Securian Winter Run

My first race back after Thomas was born was the Securian Winter Run.  James ran the half marathon and Pat, Dee and I ran the 10k. It's been a wildly mild winter and so perfect for me to be motivated to strap back on the running shoes. It was a fun day - so love that we have Pat and Dee in our lives. 

Running offers a great high (once you get into it a few miles) and at about mile 4.5 I found that wonderful moment where you feel joyful, great and inspired. When I get the runners high I immediately start writing letters to the kids in my head.  And this is what I thought about for the rest of the run: Running came to me at a perfect point in my life. Running taught me how to work through discomfort, how to deal with pain and frustration. Running is a great metaphor for life. 

Dee and I chatted about this after the race about how running can be so illuminating. In life at times we all feel winded, achy, exhausted. We watch people stride by us without even looking back. We face hills, driving winds, cold weather, hot weather and the limits of our own bodies. 

Yet, we have to find a way to work through it - and everyone does it differently.  I would say that Dee and I have similar coping techniques. Be gentle with yourself (no need to run until you get sick or hurt), challenge yourself (only you know where your limits really are), and sometimes you just need to hang on through the miserable parts because you know they don't last forever and then suddenly at mile 4 or 5 or 6 or 12 you come to the other side.  Without the struggle you'd never appreciate how great you feel, it gives you confidence to trust yourself, to give yourself time to be patient. You don't have to go fast, you don't have to win a prize, all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other at whatever pace it is that feels right for you. You may think you're racing someone else, but the truth is the best part of running isn't the start or the finish, it's the moment when you realize how great you really feel, how lucky you really are. For me what I learned in my running shoes has helped me face just about everything else.

I have to admit that I was sore for several days afterwards though. I never said it was easy...