Day Four

OK.  Thursday.  Always a challenge since I have DD to myself all day, and she's tired from a week of activity (which right now includes daily swim lessons), and I'm burnt out on kid play.  I decide that I am going to try running with my DD riding beside me on her Strider Bike.  I've scoped out a paved trail that goes from a park where we hang out a lot about a mile to another park we've never been to.  Wednesday was a scorcher, so I wanted to get out of the house for this adventure around 8 so we wouldn't get too hot.  Well, morning went the way most mornings do when we don't have an absolute deadline to be somewhere.  DD and I have a real problem getting out of the house without conflict - and this morning it took until 10 before we were in the car with all the necessary gear to try our first bike/jog. 
Can I just say, overall, that it was a huge success and very fun for both of us?!?!  I am sort of in shock.
Yes, the particular path we took is mostly downhill on the way to the park and uphill back, not great for our first time out.  The whole way there (1.2 miles) I basically had to chase DD as she went as fast as possible shouting WHEEE the whole time.  There were a few times when she rounded a corner out of my sight that were a bit heart pumping - which wasn't helpful given that I was already running at my heart's max pumping speed anyway.  We made it, though, and we got lots of happy looks and smiles and comments from people we passed on the way.
At the park DD played while I got my breath back (and cursed myself for not putting a sweat towel in the backpack I was making her schlep with a few necessities) then did some squats and lunges to make up for the fact that this was only going to be a 2.4 mile run.
It was a good thing I did those squats, the run turned out to be a 1.2 mile sprint there and a walk back while encouraging my daughter that, yes, she could in fact make it back to the car without me carrying her or the bike.
In all, though, I have to say it was a lot of fun and killed an entire morning outside with none of the typical 3YO struggles that have come to so define my days lately.  I'll take an easy workout in trade for a drama free day here and there!
Now...what to do tomorrow...