Dead Last!

Last week proved to be a juggling week! It seems so easy once a routine is established to continue with a workout regime, if a run is too long to do it at lunch I go home eat dinner, do dishes, help with homework or play with the girls, get everyone ready for bed, read put them to bed and head out to run. Last week Lex, awoke feeling ill, so as we do we split the day I went in to work in the morning and Neil that afternoon, no lunch for either of us or should I say no “Lunch hour” no big deal I will run later. Later with a sick child turns into an elliptical run right next to her laying in my bed, we watched “The Biggest Loser” and I moved at a pretty good pace for 45 minutes, as we talked about what they were doing on the show. 7:02 the alarm sounds, I notice Lex is soundly sleeping, wow almost a full nights sleep I think back pretty sure we only got up once. I lay in bed wondering if I have any excuse in the world to use not to go? Nope I’m out of excuses, for the last month I have been trying to go meet with a running group. First and third week absolutely no parking at the trail heads the second time – I did not feel well and let it get the best of me. In bed I think to myself and try to physic myself up. I have gotten comfortable with my running, why not go with a group and see how my speed and distances compares to others, learn about their training schedules get some motivation? So I roll out of bed turn the alarm off hop in the shower- mostly to wake up but also to shave no worse feeling in the world than coarse leg hair rubbing or grabbing onto workout pants, it’s almost painful! I arrived to find a large group already mingling I talked to another new girl much younger than I who was anxious to do a much longer run. I head over and say good morning to the other mom that asked me to come to the running group almost a month ago and meet most everyone else, all super nice. As we stand in a circle everyone says their name and distance they want to run, our run as you recall was 5.5 miles on Saturday so there I am, Amy 5 to 5.5 this morning. The rest of the circle goes round most doing 4-5 miles some 3 and a couple 6-7 and two running 11-13 miles. Good so far my run distance is right in the middle, I’m not looking like an underachiever. As we start out I am with the group as the group gains stride they pull away a little at a time then I notice it is me and the super nice pregnant woman who forgot her belt so she’s taking it easy as I give it all I have? I continue on look at the scenery which is a nice treat to be on a new trail dirt road which is much easier to jog on. I find myself looking out enjoying looking at the trees or the individual houses, one had a considerable amount of junk I wondered when and how they had built up that much stuff – I’m a thrower, I’ll let it pile for a week or two then I go through and throw stuff out need it or not it’s going in the trash if I don’t readily see a home for it. I start to wonder where the two mile marker is when individuals start passing me headed back to the starting spot. They do not pass with the normal, jogger nod or hello but, I get kudu’s and cheers and “You’re doing fantastic!” Remarks that make me immediately think do I look that ridiculous? I push on even after the next group and the next group passes, one group offers for me to turn with them and run with them, which gives me hope that I am almost to that 2 mile mark I was looking for a few hundred feet before? I thank them barely able to speak, but decline – I want to get my 5 to 5.5 miles in and I think if I was at the rec center would 2 miles have been this hard? Heck no but it’s all flat? I push on and get back to focusing on my breathing and jog on enjoying the outing, I have to at this point all these people are telling me I’m fantastic! As I round another corner I see the dirt hill which is the two mile marker! I see a dog sitting on the driveway watching as I come up the dirt road he puts his head back down as I approach, probably thinking not anything to worry about, or is it because of my speed he decides he still has time to sleep? Whichever it is I will start to focus on speed after I get my mileage numbers up I decided to myself and I continue on. When it is finally approximately time to turn around I start back down hill much easier and find myself enjoying the scenery that much more. As I get back to the meeting destination everyone is inside already eating and I notice looking at their wrist watches going over each timed mile. I think for this conversation I’ll go get my fruit and the join in when the conversation is not about how long it took. Next week though I thought I have a shorter run I will not be dead last maybe second to last and that would give me a lot of confidence going into the following week. So look for the positives in your exercise, how it makes you feel after, or noticing nature or attractive people in the gym or the flaming idiot that thinks they are super cool at the gym, but really they are their cracking you (to yourself of course) whatever it takes to get you there even if your schedule is altered still do something for yourself!