I Run Because I Must

Since I ran my half marathons in the spring, I will grudgingly admit that I have been less than motivated to run. I have been lucky to make it out once a week during the past several months. And while my body is imploring me to run, to stretch, to work, to be outside, to breathe in fresh air, and to enjoy the early-morning Summer weather, I have been all too willing to ditch out of a run for a variety of valid reasons ("It's storming." "I went to bed too late." "Gunner kept me up all night." "My running partners are all out of town." "Spiff has to be at work early, and Gunner is still sleeping."), all under the assumption that I would try again tomorrow. Tomorrow would come, and I would be all too happy to stay in bed, or lounge around my house in my jammies, getting less and less in shape by the minute.

Well, and of last week, I have recommitted to running. My partner and I went out three whole times last week. Impressive, I know. I realize as I'm writing this, that one of the real reasons I haven't been as diligent in my running lately is because of the sacrifice involved. It is difficult sacrificing sleep, time, and comfort for some voluntary hard and painful work.

In fact, this morning's run was a huge sacrifice. I actually woke Gunner up to take him running with me, since Spiff had already gone to work, and I had to make it to the meeting place on time. I never realized before I had Gunner how emotionally difficult it is to wake a sleeping baby. Knowing that he'll probably be tired and grumpy at me all day because I chose to wake him up, makes it the very last thing that I ever want to do. He wasn't super happy about it, and although he was pleasant during most of the ride, he got very upset about a mile from home, causing me to push that stroller faster and get a more intense workout than I bargained for.

So, I find myself asking the question, "If it's so hard, and you have to sacrifice so much, and now you're making your son sacrifice along with you, why are you still doing it?"

I just have to remind myself that I know I love it. I have already started, and I don't want to ever have to start over from scratch, so I can't just quit. It is one of very few actual hobbies I have. I feel healthier when I do it, and it's good for me. I love being outside. I love the social time with my running friends or with Spiff, but I also love running alone with just my thoughts. I know that Gunner also enjoys being outside, so it's good for him, too, even if I have to wake him up occasionally. I also have a huge respect for runners and the sport in general, and I think that running makes me a better person. Even with all the sacrifice, it's a good thing, and I'm glad I still running.

On a side note, this week marks the 2-year anniversary of my running partnership with my awesome, dedicated running friend, Angela! Here's to two years of sweatin' in the elements, training for and running two half marathons, and running through most of our latest pregnancies, and meeting new running friends along the way!

On another side note, I stopped a stranger in the park today and got her phone number. We have seen this girl running in the park for the past two years. I have also seen her walking in my neighborhood, and we always smile when we pass each other. I recently decided that the next time I saw her, I was going to stop and meet her. Turns out that she lives a block or two away from me. She seems nice, and I got her number so that I could get in touch with her. I can't really decide what to do with it now that I have it, and I hope she doesn't feel weird that this stranger in the park has her phone number.