Running

Lacing up my shoes, I pull tight at each hole; a double knot is a must. Onnie's leash is attached and her tail wags in anticipation. I've got the ear buds in my ear and the IPod in my pocket. Lady Antebellum's, "Love Don't Live Here", provides just enough head boppin' toe tappin' kind of rhythm to get me out the door. For now, it's not about distance or time, it's just about getting out there.

Our pace starts quick - the uptempo beat has a way of doing that. The trails next to the house sound enticing. There are no cars to deal with there, just a close eye needed to avoid tripping on hidden rocks, stumps, and ruts. And besides, if I want to sing out loud, I have the freedom to do so without looking quite so silly. It's just us... and the birds. 

I quickly decide which trail to take and begin concentrating on my form. My shoulders are relaxed, my arms coming slightly across my body. The cool breeze wicks the already forming sweat from my skin, enough to give me goosebumps. I watch the pine needles flutter and the tall grasses wave. The trail leads up a hill and  starting to feel the uncomfortableness of being out of breath. "In through the nose, out through the mouth". I keep repeating the mantra until my breathing is controlled again. Onyx is at a comfortable trot next to me. Her pink tongue is hanging out of her mouth as she glances up at me with her giant dog-sized smile. I smile back and reach down to give her a little pat.

My calves are burning and there's another small hill up ahead. I'm wondering why I thought that I could take on the trails when I am out of shape. Surely the flat paved surface would've been better. A slight lean into the rugged terrain, head down, and arms pumping to help lift the knees we crest the hill. Suddenly I am greeted by a gorgeous view of Lake Spokane. The early morning sun glistens on the mirror-y lake. Reflections of all the beautiful log cabins on the other side are dancing on the water's surface. We slow down, I jog in place while Onnie "does her business" and chuckle at how she positioned herself in such a way that she would have a lake view too.  We press on. Skirting the edge of the cliff, lake views abound. I'm getting tired and so is my companion.

Back towards home and determined not to stop, I'm nearly dragging the dog who has slowed to more of a fast walk pace. We emerge from the canopy of the tall Ponderosa's into the open meadow and the sun's already toasty rays. The house is in sight now and I know I have just enough left to sprint to the end of the driveway. We do. We made it back. Didn't stop. Thirty minutes. A pleasant surprise.

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I have a love-hate relationship with running. I've started and stopped many times over the last several years, never really finding that "thing" that will help me to stay motivated long enough to get past the threshold of pain. The pain associated with an out-of-shape heart and lungs - the difficulty in getting your breathing under control,  the mental fight you have with yourself  to keep going as every ounce of your body is telling you to stop, and the sore everything you feel the next morning when you step out of bed. That's the hate part. A sense of accomplishment, winning the mental fight to keep going, lasting longer than you think you can, the extra burst of energy after the workout is finished, being disciplined....that's the love part.

Running and parenting have gone hand in hand for me lately.  Some days are good and it's easy to go the distance. Other days I feel like stopping before I crossed the finished line. Fighting the physical fatigue by capitalizing on mental strength or out willing my very strong-willed child (a similar combination of physical fatigue and mental strength) will reap a much nicer reward.  I am learning to persevere through the sore muscles and through the uncontrolled breathing  and also through the frustration and repetitiveness that comes with correction and discipline. 

This time around, I think I've found the thing to keep me running....being a parent. It's about patient endurance, and consistency. As a parent these are 100% necessary - the stakes are too high to not. And if I can do it as a parent, I can do it as a runner.

Gratitude:

How Kody & Tanner know where every horse (aka "waysie") is on our route from our house to North Spokane.

Lunch of grilled tri-tip roast, string cheese, black olives, and hummus with red pepper strip and jicama dippers. How the boys devoured it almost as fast as we did. 

"Ice Cones", Kody's version of an ice cream cone.

Our new concrete patio. The "digga" and "ment twuck" that provided a few days worth of excitement.

Daddy's "fur" that the boys' noticed in his arm pit.

Slowly getting organized - making a point to incorporate exercise into the daily routine.

All the "owies" on my legs....Oh, how I wish all those spider veins were only owies!

Planning out our yard and garden. Often overwhelming, but mostly exciting.

Chocolate Chip Scones and Cranberry Chocolate Biscotti. Homemade with almond flour - gluten free yumminess.

Boys who stop to pick up every stick they see when we are walking on the trail. How when they suddenly realize they can't hold anymore the throw them all down and start over again.

Finding a few pieces of free scrap lumber at a local building supply store and having our first "camp fire" at our new home.