Musings on Running

Every so often I post about exercise in some capacity. It’s been awhile, so here’s some random bits of exercise updates-pretty boring read, but I like looking back on posts like this.

I have a Bob double jogging stroller with an infant carseat adapter so I can run with Cade and Zane. I got in a semi habit of run/walking every week, did a 5k in October before Halloween, and then kinda stopped. My running partner is unfortunately suffering from bum stroller wheels and it’s chronic, so instead she’s been baking delicous goodies and my motivation to exercise disappeared. Well, it didn’t completely disappear, I just kept putting things off until the next day.

Brian and I were discussing both of us WANTING to run, but somehow lacking the motivation to actually do so. It’s an annoying thing, to miss doing something and yet every time you might have the chance to do it you don’t feel like it. It’s a hard cycle to break out of, and with him in flight school and me juggling Cade and Zane, it hasn’t been too difficult to find reasons why we CAN’T run at the moment. Two nights ago I suggested a night run for something different. With the weather change, and the decreasing daylight, I’ve been feeling the first friendly tingles of the gloominess I attribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (the aptly monikerd “SAD”).  Exercise is one of my go to’s for pushing through the glumness.

Two nights ago we ran starting at 5pm (already dark, booo). I had the kids in the stroller, wrapped a PT belt around Zane’s carseat and flicked on my headlamp for visibilty, and off we went! I ran 2.63 miles, and I ran all except maybe 50 ft where Cade threw his sippy cup, I retrieved it and walked to the turnaround before jogging again. Tonight, since last night went so well, I started the jog earlier-around 4 something-and was able to finish before night fell. I ran 2.98miles (I know, but Cade was crying so I stopped and got him out. Stupid 0.02tenths) in 35 minutes. I ran the whole thing, even jogged to snatch up the sippy cup after its invariable ejection. That makes it a 12ish minute pace while pushing a double stroller-not bad.

I hate the physical act of running, you know. I mean, I love the after affects, I even have had a few runs where I’m like “Yeah, I am MOVING! Look at how awesome I am!” and I’ve always liked having a goal that is easily measured -running is perfect for goals. But if I had my druthers I’d rather get a good workout tumbling, or dancing, or doing something interesting. Trail running is a thousand times better than pavement simply because you really have to pay attention to where you put your feet. And I personally prefer being in the woods to in a subdivison…BUT, alas, I am a stroller mom now, no crazy trails for me. The pounding tedium of pavement and the up down up down of legs moving one step then another is just….boring. It gets old fast. Very fast. Way faster than I’m able to run.

But I like being a “runner”. And as I mentioned above, there are moments where everything clicks and you feel great while running, like you’re unstoppable, like your body is a perfectly designed machine. And I like the health benefits, I love how it helps my mood-and I’m not talking about just the endorphin rush afterwards, it really helps balance me out all day if I can keep exercise in my daily routine. Being fit is important to me, and right now running stinky pavement miles is the best way to do it.

I will say I think I’m doing pretty well running by myself. If I keep my brain occupied with improbable scenarios or fleshing out random thoughts, I can actually forget I’m running for a minute or two at a time. Aaaannd then Cade yells and I go back to breathlessly pointing out birds and woofing at dogs, haha. Oh well. I hope I can keep it up. 🙂