My relationship with running has been difficult.
-It started back in high school, due to peer pressure from my best friend. As I watched my friend puking on the side of the track after pushing herself too hard, I thought, this is not my thing. The relationship between she and I did not last, but I do still wear the running shorts that her parents bought me.
-About 5 or 6 years ago, I decided to start running. I had been taking the two Corgis on long spirited walks in the woods and thought the next progression was to pick up the tempo. I bought myself some new sneakers and a pair of black stretchy pants. I started my new routine on Monday. On Friday, I was in the emergency room with a Jones fracture. The pair of pants came in handy for fitting over the inflatable boot that I had to wear for the next 8 months. Yes, 8 long months with crutches, during Winter, working as a petsitter which involved walking dogs in the snow.
-About a year and a half after I broke my foot, my husband started running in the woods with me and the dogs and we decided to train for some trail races. Because we always do things without much planning, in January, we signed up for a marathon on some island in Michigan. Well, needless to say, other things got in the way and we were nowhere ready for the race in July. $100 down the drain.
-At 3 months pregnant, I ran in a trail half-marathon and actually ran the whole thing with a smile on my face. When I was pregnant, I had a mantra that I repeated to myself several times a day and especially when I was running. "Healthy, strong, smart, and happy." That is what I wanted - a healthy, strong, smart, and happy baby - preferably a girl. That is what I thought to myself while I was doing the half-marathon and it helped propel me along.
-In the Spring after my little babe was born, I started running to tire out a young dog that we were fostering, and to burn off my baby weight. After a winter of being constantly attached to the little babe, sitting for hours on the sofa while she nursed, it felt great to be active again. My husband and I ran hard all summer with the little babe in her jogging stroller and ran in two half-marathons last Fall (one with the little babe).
-Now, with the little babe 18 months old, I run for peace and quiet. We did not do much running this winter, due to the nasty and cold weather, so I am just getting back into the routine. The past two weeks I have gone out with the little babe in her stroller and she almost always falls asleep. After a chaotic morning routine and the little babe getting manic by 8:30am already, I can't wait to throw her in the stroller and run. The farther I run, the longer she sleeps. The need for peace and quiet - great motivation! After 3 years, I just bought myself a new pair of sneakers. My old ones treated me well, I wore them in my half-marathons and when I was pregnant, and I really loved how they fit. I'm hoping to make more running memories in the new pair.
Are you a runner or walker? What is your motivation?