May 17th, 2012 – 3.01 Mile Run

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

I woke up early to get this one in. It was the first one I’d done since I donated blood a week ago. Yes, folks! A week ago.

No, it doesn’t take a week to recover from leaving a pint of your juices with strangers but it took my schedule a week to recover.

Last night was the first night that I had free and clear to get in a relaxing, easy 3. Chris was working from home and Jayda was having a blast spending the day with her grandmother at Disneyland. Isn't she cute?

All I had to do was pick up Jordan from the BGC, drop him off at home, gear up and hit the road! Jayda would be home by the time I got back, so I would have to miss her arrival and all the “I’ve missed you soooo much” hugs, but I *had* to get this run in!!!!

I called home at noon and told my loving spouse, “I gotta get a run in tonight”. He said, “You can run tonight.”

Sweet! Finally the stars are aligned in my favor. I will get my run in tonight! The anticipation was of orgasmic proportions!

Then I get the call at 4 o’clock….. “Babe, I’ve been invited to play some stupid online game with the guys at the office today at 5p.” (That may not be exactly what he said, but it’s definitely what I heard).

I calmly state my case, “I’m supposed to run tonight. I need you to be home with the kids. We already talked about this.” I mean, c’mon... My logic is unassailable here!

But I yielded to the inevitable when he asked, “So I can’t go?”

Of course, he could go….. Damn it!

That meant the only way I was going to get a run in was if I woke up early to do it.

The early bird run is not my favorite option, of course, but it probably is the best option. It’s probably why organized races all start at the break of dawn.

So I went back to my loving Spouse and said, “I’m going to wake up early and get my run in”. To which he replied, “Oh, well can you wake me up too? As long as you’re up, I’ll leave at 6:30a so I can get to work at 7:00a.”

Here is where I completely lost my cool….



Long story short, I got up at 6:00am and left for my run…. And Chris stayed home with the kids and didn’t leave until I got back. And we have a new understanding about how what he wants to do isn’t any more important than what I want to do.

Looks like I’ll be getting more support when I need a run from now on….

It’s never good when Mom goes all “Volcanic Bitch”. It’s best to just let her get her run in.

April 2012 – Running & Running

The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”

It’s been almost a month since my last entry and I must say, I’ve missed blogging my experiences. But really, many of my runs lately have been on the treadmill and treadmill runs really aren’t worth writing about.

My treadmill is old and stuck on a 6% incline. I am convinced that this makes me a stronger runner. When I do make it outside, I feel that my run is stronger and faster.

Also, I’ve been much encumbered with the merriment that is my life.

Jordan has started flag football and I get to be that mom who cheers and loads him down with electrolytes, carbs and sugar at half time. That is so much fun for me. Work had also been very busy, as we had been understaffed for one reason or another for weeks, it seemed.

Throughout all of that, I have been determined to make time for runs whenever I can. I’ve been focusing on short and fast and just getting the miles in.

Exercise is grand and great. It really is…. But training is far better. Running with no goal is starting to wear on me. My last race was the Pacific Half and it was a blast.

I am grateful for what I’ve been able to do and if I never get to run another race again, I will still consider myself blessed among women.

However, I’m having bib withdrawals. If I don’t get in another race soon (Any race!), I may do something drastic.

However, for me, It’s not as simple as finding a race and registering for it. I have these pretty little people who live in my house and summer is coming. That means money will be tight.

Any mom who works full time outside the home has the same dilemma: What to do with the kids when school is out! For some of us, it means extra childcare and summer field trips, which costs a grip out here in the land of perpetual sunshine.

One day soon, they will be taking care of themselves and won’t be such a drain on our resources. But for now, they come first. So if that means I have to skip a $150 Half Marathon Registration Fee or reduce my speed drills to a handheld 3-mile stroll, capped off with a trip to Rocket Fizz on a Saturday morning or wait for the Fall racing season to register for a race: I’ll take it….. All day long.

Right now, I’m a Mom who runs. Soon enough, I’ll be a Runner who has kids. When that time comes training can take the place of bedtime stories, trips to the library, baking cupcakes and cuddling & kisses.

For now, my runs will have to be tucked in after practice, when I load the family into the car and send Chris and the kids ahead of me, while I stay behind and run the 5 miles home or run laps around the block after I pick the kids up from school because Chris hasn’t made it in from work yet and I can’t leave the kids or I'll be racking up the miles on the treadmill in the stuffy, hot garage.


Cuz I’m a Mom…… Who runs.