3TT: We are competitive edition ...

In our house, competition is fostered. We don't do things to simply finish. We do them to win. And then we brag about them. For example ...

1. On Saturday, Dizzle is running the VA 529 Kid's Run at the Ukrops Monument 10K. It's her first race since October and she is ready to go. Her PR at this distance (1 mile) is 12:08. She told me this morning that she thinks she can beat 12:00. She also believes she can win the race. I think she can too (well, the beating 12 minutes part). And fortunately, for her, she will have two things working in her favor.

1. Since she is only 5, I get to pace, I mean, run with her. I'm pretty sure we can make a sub-12 happen.

2. She's got a sweet outfit (Note: if it's warmer than expected, we have black knee highs)

I think the rest of the 5-7 age group better watch out.

2. Doodle is pretty much a soccer phenom.

At age four, she's been joining in on Dizzle's practices for the last two years. And it shows. She's got speed and agility and wicked footwork. We've had other parents suggest we have her moved up an age group. Um. No. I'd much rather have her dominate. Thank you very much.

At practice on Tuesday, Doodle was playing like normal, when suddenly, she was all out crying. Like inconsolable. She ran off the field. I hugged her and thinking she was hurt, I asked her what was wrong. She replied, "I ONLY scored two goals. And I wanted to score six."

Seriously, Doodle. Did you not realize that you were the only person who scored any goals? Hello, overachiever ...

3. Speaking of overachieving and domination, J had an off-site meeting yesterday followed by a bowling tournament. Yes, you read that right, a bowling tournament. Like the rest of us, J takes competition seriously. And of course, that focus paid off. His team won and they all walked away with the cutest trophy ever ...

a little healthy competition ...

My house is a hot bed for competition. Somehow, we have all morphed into these people who view everything in life as an opportunity to "win." The girls compete in a multitude of ways, including but not limited to, who can eat faster, who can get dressed faster, who can balance on one foot longer and who has the best singing voice.

J and I are not immune to these competitions. In recent months, our competitions have centered around our running. Who ran faster, further, longer. Dailymile has really upped our game.

And if it wasn't enough that we are constantly comparing our workouts, now we are having competitions about "who is fitter." For example, on Monday night, J decided to measure his resting heart rate. So, he put on his heart rate monitor, laid down and relaxed. A few minutes later, the monitor was reading 43.

I'm thinking, "What? 43? Last time I checked, mine was 41 (right before I upped my mileage from 25-40 miles per week). No way is his as low as mine."

So, like any sane individual who has a constant urge to win, I told J to hand over the heart rate monitor. I needed to check mine. I put it on and laid down. And do you know what it said?

31.

Heck yeah. Take that Lance Armstrong and your resting heart rate of 32.

Hey, no one said I was a gracious winner ...