Operation Move

How do you know you’re autistic/adhd?

Me: well I created two autistic/adhd children and I was very convinced they were ‘normal’ because of my experiences and then I created a running and lifting community for neurodivergent people.

So yeah, I know.

Ambulatory wheelchair users exist. This weekend while we were on the Gold Coast for marathon weekend we were using the tram. Riley was pushing Arlo in the wheelchair. Some guy rode past and yelled ‘use your legs it fixes everything’. And Riley yells after him ‘f**k you too’. And then Arlo laughed as hard as I’ve seen him laugh in a long time ‘sometimes I forget how much you love me.’ And then Riley used some more insulting swears she wished he could have heard. You don’t know what people’s load is, so don’t tell them how to carry it.

I don’t know how many people have conversations between themselves and their brain as though they are two distinct entities with their own personalities but I do. Today it went a little like this.

Me: So I know we talked about 5-ish hours but 5 hours is just an arbitrary number it doesn’t mean anything. The achievement is the same if it’s 4:59 or 5:15.

My brain: well . . .

Me: it’s especially doesn’t mean anything because we’ve run a 1:36 half and a 3:40 marathon like something like sub 5 on today is not significant it’s just about the effort.

My brain: Well unfortunately we do care about sub 5. I don’t make the rules but we both fu***ng care.

Me: F**k this is going to be hard.

My brain: That’s your department.

Me: But you will have to come to the party so I don’t quit

My brain: No guarantees that I won’t use every trick in the book to get you to walk the last 10km

Me: Fine. F**k I guess we are doing this then.

4:58:36

But big shoutout to a Zoey who was running behind me. All the cheers for her were very motivational even if they weren’t technically for me.

Undertrained, carrying some extra weight from comfort eating I don’t regret, breaking several marathon rules like new shoes and new shorts, about 20,000 steps today taking the teenagers out and about.

Very excited to run tomorrow knowing that I can run a very long way and it will probably be one of the easier things I do this year. The marathon doesn’t scare me. That’s the fun part when you get to find out who you are and who you want to be.

My kid: I don’t understand doing something big before you have to do something really big.

Yeah I hear you 🤣

But today was a great example of how easy it is to underestimate long term fitness when your training has been up and down.

The goal was do 3.5 hours, eat every 15 minutes to maximise recovery and feel good about the marathon next weekend.

And I did that 💜

15 degrees in the Northern Rivers, must be time to bust out the merino 😉

Let’s just say it’s a great season in my life to be marathon training. Not just for the running, but for everything around the running: eat better, sleep more, do prehab. You know, like the healthy relationship to self stuff that you should be able to do on your own but somehow you need a giant deadline, a fear of failure and a giant medal to lock it the f**k in.

Weird.

At the moment it does seem like everyone wants something more than what I have. But running gives me more than it asks of me.,

Kids be like: you look super cute in your jumper!

And it means more when they know it took 60 hours to make, I have maximum maybe 3 months out of the year to wear it and this week after 20 years I decided not to be married anymore. So if a teenager compliments you, you’ve got to take the win.