05-04-2015, 04:07 PM
He was starting to regret the perfection conversation.
Not because of anything in particular, just because he realized halfway through a weekly run that he was lazy. Jenn could outrun him, hands down. She was a pretty agile little human projectile, someone who sprinted like she was waiting to launch herself into the air with a pole and land gracefully. Ah, yes, and she could land gracefully, but there was something to be said about endurance. There was something to be said about being able to keep going, to regulate your breathing- in through your nose, out through your mouth, focused. Having something that was there. Jenn was faster than he was, but he could last longer than she did.
She waited for him to catch up, taking her time to catch her breath.
"You're slow," she told him.
"You burn out," he retorted with a grin painted across her face.
"You gonna be happy with just being- you know-" she spun her hands around in a little circle.
"Happy wiiiiiiiith?"
"What's a word for being able to stand a lot of crap?"
"Endurant? Being endowed with perseverance? Having fortitude? Tenacious?"
"Any of those work," Jenn clarified, "but you're gonna plateau. Push harder."
"Ugh, c'mon Jenn, I just hit the point that I can kind of keep up with you."
"And I'm an out-of-shape former pole vaulter who spends most of her time trying to expand on her visual art portfolio. That is not an accomplishment."
Elijah laughed, taking a second to stretch before they would, inevitably end up going again. "Geez, Coach Laurent, why you gotta ride my ass like that?"
"Riding your ass is how we build champions. Neglecting something in favor of focusing on something else doesn't end well. You're a full person, not parts of one. You're really smart, but you're also, like, stupid lazy because everything's come easy for you."
"Shit just got real."
"Hey," she said with a little laugh, "you wanna understand the mysteries of the universe and insist that barriers are bullshit, then I'm going to push you until you get past them."
"Same thing applies to you, ya know," he chided, none of it was whole hearted.
Elijah stood up, taking the time to look at how far they'd come in the park. Past trees and running out of trail to run on, he wondered if they should turn around or blaze a path by themselves. Make something new and damn the consequences. There were trees, there was dirt, and it was the type of trail that was week worn and beaten. He didn't much care for something so obviously.
"If you're gonna rely on your speed, what's gonna happen when you run out of energy?"
"Point," she told him, taking a second to make sure her shoes were tied well and properly. Jenn grinned at him, "try and keep up this time?"
"Don't wuss out on me at the one mile mark like last time and I'll keep up," he replied.
Jenn's only response was to halfheartedly shove Elijah and keep on running. it had become a routine for them, and frankly? It was one he was pretty sure he could get used to.
Not because of anything in particular, just because he realized halfway through a weekly run that he was lazy. Jenn could outrun him, hands down. She was a pretty agile little human projectile, someone who sprinted like she was waiting to launch herself into the air with a pole and land gracefully. Ah, yes, and she could land gracefully, but there was something to be said about endurance. There was something to be said about being able to keep going, to regulate your breathing- in through your nose, out through your mouth, focused. Having something that was there. Jenn was faster than he was, but he could last longer than she did.
She waited for him to catch up, taking her time to catch her breath.
"You're slow," she told him.
"You burn out," he retorted with a grin painted across her face.
"You gonna be happy with just being- you know-" she spun her hands around in a little circle.
"Happy wiiiiiiiith?"
"What's a word for being able to stand a lot of crap?"
"Endurant? Being endowed with perseverance? Having fortitude? Tenacious?"
"Any of those work," Jenn clarified, "but you're gonna plateau. Push harder."
"Ugh, c'mon Jenn, I just hit the point that I can kind of keep up with you."
"And I'm an out-of-shape former pole vaulter who spends most of her time trying to expand on her visual art portfolio. That is not an accomplishment."
Elijah laughed, taking a second to stretch before they would, inevitably end up going again. "Geez, Coach Laurent, why you gotta ride my ass like that?"
"Riding your ass is how we build champions. Neglecting something in favor of focusing on something else doesn't end well. You're a full person, not parts of one. You're really smart, but you're also, like, stupid lazy because everything's come easy for you."
"Shit just got real."
"Hey," she said with a little laugh, "you wanna understand the mysteries of the universe and insist that barriers are bullshit, then I'm going to push you until you get past them."
"Same thing applies to you, ya know," he chided, none of it was whole hearted.
Elijah stood up, taking the time to look at how far they'd come in the park. Past trees and running out of trail to run on, he wondered if they should turn around or blaze a path by themselves. Make something new and damn the consequences. There were trees, there was dirt, and it was the type of trail that was week worn and beaten. He didn't much care for something so obviously.
"If you're gonna rely on your speed, what's gonna happen when you run out of energy?"
"Point," she told him, taking a second to make sure her shoes were tied well and properly. Jenn grinned at him, "try and keep up this time?"
"Don't wuss out on me at the one mile mark like last time and I'll keep up," he replied.
Jenn's only response was to halfheartedly shove Elijah and keep on running. it had become a routine for them, and frankly? It was one he was pretty sure he could get used to.