Ode to Running

One day, (Please be soon for the love of all that is holy!) I will love running again. But until that day:

I will not eat fried foods because I know that they make me nauseous when I exercise and the last thing that me and my lovely neighbors want is my vomit all over the sidewalks.

I will limit alcohol to no more than one glass of wine even on days when First Son refuses to do homework and Second Son spills an entire gallon of lemonade all over the kitchen floor and Daughter will not let me within ten feet of her with a hairbrush for the third day in a row and Husband is out of town and traffic literally did not move for fifteen minutes and. . . Where’s the corkscrew???

I will limit coffee to . . . oh, never mind, we all know I’m not going to do that.

I will keep all of my winter running gear clean so that I don’t have an excuse to not run on thirty degree days.

I will put on those clothes even when I don’t feel like it.

I will lace up my shoes even when I don’t feel like it.

I will stretch my shins, and drink my last sip of water, and start my ipod even when I’m scared.

I will open the door and step out onto the road because I know that once I start I won’t stop until I’m done.

I will take one step and then another and then another and then another and on and on until I have put in the miles that I promised myself I would.

I will do this because with each step I take my muscles get stronger and the lazy person inside of me gives up a little more and I paid ninety-five bucks for that half-marathon in March and I am not paying all that money and not finishing! Do you hear me weak body?!

I will make myself do this every day until the day (Tomorrow would be GREAT!) when I want to do it and will feel blessed to do it and will do without fear and loathing.

That’s why it’s a challenge and that’s what makes it worth it . . . also . . . being able to button my pants . . . that makes it worth it too.