THE GREAT RACE

Tyson is on the mark...

Brittany is set...

Go....

My lungs were burning, the Santa Ana winds were blowing cruelly hot in my face and my untied shoes were becoming looser with each step. I tried to find the energy for the closing kick you see in the Olympics, the one I had just witnessed my honey perform not 10 minutes earlier, but I had burned that up in my first half mile, all I could do now was not stop moving one foot in front of the other in what probably looked like not much more than a fast walk to onlookers nearby. I was fading and going too slow.....

Before we finish let us tell you why this Saturday morning was more than just another day at the soccer field. Ever since Brittany had Courtney Ann she has become a runner. Once considered on par with eating live worms, running is now one of her favorite ways to exercise. Tyson on the other hand continues to seek out any form of organized team sports to play in to avoid having to just run. Now after the fourth child Brittany is once again in full "getting-in-shape" mode. Brittany is amazing at it and you would think that it would have inspired Tyson long before now.

Tyson, as he puts it, has a slight and neccesary form of OCD. Being an anesthesiologist, more than any other kind of M.D., almost requires this type of behaviour to not only be good at your job, but to keep patients safe. The OCD however creeps out in other ways, like if dinner is even 20 minutes late Tyson gets cranky, as Brittany knows all to well. Working out for Tyson is difficult because his schedule is so different each day that he can never have a set routine. And up until now his default has been to do nothing. But through the glories of being a Chief Resident he was able to get a three month stretch this year with a pretty set schedule. At which time he announced that he was going to start working off the 35 pounds medical school and residency have put on him.

For the last two months Tyson has been running and dieting and feeling pretty good about himself; when this last Friday at a ward activity Brittany stated, in front of several friends of ours, that she had run Tyson's workout course (he goes on the exact same route everytime, boring!) and that it was "way easy". "No hills, no screaming kids in jogging strollers, no hot sun, nothing". Tyson responded that it was only easy for Brittany because she runs it "slow". There it was. It took only a quick exchange of glares and the challenge was set. This must be settled. One timed mile, winner gets.... a Back Rub, which if you know us is a rare commodity and often more prized than....well I am sure we need not say more.

The final steps were upon me, I crossed the line, Connor was in a fit to hear the last time. The kids had come to the park with us and we had taken turns watching them and timing the other. I looked at my love, "How do you think you did?" "I think I was too slow." 8:35 was the time I had to beat. I really did not care what the time was, I had gone as fast as I could have that day. I had excuses, my shoes came untied after a quarter-mile and I was up later than normal the night before, but I did want to use them, I did my best and that's all that mattered. "I am proud of you, you did great."

Brittany looks pretty dang good!

Tyson looks worked.

When the dust settled a new family record had been set, that's the fastest I had run a mile since I was 17!

By the way did I even mention who the winner was?.....