Thoughts on Running

I have been running.

Which is really kinda huge, for me. I wasn't brought up to participate in team sports (frowned upon by the 'rents) and neither of my parents did ANYTHING more athletic than the occaisional bike ride.

And I'm short. Almost 5' 2", with the build of... not a runner.

But I've worked at it, and several of my Momtourage out of my local Moms group made a pact - run the Chicago 'Shamrock Shuffle' in 2008 as a group, or die of shame and endless riducule forever after.

So I trained. All winter. I even got OddJob to train WITH me. And this was a big deal, as OddJob was AN ATHLETE from the word GO. Swim team, HS wrestling and football, and rugby. Heck, when I met him he was playing rugby on the National level for the U.S. Combined Services Team, the All Army Team, ETCETERA....

And I ran the Shuffle. I was the oldest Mom in the group to do it (and damn near the shortest... actually, I think I WAS the shortest) and I posted the second fastest time of the crowd. Woo to the HOO for me! (AND - I was 36 hours back from a vacation in Mexico, with a respiratory infection, and (sorry, TMI ahead) right smack dab in the middle of a raging period).

And I'm pretty sure I hadn't run a step SINCE, until about a month ago.

But the 'Shuffle pact' crowd resurrected to torture ourselves into doing a 5k last Sunday. Ouch. Minimal training, 90 degrees, high humidity... what's not to like? (gasp, retch, ack)

Somehow, this has shamed OddJob into maybe, FINALLY, getting back into shape again. Because he stopped playing rugby (yes, I ACTUALLY put a gun to his head) about the time #1A arrived. And has basically fallen into major disrepair since. The weight-gain, still-eating-like-an-athlete, recently diagnosed with freaking GOUT kind.

And he's made REAL promises to get up in the morning to go running (I DO NOT RUN in the AM. AT all. Ever.)

To the point where we had an ACTUAL conversation along the lines of:

OddJob: I really, SERIOUSLY considered going running this morning.
Me: (swilling wine) Erp?
OddJob: When my alarm went off this morning, I put REAL EFFORT into considering it.
Me: (attempting to wrestle clothing off of #1B for bath) uhhhh...hmmmm??
OddJob: Seriously - I actually TRIED to get out of bed.
Me: GET OFF THE BED!!! UNBUTTON YOUR PANTS BEFORE YOU TAKE THEM OFF!!!!!
OddJob: I think it's progress.. really, I'll be SO much closer to getting out of bed TOMRRORW and actually GO running...

Go OddJob!