discovered crabs in the water, and they were crowd-sourcing ideas for catching them. They had had some success with tortillas tied onto a long string....)
(Do freshwater crabs exist? Another mystery. The people said they were catching "cangrejo" though, and held up something red and crab-shaped.)
(Okay I give: just googled "freshwater crabs in Mexico" and I'll save you the link: they do exist and they like polluted canals in Chiapas in particular. )
 |
| Listos. |
 |
| Might be harder to breathe with that on. |
Anyway. So this morning the kids and I ran the 5 km, and Sean ran the 10 km. It was great. I ran with the kids, and they ran the whole way without stopping or complaining. (However, it did occur to Oscar to ask, at about the halfway mark, why we had signed him up for the race without asking him first if he actually wanted to run it.)
 |
| Love the start. So exciting. |
 |
| Love the end, too. We did it! |
Sean ran hard and beat his high-school time: 35:45! It's possible that the distances weren't perfectly measured, but we'll never know, will we?
 |
| Wilhelmina took this picture of Sean's strong finish. |
Afterward, we walked to a French bakery and had cappuccinos and pastries to reload our carbs.
In other news of the week: Oscar moved up into 5th grade (he asked the headmistress himself, and she agreed it would be best) and Wilhelmina had a friend over to work on homework (the very charming Lore, who has a musical laugh and a terrific smile).
 |
| After the homework, we went to see the Moscow Circus on Ice in plaza in front of the cathedral. (Circus was part of the Festival Cervantino.) |
 |
| Lore y Wilhelmina y mucho azucar. |
Congrats to all the runners! Oscar: I think you'd better keep an eye on your adventuresome family. Who knows what they might sign you up for without keeping you informed! The race is over (sigh), but I am interested in the French bakery.
ReplyDeleteWilhelmina and Oscar plan to personally escort you to the bakery on day 1.
DeleteHmm ... and one more thing comes to mind. You were quite ill on Thursday and Friday, Oscar, but you played soccer on Saturday and ran a road race on Sunday. Some folks (not me, of course) would be suspicious about your quick recovery. Meanwhile, we are very glad that you were back to your usual energetic self on the weekend!
ReplyDeleteHe's fine; gearing up for his big presentation on Wednesday, "Volcanoes of Germany" (actually, "Volcánes de Alemania"), the script for which he has to memorize. It also features a paper mache volcano that will really erupt....
DeleteSounds like a great day, and way to go, kids! Felix is getting interested in running a short race but we haven't been able to fit it in around soccer yet.
ReplyDelete(And I want an audit on the distance of Sean's race...5:45 miles for 6 miles?! Envy clouds my admiration. That's amazing.)
We were talking about Felix and Cosmo during the run! They would be great. One interesting thing to tell them: instead of handing out cups of water at the aid station, the organizers provided little tube-shaped baggies (like for Otter Pops) of water. You just bit a tiny hole in the top of the bag and sucked the water out a bit at time. Brilliant! No sloshing, no compulsion to gulp down a lot of water at once, far less trash. (Also, we found it fun to drink this way.)
DeleteOh running...I remember it well. I am so glad that I don't have to visit Sean's "therapist." I avoided a bicycle accident by using my left calf to position my bike out of oncoming traffic, and did something to my leg that has resulted in the most huge bruise I have ever seen in my life....from my knee to my toes as the blood drains down. I'm afraid Sean's guy would suggest removing it. I went to the doc and he said, 'I bet that hurts.' But apparently there's nothing wrong with me beyond color and swelling. It's the most magical injury I recall since open heart surgery...I just can't say enough about it. But the good news I can still ride my bike! How is it that it only hurts to walk, not to bike?
ReplyDeletePobrecita! Sorry about your leg. Maybe it hurts when you walk, but not when you bike, because biking is more fun? (But yeah, a massage from Sean's therapist while you're in this condition could be fatal!)
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with all this running (and rockclimbing)!
ReplyDeleteWhy did Oscar want to move up to 5th gr.?