Friday, July 29, 2011

Day 3 (7/29): 1.5 miles / 16 minutes

Today’s adventure started at 4:40 a.m.  This was most definitely not by choice.  I believe this warrants a serious chat with my 18 month old son.

Unfortunately for my husband, this meant his day also got off to a much earlier start than he’d anticipated.  Thank goodness he supports this marathon thing!  Getting up 20 minutes earlier today meant I was able to get my run in this morning while it was only 80 degrees instead of waiting until this evening when it would have been in the 90s.  And, while it still took me a few minutes to get motivated enough to lace up those running shoes of mine, I was really glad I did it.

I’ve heard the saying a million times: you learn something new every day.  Well, today I learned that a large portion of our neighborhood waters their lawn at 5:00 a.m.  Mental note to self: check out these lawns during daylight hours to determine if this is something we should be doing.  I have no problem admitting that we’re one of those couples always trying to keep up with the Joneses... not necessarily when it comes to worldly possessions, but my husband sure does appreciate a nice lawn.

I start my mile and a half run at a pretty good pace and, not pushing the stroller, I’m feeling far less weighed down.  And I’m loving the lack of traffic through the neighborhood… there’s no one outside to watch me struggle through my newfound pastime.  About half way through, I find myself feeling overwhelmed and, of course, tired.  I refuse to slow my pace, but I can feel every muscle in my body telling me I’ve completely lost my mind.  My brain is only half functioning at this ungodly hour and I am seriously lacking enthusiasm.  Since my mind isn’t interested in a motivational pep talk at the moment, I decide to try not thinking negative thoughts and instead focus on all that I have in my life to be positive about.  Today is my seven year anniversary with my husband.  We have an amazing son that finds new ways to entertain us daily.  We have steady jobs and, more importantly, our health.  I consider just how far I’ve come in the last seven years of marriage and the past thirty years of life.  I realize how much I have to be thankful for and, before I know it, I’m only two tenths of a mile from home.  I’m amazed at how much distance I was able to cover while contemplating all of the positive things in my life.  It was an excellent reminder that not everything in life is easy, but staying focused on the good in your life makes the difficult times much easier to get through.  Life can’t always be perfect, but surely there is always something to be thankful for, something uplifting in your life to help get you through. 

I pick up my pace for the last leg of my run and immediately regret it.  Second note to self: you’re still not in shape… don’t pretend otherwise.  Nonetheless, I make it back home in 16 minutes… just in time to start getting ready for work.  My husband doesn’t look too happy to see me, but I’m guessing that has more to do with the fact that he’s not much of a morning person.  No doubt he’s already thinking about going back to bed when I leave.  Nonetheless, I give him a kiss before heading upstairs to get ready and wish him a happy anniversary.  He does not yet notice the Snickers I left on the counter for him, but he’ll get to that when he really wakes up.  For now, I simply smile and appreciate all of the quirks that make my husband who he is and remember all of the reasons I love him.  A morning person he may not be, but I definitely appreciate everything he is.

Now it’s time for that serious chat with my son about his recent sleeping habits… what do you mean he’s back in bed?  How convenient…

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