Running and Me

I am a list girl.

Everyday starts with a list.  I will sit and write down everything I hope to accomplish that day.  Sometimes I will start my next days’ list the night before – but each day has one.

The point of my list is the pleasure I get crossing each item off.  The feeling of accomplishment.  There are times that I complete a task I had forgotten to list – and will write the task after it is completed

JUST. TO. CROSS. IT. OFF.

On the top of every list is my number one priority to complete.

Run.

Unless I am training for a marathon and need to allot a certain number of hours to my training, I run in the early morning.  Before the kids are up, I hit my treadmill for seven miles (sometimes less, sometimes more), or I will meet a group of other runners at 5 AM to get a five-mile run in that I may add to later in the day.

It is once my run is completed that I can start the other items on my list.  My run is always top priority.

Running is something I have always enjoyed.  In high school I ran varsity cross-country and track and with my 4×800 relay team, was even able to run Penn Relays.

In the years following high school, I solely focused on running when I was trying to lose weight.  And I started to recognize how fortunate it was that running was my thing.  I never played a team sport – a sport that requires other people for the activity to occur – basketball, baseball, soccer – I just ran.  I could do it anytime I wanted.

During the baby years, I didn’t run.  Not when I was pregnant with them nor after I had them.  I was overweight, working and trying to get it all done.

By the end of my pregnancy with Declan I was 100 pounds over the weight I was when I got married.  And I was done with it.  (Don’t think I haven’t thought how carrying that extra weight during Declan’s pregnancy may have played into things – I have – I have also learned that it is not worth going down that road).

On the day Declan was born I gave up sugar and white flour.  I turned to a whole foods diet. 

I have been sugar-free for over 7 ½ years now.

I did not intend to start running again when Declan was born.  I started walking.  And the weight just started coming off.  The lighter I became, the faster I could go. 

Turns out – faster is how I WANTED to go.

(I have often thought that when God gave me Declan He said, “Look, I am giving you this child that is fast and will always be on the go – so I will be sure you can keep up with him.  Okay? Okay.”)

Running and eating right caused the weight to just come off.  100 pounds gone – and then some.  I found myself lighter than ever.  And so, I was motivated to run for hours.

I began racing.  Time was of the essence.  I was always trying to beat my last time.  When running 5K’s I realized I was never going to beat my high school time – and I realized I didn’t want to stop running at 5K.  To me the challenge became to go the distance with speed – 5mile, 10K, 15K, 10 mile, Half Marathon, Marathon – I worked my way up.  Each race gave me a time I would work to beat the next time I raced that distance.

At this point I have run seven marathons.  And plenty of the others.

I also recognize that I have gotten my best times at each distance.  Not to be a Negative Nilly, but I am no longer running to beat one of my times.  Maintain a time, maybe – but not to beat them.

Now I run to enjoy a run.  I run to clear my mind.  I run to exercise, stay in shape.  I run for me.

Running is my number one priority each day.  Completing my run, crossing it off my list, gives me peace of mind.  And then I feel ready to tackle the other items on my list for that day.

And there you have it – a post about me AND running.  😊