Sneakers and Beakers

Each January my children's elementary school hosts a Math and Science Night.  In a weak moment, I reluctantly agreed to chair the event this year.  As someone who avoids math and science classes, discussions, and attempts at solving math and science problems, I was in over my head.

Despite my reluctance to organize this big night, things started to click this summer, and my theme for Math and Science Night formed as I read Boys Adrift, which reinforced what I already know as a teacher:  we need to make learning active and hands-on, especially for boys.

Right around the same time that I was reading Boys Adrift, I had just started taking classes at KC Bootcamp, and I loved that bootcamp was helping me improve as a recreational tennis player, cyclist, and runner.  Bootcamp was improving my strength and endurance for all sports.  My brain was swirling around the ideas of hands-on, multi-sport, and voila, I had a theme for Math and Science Night...  Sneakers & Beakers:  The Math and Science of Sport.

Summer came and went, the frantic pace of life and the school year set in, and before I knew it, it was late fall, and I needed to pull this Sneakers & Beakers gig together.  Ultimately, we had nearly 35 exhibitors from a variety of sports lined up to lead students and their parents through 2-3 minute sporty drills, and I needed to come up with math word problems for each of the sport exhibits.  Thanks to a lot of help from my friends Math and Science Night came together.

I took two personal days from work, the days before and after Math and Science Night, to coordinate all the last-minute details.  Taking two days off work isn't easy for a teacher.  The sub planning, plus the mountain of paperwork that await my return, are overwhelming.  I thought for sure that I would be sunk on my Paleo-challenge and workout schedule.

But, I'm happy to report that I made it.  Three weeks into the Paleo-challenge I didn't cheat once, and I made it to five workouts throughout the week leading up to Math and Science Night and the days after.  Thanks to Paleo and bootcamp, the kernel of the Sneakers and Beakers idea was born, and I had the energy and endurance to power through work and family responsibilities as well as Math and Science Night.  Did I mention that Coach Dan from KC Bootcamp was one of our featured exhibitors?  The kids love him!

I love that Paleo and bootcamp are working for me.  This one pull-up by 12.31.11 WILL happen.

Peace, love, Paleo,
jpq

Paleo Challenge: Day 13

I'm nearly 2 weeks into my 30-day, eat-like-a-cavegirl challenge, and there have been some ups & downs.

The Downs
Day #2: The novelty of my new lifestyle had worn off, & I was crashing from carb & sugar withdrawal. It didn't help that I was home with the kids for a snow day. I dreamt I was in a bathtub full of Skittles on Day 2. I'm telling you. It was u.g.l.y, & I didn't have no alibi. It was ugly. Yeah. Yeah. It was ugly.
Week #1: Speaking of ugly, my workouts felt slow and sluggish. Worst of all, I was pretty sure that my sweat smelled like olive oil and garlic.

The Ups
Day #9 Workout: Finally, this past Wednesday's workout was kickin'. I made it to the bottom and top of a 10, 9, 8, 7... rep ladder workout. I was giddy.
Wardrobe Functions -- ALWAYS Preferable to Wardrobe MALFUNCTIONS: I haven't weighed myself, but my clothes are fitting loose. Oh. And the unsolicited kind comments feel great. I have muscle definition in my arms. Popeye was right. All this spinach is building the strong muscles.
Oh, pull-up. I'm coming for ya!

Love,
Jennifer Q.

Paleo Kit = Paleo HIT

Coach Rut gave me a Paleokit to try.

It.

Rocked.

My.

World.

The Paleokit zapped my daily 10:30 a.m. energy shortage and starvation binge that typically leads to a full-day cycle of low-energy/binge on bad-for-me-food peaks and valleys.

I am sold.

If this is what Paleo feels like, I'm there.

Go here to learn more about Steve's Original Paleokits.

Peace, love, and pull-up,
JPQ

Resolved.

Resolved: Jennifer Adelle (Peterson) Quick will be able to do one unassisted pull-up by midnight on December 31, 2011.

I am much more comfortable hiding behind less physically intense activities that require no upper-body strength -- like debating the above resolution -- than actually accomplishing it.

_____________________________________
Define pull-up.
What exactly IS an unassisted pull-up?
Does pull-up require a hyphen?
_____________________________________

Accomplishing this one pull-up by 12.31.11 goal will be monumental.

Indeed, I have run a marathon, or two, or five, very slowly.  I've given birth to a bouncing, 8 lbs 8 oz baby in record time with nary a painkiller to numb the pain.

For me, lifting the full weight of my body off the ground is something completely different and daunting.

Time and again, I miserably failed the Presidential Fitness Test in elementary school as I was unable to hold my chin above the bar for the requisite amount of time.

At age 37, I am determined that I will accomplish a feat that I wasn't able to accomplish during my youth.  This seems to be quite a juxtaposition against the "serene and indifferent" and "Be kind to yourself" vibe I had been going for this school year.

My pull-up goal is a primal urge that I have to do challenging, hard-core physical work.  My need for physical activity isn't fulfilled through my career as a high school English teacher, which requires extended time sitting on my ample hindquarters grading essays and planning lessons.

Working toward my pull-up goal will require a bit of serenity and plenty of being kind to myself.

I do not expect this blog to become the next Julie and Julia.  I do want this blog to help me be accountable for my goal and document my journey.  I hope that I'll garner a few followers who will hold me accountable as well.

Therefore, be it resolved that
Jennifer Adelle (Peterson) Quick is hereby on notice to do

one pull-up
by the end of this
one year.