I cherish my runner friends!! I love the camaraderie and I view it as the best part of running, but it wasn't always that way. I have always loved to run, especially early in the morning and up until a few years ago I usually ran alone. I ran my first marathon in 2006 by myself and it never occured to me that it should be any other way. I rode the bus to the starting line alone and crossed the finish line alone and I never had a second thought about it. When we moved to Las Cruces, NM in 2007, I met an awesome fellow runner. She introduced me to a small runner group and I slowly learned to love group runs. I really enjoyed the long talks. I have never been the type to have long conversations on the phone or hang out with girlfriends talking about every detail of life. I have to admit, though, running encouraged me to open up. After a few years, we moved from New Mexico to Maryland and I never really found a group that ran at the same times I was available, though, I didn't try very hard. I ran the Richmond, VA marathon shortly after moving there and I was missing my runner friends. Even though my family was waiting for me at the finish line, I missed friends to talk with along the way. Later that year, I ran a half marathon in DC by myself and that was the end of running alone for me! It really hit home that day just how much I love having a friend to run with....
Now, in AZ, I have resumed my life-long-love of running. I haven't joined a running group, but I found a great runner friend; a neighbor with the same love of running and impossible mother-issues. We live for the last minute "want to run in the morning?" texts and can talk about the local school issues. We aren't setting any records, but that's what I love about it!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Will I Ever Make it to Boston?!?!
It looks unlikely....especially as I sit her sipping a Corona and watching the Arizona sunset. 5 years ago - a lifetime ago - I was convinced I would make it there. Do I even want to go to Boston, anymore? I used to think about actually running the race and what it would be like. Now, all I think about is having to pack & deal with airports and hotels. I still love running, but I am content with my runs right here! We have spent the past 10 years moving around and staying busy; we were always in limbo looking forward to the next stage in life. With this past move to AZ, we made a 10 year commitment. We are settled and "nesting." My husband and I both feel like we are in retirement. Mid-30's and retired - mentally at least!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
My First Marathon - "just one more thing".....
I ran the Tucson Marathon in December of 2006 - my first marathon. My husband wanted to start running with me and we planned on running the marathon together. He was working out at work with his co-workers and I found a running program that I liked and began in August. At the time, I was substitute teaching at my daughters Christian School and I was enrolled to begin a masters degree program. That summer we began construction on a home that would take about 6 months to complete. We, also, brought home a German Shorthair Pointer puppy that summer; he was and still is a huge part of our family. A perfectly energetic dog for our energetic family. We were the typically busy family...
I did great in September and then came the big news: my husband was volunteering to go to Iraq. It was something he really wanted to do and felt passionate about. He was very affected by 9/11 and when the opportunity came up for him to use his skills to help with border issues, he jumped at the opportunity. I was happy for him; it was his dream. I decided to hold off on the masters program - there was just too much going on at once. I continued my running regimen, but it was a lot more difficult to fit in the runs. It was hard to do a long run and be exhausted for the rest of the day. October was a whirl-wind while my husband got ready to go and went to various training courses and briefings. There were so many things to fit in before he left. Everything went pretty well until November when my son fell from the monkey bars at school and broke his arm. We had appointments with surgeons and he missed a lot of school. I was hardly running at all. I didn't think I was going to be able to do the marathon.
I decided to do the race at the last minute. I figured I would just try it. After all - I already paid. My husband didn't want me to do it, because he wanted us to do our first marathon together, but honestly I felt like there would always be something; some reason would always hold me back. A good friend of mine was shocked when I told her and said "it's just one more thing." I guess it was. I did terrible. The first 20 miles weren't bad, but those last 6 were brutal....
I did great in September and then came the big news: my husband was volunteering to go to Iraq. It was something he really wanted to do and felt passionate about. He was very affected by 9/11 and when the opportunity came up for him to use his skills to help with border issues, he jumped at the opportunity. I was happy for him; it was his dream. I decided to hold off on the masters program - there was just too much going on at once. I continued my running regimen, but it was a lot more difficult to fit in the runs. It was hard to do a long run and be exhausted for the rest of the day. October was a whirl-wind while my husband got ready to go and went to various training courses and briefings. There were so many things to fit in before he left. Everything went pretty well until November when my son fell from the monkey bars at school and broke his arm. We had appointments with surgeons and he missed a lot of school. I was hardly running at all. I didn't think I was going to be able to do the marathon.
I decided to do the race at the last minute. I figured I would just try it. After all - I already paid. My husband didn't want me to do it, because he wanted us to do our first marathon together, but honestly I felt like there would always be something; some reason would always hold me back. A good friend of mine was shocked when I told her and said "it's just one more thing." I guess it was. I did terrible. The first 20 miles weren't bad, but those last 6 were brutal....
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Is Running Self-Indulgent?
While most of my friends spent their college years partying and traveling with friends while being supported by their parents, I was working and barely making it. I worked at a restaurant at night and then headed to a neighborhood coffee shop before the sun even came up to get the place set up and ready to go before heading to my classes at the U of A. I literally, had no money all the time. I rented out a small guest house near the college and split the bills with the students in the main house. The place was so small you had to duck down to walk into the tiny bedroom. I wasn't a big partier - I didn't have the money for it. I was very independent and hard-working. I did pretty well in college, my grades frequently landing me on the Dean's List. I loved dragging my brother to the list printed on the wall in the hallway of the building for the Eller Business College and pointing to my name just to brag. He was never impressed.
So, getting married young seemed to come naturally - two people walking side-by-side supporting each other to meet their lifelong goals. It has been almost 15 years now since I met my husband at the restaurant I was working at. A love story (in a twisted way): a cook and a waitress flirting across the plates of pasta, salads and desserts. I thought accounting would be a great idea as a career; I could work from home or just during tax season while chasing my adorable bundles of joy around the house. I always thought I would be a career woman - a working mother. It didn't work out that way.
I was working at my first job, post college, in a CPA firm and trying to juggle the babysitter and work. I hated leaving him at the daycare and I knew that he wasn't getting the care he needed or deserved, so when I was pregnant with my second child I quit working. After baby number two, I decided to start a bookkeeping business out of my home. It was much harder than I had expected. I quickly picked up clients, but found out soon enough that most small-business people are highly unorganized and just don't seem to worry about their finances. After spending months trying to get my clients in a routine, I started to give up. I had a hard time getting just the absolute bare minimum from every one of them. When it came to pay the bill, I often heard grumbling and I understood why - none of them had any money. I would lower my bill until my hourly rate was falling well below minimum wage. One friday night after I got the kids to bed and I started working on a clients account, my college friends called on a party line to see what I was doing. They were horrified that I was working. I will never forget that moment - the moment I realized that I was working my life away.
Giving up my original dream of being a successful career woman, which was my goal for almost a decade, was the best decision of my life. My children have a great life. I love being a mom. I have been told many times that I have well-behaved, well-rounded children and I agree.
My goal for the next decade: parent extraordinaire. While I was giving up my career goals, my husband was surpassing his goals hand over fist. I loved seeing him succeed so completely at everything he attempted. He joined the Border Patrol and quickly started climbing the ladder. This decade could be defined as a time of constant change. It was amazing to see the opportunities he was privileged to, because of his hard work. I have to admit, it was pretty fun at times being his "support staff." He has become a master at repelling, swift water rescue, motorcycles, air operations, etc. By becoming an EMT, he has been part of many rescues and has had a few debuts on t.v., including a major part in a National Geographic movie about illegal immigration. He has flown all over the U.S. and all over the world. Over the years we lived in AZ, NM, and MD. It has been a whirl-wind of activity and I tried at every opportunity to get the absolute most out of it for our kids and for myself. We made sure that we went into each adventure with a positive attitude and a heart of gratitude that we were given these opportunities.
Enter running...my long-time self-indulgence. After my son was born, I was shocked by the loss of my independence. I had a child attached to me 24 hours a day and it was so hard to go anywhere. I started craving the outdoors. I would put him in a carrier attached to my chest and go for long walks. He loved it almost as much as I did. That quickly developed into a longing to get out there by myself where no-one could talk to me. I would be by myself and unreachable. I started going for short runs at every opportunity. My sister-in-law would stop by after work to say hello and I would be waiting, dressed in running cloths, or I would sneak out at the break of dawn before anyone was awake. After the birth of my daughter, my husband was tired of my running. It started frequent fights. He was working almost around the clock and was exhausted when he was home and was feeling over-whelmed. He started to complain that I was taking too long and suggested I run faster for a better workout instead of the long distances. This was the draw back of this decade of my life. If we were going to have any family time, then we had to make the most of the small amount of time he was home. The world revolved around him and his exhaustion. So, I hired my son's preschool teacher to come by each day on her way home from work to watch the kids for an hour while I ran. Of course, she often couldn't make it or something else stood in the way of my need for solitude, but it was the best I had. Over the years, I have found one way or another to run, but almost always I get some kind of snear. It seems that most people view my life-line as a point of selfishness or self-indulgence that inconveniences them in some way. I know there are fellow runners out there that understand. I have found it essential to my mental well-being. It has been a source of comaraderie for me each time we have moved; there is always someone in a group of people to talk with about running. Most importantly, though, it is the only time I have that is not focused on someone else.
So, getting married young seemed to come naturally - two people walking side-by-side supporting each other to meet their lifelong goals. It has been almost 15 years now since I met my husband at the restaurant I was working at. A love story (in a twisted way): a cook and a waitress flirting across the plates of pasta, salads and desserts. I thought accounting would be a great idea as a career; I could work from home or just during tax season while chasing my adorable bundles of joy around the house. I always thought I would be a career woman - a working mother. It didn't work out that way.
I was working at my first job, post college, in a CPA firm and trying to juggle the babysitter and work. I hated leaving him at the daycare and I knew that he wasn't getting the care he needed or deserved, so when I was pregnant with my second child I quit working. After baby number two, I decided to start a bookkeeping business out of my home. It was much harder than I had expected. I quickly picked up clients, but found out soon enough that most small-business people are highly unorganized and just don't seem to worry about their finances. After spending months trying to get my clients in a routine, I started to give up. I had a hard time getting just the absolute bare minimum from every one of them. When it came to pay the bill, I often heard grumbling and I understood why - none of them had any money. I would lower my bill until my hourly rate was falling well below minimum wage. One friday night after I got the kids to bed and I started working on a clients account, my college friends called on a party line to see what I was doing. They were horrified that I was working. I will never forget that moment - the moment I realized that I was working my life away.
Giving up my original dream of being a successful career woman, which was my goal for almost a decade, was the best decision of my life. My children have a great life. I love being a mom. I have been told many times that I have well-behaved, well-rounded children and I agree.
My goal for the next decade: parent extraordinaire. While I was giving up my career goals, my husband was surpassing his goals hand over fist. I loved seeing him succeed so completely at everything he attempted. He joined the Border Patrol and quickly started climbing the ladder. This decade could be defined as a time of constant change. It was amazing to see the opportunities he was privileged to, because of his hard work. I have to admit, it was pretty fun at times being his "support staff." He has become a master at repelling, swift water rescue, motorcycles, air operations, etc. By becoming an EMT, he has been part of many rescues and has had a few debuts on t.v., including a major part in a National Geographic movie about illegal immigration. He has flown all over the U.S. and all over the world. Over the years we lived in AZ, NM, and MD. It has been a whirl-wind of activity and I tried at every opportunity to get the absolute most out of it for our kids and for myself. We made sure that we went into each adventure with a positive attitude and a heart of gratitude that we were given these opportunities.
Enter running...my long-time self-indulgence. After my son was born, I was shocked by the loss of my independence. I had a child attached to me 24 hours a day and it was so hard to go anywhere. I started craving the outdoors. I would put him in a carrier attached to my chest and go for long walks. He loved it almost as much as I did. That quickly developed into a longing to get out there by myself where no-one could talk to me. I would be by myself and unreachable. I started going for short runs at every opportunity. My sister-in-law would stop by after work to say hello and I would be waiting, dressed in running cloths, or I would sneak out at the break of dawn before anyone was awake. After the birth of my daughter, my husband was tired of my running. It started frequent fights. He was working almost around the clock and was exhausted when he was home and was feeling over-whelmed. He started to complain that I was taking too long and suggested I run faster for a better workout instead of the long distances. This was the draw back of this decade of my life. If we were going to have any family time, then we had to make the most of the small amount of time he was home. The world revolved around him and his exhaustion. So, I hired my son's preschool teacher to come by each day on her way home from work to watch the kids for an hour while I ran. Of course, she often couldn't make it or something else stood in the way of my need for solitude, but it was the best I had. Over the years, I have found one way or another to run, but almost always I get some kind of snear. It seems that most people view my life-line as a point of selfishness or self-indulgence that inconveniences them in some way. I know there are fellow runners out there that understand. I have found it essential to my mental well-being. It has been a source of comaraderie for me each time we have moved; there is always someone in a group of people to talk with about running. Most importantly, though, it is the only time I have that is not focused on someone else.
Motherhood Led Me to Running
I have always been a runner, but after having children I developed a love for running. In high school, I spent many mornings jogging through Oak trees on dirt trails that surrounded my childhood home in "historical Oracle." I was never particularly dedicated, I just enjoyed it. While my brothers were winning awards and setting records, I jogged leisurely through my high school years.
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