Reflections

I thought living vicariously through my husband would keep me a fit and a happy runner. Oh, I've continued to run so as not to fall totally to the wayside, but for some reason, my plan hasn't worked.

I remember a long run in the summer - a 10-miler - where my knees started hurting again. That was around the same time that I started working full-time. We had recently moved, and with all the changes (and aching knees), I just stopped caring about how far I ran, how fast I ran, how often I ran. I had to readjust my priorities with less free time but the same busy family (and I mean busy).

I admit I haven't done a good job of finding time for running. Excuses abound, but Americans today have more leisure time than ever before. So there is really no good excuse for why I have not found time. Motivation is a different story.

Well, there's nothing like clothes fitting tighter. Nothing like that dreaded visit to a retail dressing room where the mirrors are set up in the cruelest way to show every part of your body that you normally (and thankfully) can't see. And those lights! To sell more, I would think stores would find lights that softened and enhanced rather than pointed out all the glaring evidence of too many cookies and too much stagnation.

Visits like that for me make me want to eat a bunch of fresh out-of-the-oven oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Exactly the wrong thing I should do, right? Right. I know it. We all know it. It's just that cookies are so darn good. And my favorites are oatmeal, so really, it's healthy. Uh-huh. Really.

No more watching David cut full minutes off his PRs. No more hearing his alarm at 5am each day while I curl back under the delicious covers. It's time to push away the Coca-Cola Classic. It's time to count the calories and up the miles. It's time to make use of that monstrosity of a gym I give money to each month. Who's with me? Bueller? Bueller?

Mirth

I ran yesterday, and I enjoyed it. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a run the way I remember enjoying them last fall and winter and even last spring. I enjoyed the actual running and not just the company (which was Sweet Elijah on his bike). I enjoyed the running and not just the trees, flowers, or other things that often catch my eye. I ran "fast" and enjoyed it. It felt good to push.

I have been contemplating quitting running. Try something new? Join a soccer team? Give in to being a Mommy who works full-time? Read over run? Invent a way for me to read and run at the same time?

I'm not sure if I'll train for any races. 3M is still a possibility, but I can't really commit since I'm still getting used to working full-time.

I also did Digital Cable Exercising Thursday morning at 5:30am. Not bad, not bad. DV was running, and I considered leaving the boys alone in the house while I ran up and down the street in front of the house. Good parenting won out though, so I had an early morning date with the TV for some total body sculpting. Maybe if I keep it up, I'll actually sculpt something.