Now I've Really Gone and Done It.

There are rare moments of inspiration in which I hit hard upon something big, something impressive and grand. And sometimes, on occasion, those moments hit back.

Like this morning.

I’ve been searching for some time to create an opportunity for the Princess to be involved in some sort of athletic endeavour. She really is not one for team sports and the pressure to perform that comes with it. The few times we’ve enrolled her in a league have not gone particularly well and we’ve long since dropped the topic. Still, I think it’s important for her to be active and enjoy the pursuit of something physical -- perhaps even be able to develop a passion and interest for something that will not only keep her fit and healthy but also be a source of confidence and accomplishment that she can enjoy and grow through for many years.

And here’s where things get Good and also Bad in one fell swoop, all starting with a quick morning glance through the weekend flyers while I munched my Kashi.

Step #1 -- Flutterby spots flyer for the annual “I Love Fluttercity 5K run”

Step#2 -- Flutterby thinks what a natural the Princess is at running, always placing in the top three in her age at Track events at school. What long legs she has! What easy grace! How she enjoyed those races and was proud of herself for placing well! YES!

Step #3 -- Flutterby notices the date of the race is just two weeks after Mother’s Day and thinks, “What better way to celebrate than to run with the Princess?“ whilst imagining heart-warming scenes of crossing the finish line together and donning our matching race T-shirts while we clink our Gatorades in celebration.

Step #4 -- Flutterby quickly references the FluttercitySportGuide and finds a children’s training camp which fits right in before the race.

Step #5 -- Flutterby pitches the idea to a bright-eyed Princess who jumps at the chance. Flutterby mentally scores grand and glorious Mommy Points and feels rather pleased with herself.

Step #6 -- Flutterby rests in the knowledge that she is a spectacular Mom who is in tune with her little Princess’ skills and talents and desires and…

Step #7 -- Flutterby gasps and sputters and basically chokes on her own tongue as she realizes she just signed herself up for a 5K race and she has never, ever ran a race in her life.

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It appears that I’m going to take one for the team, here.

Now, I realize that 5K isn’t exactly the Eco-Challenge. I know that many people -- even many of YOU readers -- have run far longer distances. And run them regularly. For some of you 5K is just a warm-up I’m sure.

But, regrettably, I am not one of you. Nor have I ever been.

It’s not that I’m not fit. I’m just not really built for distance. In a field of horses, I am the cheetah. Throw me sprint intervals. Make me work till I puke and barely recover and then make me do it again and again. Everything about me is built for the short-term balls-to-the-wall, hellish burst of energy and the quick recovery. I have a very respectable VO2max. I have a killer instinct for pushing hard beyond what I think I can do -- for a short period of time.

What I don’t have is the ability to just… Jog. Step after plodding step. For minute after minute, lap after lap. It’s boring. It’s uncomfortable. My feet hurt and my breathing gets all uncoordinated. And for some reason I always hit that point where my killer cheetah instinct becomes a docile, sleepy puppy that just wants to find some shady tree to curl up under and sniff at warm grassy smells while it closes it’s eyes, just for a minute.

So, yeah… this is going to be a challenge. Honestly, it’s a challenge I’ve been talking about taking on for a bit over a year, now. Maybe it’s good that I’ve taken this leap with the Princess. We have plenty of time to prep and really, I think it will be fun to go out running with her the odd evening -- maybe this will become “our thing”, who knows?

Regardless, it will be a memorable Mother’s Day gift from my little girl. One that I hope will stay with us for many years, a memory to look back on with at least a smile, if not a high five. And with any luck, it may just be the thing the Princess needs to put some wings under her in one area that she is blessed with some natural talent.

And that will make it all worthwhile.