My first step is wicked fast...unless you're a cheetah.
Captain’s Log. Daddy Chronicles. Diaper Date 1726. And today we invaded the Indianapolis Zoo. My newly graduated from high school niece (she still has that new diploma scent) was invited by The Eldest to join us to the zoo. She acquiesced and we descended upon all of the species that dwell there. The Diaper Dweller was greatly amused by the dolphin show and then caught a nap through the Plains (he apparently does not care about the rhino bridge – it’s legendary) in the new age (plastic) Radio Flyer wagon (they don’t make them like they used to) that we procured off of Craigslist.
The Eldest rode the roller coaster 3 times. There is a trip to Cedar Point in someone’s future.
The Captain? He received some inspiration. You see, the Olympics are this year. Back in the day, The Captain was a member of a phenomenal Track and Field Team. We were conference champions. The Captain was a thrower – shot, discuss, hammer (I was banned from the latter at one point – not because I was good either) and an all conference javelin thrower (for one season). The Captain loved it.
Nothing relieves stress like throwing objects around, grunting, shouting (my word was sacapuntas: Spanish for pencil sharpener) and then turning into a cheerleader and screaming your head off for teammates that were running around in a circle.
I miss it. A lot.
So today when we walked up to the cheetah exhibit, and my daughter asked to “race” I gave her the required .50 donation and watched as she ran.
It is a pretty cool activity. You stand on the line, wait for the green light, and take off. There is a sensor that measures how far you would get until the cheetah would attack, maul, dine upon, catch you. The Eldest usually gets about 5 feet. World’s fastest human? 31 feet.
The Captain decide to lace up the sneakers.
I ran. I won.
What did I win? Inspiration.
I made it 15 feet before the cheetah overtook me. However, as I got in my crouch and waited for the green light it hit. The itch.
The itch for competition…with myself.
I can totally outrun these guys.
Now don’t get confused here. I’m not backing down from a challenge. If the cheetahs want to race, I’m game ready.
In the meantime, I think I have a fun challenge for all of you. Be Your Own Gold Medalist. Think of it like setting a PR (Personal Record). There are approximately 36 Olympic Events. In an effort to get people moving, The Captain is throwing down the Olympic Challenge. How many of the 36 Olympic Events can you do before the end of the Olympics? I will post guidelines on my blog page in the next day or two. Remember, you don’t have to be faster, stronger, or better looking than anyone else. You just have to get your body moving. Unless, of course, you are trying to outrun a lion or cheetah. In that case, you have 15 feet to beat me.
Captain out.
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