It Keeps You Runnin'

 It's confession time: I haven't gone running in almost two weeks.

Life happens. Relatives visit, the end of school ushers in the beginning of summer, the two-year-old refuses to sleep between 2 and 4 a.m., lice, all of these issues can put a damper on anyone's training schedule, right?

If I were one of the super-moms in the book I'm reading, "Run Like a Mother," I would be running early in the morning or pushing my toddler in the stroller while my older daughter rides her bike--or whatever it is that fit moms do to log miles and stay in shape.

I haven't graduated from Mommy Fit Club yet, but judging by my run yesterday, I still might get the chance. I began early in the morning by walking. It's not my best time of day for anything. I convinced myself that walking at my favorite running spot is better than moping around at home, not running at all. Two weeks may not seem like a long period of time, but even a few inactive days can take the physical progress you've gained back to zero.

The walking warmed me up and got me loose. Tying my windbreaker around my waist, I broke into a slow jog. I probably spent a mile and-a-half struggling: my breathing was uneven, my shirt kept riding up and my windbreaker falling down. It was just messy.

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point my breathing found an even rhythm. I barely noticed my clothing. I started to feel good. On the paved path someone had marked the miles in chalk. As I passed a marker, I thought, "That was okay. I could probably run another," continuing on to the next chalk line. As I passed the lamp post where I started out, I thought, "I'll just go to the next line," and I ran on, breathing, pumping my arms, fueled by Black Eyed Peas' "Pump It." I recognized oncoming runners, from the intense guy with the 'Portland Marathon' shirt to the older woman with the "Danskin Triathlon" shirt. In "Run Like a Mother," the authors mention the race shirt as a means of motivation for finishing a race, and I really did want mine at that point.

Following those chalk-marked miles, I made it around Green Lake twice. Twice! Granted, I did walk the first ten minutes, but I completed more than five miles, which is what I'll need to do for the race I'm entered in at the end of the month. I was elated. Even with a bad start and a chubby-schlubby attitude, I could turn it around.

My body is a bit creaky today, but otherwise, I feel good. I feel like doing it again.

Watch out, Torchlight! Here I come!