Declaration of Rundependence

Lisa

Stay-at-home-momming is my current profession. I've been a teacher, a lifeguard, a swim coach, a hockey coach, and for a short stint, a concession girl at a roller hockey rink, where as the only female employee, I was in charge of cleaning the bathrooms and doing anything the guys did not want to do. No matter how many "lunch boxes" I cleaned out in the bathrooms, or how many head-sized hairballs I fished out of the deep end of the pool, nothing could prepare me for motherhood's toll.

By the end of a day at home I am usually at my breaking point with being touched, talked to, and generally needed by others. If I have spent the whole day actually at home (which is rare), I am usually just a few steps from the proverbial edge by the time my dear husband steps through the door. Thankfully I have found a cure to this. A way to take the edge off without taking anyone's head off.

I run.

Not figuratively away from my family the minute Tim walks in, but literally. Although admittedly, sometimes it's the minute he walks in. I usually try to warn him if this is going to be the case, so he can prepare for the onslaught of crazy before he comes home.

I run.

Sometimes I run fast. Last night when I finally got a chance to get outside by myself for 30 minutes I ran faster than I have ever run (outside of one race). I got that elusive "Runner's High" and felt like I could just keep going forever. Unfortunately, I had to return in time for bedtime and give my husband a chance to hit the pavement, too (and then he went out and beat my time... but he skinned his knees doing it). It felt good, though, that run. Doing 3.36 miles with a sub-9 pace made me feel reborn.

Today, I woke up not wanting to lace up my shoes and go out, but I did it anyway. Being accountable to this network of Moms/Runners made me get moving, and I eked out 4 ugly miles. But I remember the beautiful run from last night, and I keep on going. Even when the kids are fighting, my head is not in the game, and I want to curl up on the couch instead.

I run.

I am officially rundependent. It never fails to make me feel better. Whether it's fast and furious, or slow and sluggish.

I run.