Sense Perception

Yesterday was spent qualifying for the Virtual Never Say Die 5K/10K.

Forthcoming Medal

The phrase “Never Say Die” is from the 1985 Goonies movie and June 7^th is Goonies Day, in honor of the 30^th Anniversary of the 1985 Goonies movie.

Inasmuch as the virtual gives me the option of qualifying any time prior to end of race period and qualifying options are “run/walk/jog/bike or even treadmill”, the plan was to get it done yesterday and to reach for the 10K. No way can I walk 6+ miles, so I did a split – logged in 3.12 miles on the indoor bike, headed out the door intending to walk 3.12 miles.

I say “intended” because, due to the heat, I crashed at 1.63, just 1.49 miles short of reaching the 10K goal.

Soooo close, but no matter. I still get the 5K medal and, with cooler weather and a little more training, I’ll get the 10K next time.

My bling from the virtual Great Donut Run arrived in the mail yesterday.

Tee Shirt, Bib, Medal

This was the event I completed by walking four times around inside the Ontario Mills Mall on the 19^th, with a slow finish time of 1:25:36.

If I’m still this active next year – at age 74, I plan to participate in person at The Great Donut Run, rather than virtually, because I received Highlights from the race organizers and the event looked so fun that it will be worth the drive, hotel room and, with so many participants of varying abilities, my slow pace won’t be a factor.

Two highlights I read are very inspiring.

One was of a little 4-year old girl, with a prosthetic, who finished the kid’s 1K, started the 5K with her family and was supposed to jump in her stroller to rest for the upcoming kid’s donut dash race. Instead, she kept going and finished the 5K as well.

Then there was the guy for whom the Donut Run was his very first 5K. Competing at 70 years of age, he finished … on a walker.

I’m having second thought about attending tomorrow’s Memorial Day BBQ -- the event organized by a resident whose name I do not recognize, but who was described to me as “The woman who looks like a man”.

Back in 2012, shortly after I first moved into the complex and was becoming acquainted with the residents, I quickly learned that, when I could not place a name to a face, I was given a rather blunt description – usually something about the person’s physical appearance that later became obvious to me, like “The woman with the big butt” or “Pepe Le Pew” because the man always had a bad body odor.

In fact, I’d written a blog post back then about how folks described others in terms of surface sense perception – what residents saw with their eyes about the person or, in Pepe Le Pew’s case, what was smelled. Curious as what sense perception said about me, I’d asked a group of ladies to be honest with me, that my feelings wouldn’t be hurt, but tell me “How am I described?” Without hesitation, I got, “The walking lady with the dreadlocks”.

They’re Sisterlocks, not Dreadlocks, but I was happy to learn sense perceptions of me are in gentler terms than afforded others.

At any rate, though I’m curious to see if the resident hosting the event fits the description given, I’m just not all that interested in attending. However, I did say I’d supply potato salad, so I’ll make a run by the deli, pick up a tub and make a quick drop off in the Community Room.

Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of the woman hosting the event during the drop off, to see if sense perception is reality.