And She Runs… Sort of

Don’t we look cute? We are all bundled up, ok, I am bundled up to head out for our run. Ok, it’s not actually all running but we are headed out into the wild to walk and run a bit. Doesn’t Bridger look excited? He’s been so good to me. No matter what the weather or how tired he is, he always gets out on the road with me.

And today was no exception. For the last several years here in The Coos, our traditionally mild weather has been even more mild. Lots of sunny days. Never super warm mind you but sunny nonetheless, even in winter. Well the winter this year, the winter that I decide to train for a 1/2 marathon, is one of the rainiest and windiest we have had in 4 years. I gotta admit, even in good weather, getting out on the road is something I have to convince myself to do. Once I am out I am great but changing into those running clothes and stepping outside often times is a long drawn out process of me talking to myself into it. So you can imagine what it’s like when you know you have to get out the door and it’s raining sideways.

This is what it looked like outside my door today… Beautiful? Yes. But rather not inspiring for a run. I am finding that I need to keep reminding myself of the end result. I really do enjoy the running part. It’s the getting out the door part that’s hard.

Two of my favorite things about running are that on those days when my emotions are running amok and I get out there and begin to run and begin to breathe heavy and begin to sweat all of the sudden the emotions begin to abate. Whatever I was struggling with doesn’t seem to be so much of a struggle anymore. Physical exhaustion creates emotional stability for me, its my healthy drug. My other favorite part is the sense of accomplishment and pride I feel when I am done. I set out. I conquered. I am finished. No one can take that away from me. No matter what happens for the rest of the day I can say that I finished one thing that I started and it makes me feel good about myself.

Ok, so the truth is that there is still not all that much running going on. I am using an app called 5k Runmeter. It’s kind of like the couch to 5k app except this one will take you all the way through a marathon, which is my ultimate goal. I like it because it tells you when to walk and when to run. That way I am assured that I am not overdoing it or under doing it. I had been walking three miles most days for several months before I began the app so I was used to getting some form of exercise. The runs started out at 1 minute intervals with walking in between. I am on week seven now and my longest straight run was a few days ago at 18 minutes. I had another 3 minute run mixed in there as well. I have kept the overall distance at 3 miles on each trip out. This just means that my cool down walk is longer but mentally I like the 3 mile distance and I have several mapped out courses that I can go on to change things up a bit.

We finished! Bridger makes it fun because he’s 10 and likes to see how many puddles he can jump in along the way. I find it funny when he miscalculates just how deep the puddle is going to be and and ends up almost knee deep in water. He’s a much faster runner than me at this point but after a little coaxing has conceded to run at my pace so that we can do it together. He has also been kind enough to wait until I am well out of the way before he makes too big of a splash in those puddles.

The progress is slow, but there is progress. Seeing as we are coming up on my one year anniversary of discovering my cancer mass,  I am ever so grateful just to be able to lace up my shoes and get out the door.

I used to read an article in Runners World Magazine from a writer by the name of John Bingham. He is famous for the quote… “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” I love it because no matter how far or how fast I go, I can feel good about the fact every step I take is is one step further away from sickness and a one step closer to health.

Have a great day, All!

ps. After I wrote this Bridge and I headed out for another run. It was very rainy. So rainy that an elderly lady pulled over on the side of the road and asked me if we needed a ride. I guess we looked like we were in distress or she thought I was a child abuser by making my son run in the rain. I am glad she didn’t see us at the end of the bridge as Bridger was in tears by that point because he was so wet and cold… I’m thinkin he’s gonna bundle up next time.