Go Mommy! Go Daddy!

(to the tune of Goodnight Moon, or Bonsoir Lune as it's told in our house)

In a big gray city, there is a small urbansuburban house. With running shoes, ipods, band-aids, energy bars, long pants, short pants, long sleeves, tank tops, google maps, alarm clocks blaring beeeep. 

Good night shoes

Good night updating ipod playlists

Good night band-aids and blood blisters and limps

Good night energy bars

Good night running clothes

Good night searching Google Maps for that hill-less 4.5 mile run

Good night alarm clocks blaring beeeep at 530am on a weekday

Good night never sleeping past 6 even on the weekend

Good night no one

Good night runners of the'Burgh

*****

Back in May, my advisor turned 60. An avid runner and middle-distance senior Olympian, she asked her lab members to run a 5k to celebrate her 6th decade. I obliged, how hard could it be?

Hard.

Very hard.

I dragged my legs and ran-walked the 3.1 mile distance, completely out done by my labmates and advisor. I joked that I might as well have had a martini in one hand a cigarette in the other, that was how unprepared I was to run.

nearing the end. very tired.

Following this experience, I observed friends run marathons for the first time, and realized that I was essentially getting no physical activity, I decided to take up a new athletic venture.

I have always hated running. I'd get inspired, leave the house, go a few blocks, get out of breath, declare that it sucks, turn around and come home. Why would I take up running now, at the old age of 30, when there are so many more fun, Amanda-esque workouts available? (Zumba, Im lookin' at you!)

Well, here's the other thing- having a baby is this amazing physical activity.  And it doesn't end with birth. Your awesome body continues to amaze with its physical prowess. Despite the 8" incision in your lower abdomen, despite the stretch marks and stretched out muscles, your body finds a way to work all day, make dinner, wake up 3 times a night and keep that baby alive. You and you alone gestate, birth, and feed that baby.

So how does this relate to running? It boils down to, I realized that my body could take it, and I needed another challenge.  How do I tell this body that birthed this amazing baby (now kid!) eh- running is too hard for you...No way! F that! We were gonna run!
We got a jogging stroller, new running shoes, downloaded some couch-to-5k apps and we were off! First day: run for 1 minute, walk for 7. Repeat x 3.
It was hard. We tried to run together, but the jogging stroller proved too cumbersome. Quick weekend jogs turned into long early morning weekday runs.  We ran through the hottest summer on record, waking up earlier and earlier to beat the heat. Worst of all- we ran on vacation (as a rule, I dont work out on Friday or on vacation. Running made me break rules.And I am a rule follower)
And we did it!
Sunday: The Pittsburgh Great Race. Run for 6.2 miles. walk for none. We did it!  Reggie and I finished the race- even though it was pouring! Even though it was cold! My goal was to finish without walking- and I did! My time wasn't so terrible, either.

68 minutes! woohoo!

Reggie rocked an 8.5 minute mile!

Mathilda and my mom were situated around mile 3 with an elmo balloon and "Go Mommy" and "Go Daddy" signs that brought tears to my eyes and definitely put a spring in my step. I ran off the course to give Tilly a smooch. It was great seeing the cheering crowds and enthusiastic signage ("Why do all the pretty girls run away?" and "The Steelers have a bye, might as well RUN!"). I had a shit-eating grin on my face the entire first mile, inspired by the 10,000 other runners, the spectating crowd and the energy. The downpour at mile 4-5.5 was definitely a challenge (made more so by the steady incline that was mile 4-5). But the most important thing is- WE FINISHED!

freezing and soaking wet from the rain, but safely back home post-race.

I am really proud of us. I am really proud that I actually ran.  The only athletic thing I've really done outside of elementary school softball (pretty sure that doesn't count). Everytime it got tough, during the training and the race I'd remind myself- I had a baby, I can for sure run one more block. And you know what? I did.