Running

Early in May the high school track team sponsored a community track meet.  We signed the boys up for a few events and Brandan and I decided we would run the mile, except we turned into me.  A couple of days before the race, Brandan pulled his calf muscle and was struggled to walk let alone run.  Like a good sympathetic wife I responded with anger.  I wasn't at all excited to run by myself. The boys promised me their support, however, so I sucked it up and decided not to fake an injury.

To humiliate me, the track team had one of the high school runners participate in the race.  Hannah is also one of my Young Women so it was actually kind of fun to have a running buddy.  With her help and the motivation of a trying to beat the male teacher in the race, I ran a 6:27.  I don't know when a 6:27 became an almost unattainable goal, but it has, so I was proud of myself.  But, seriously, when did it?

Sport and Colt stretching (?) before the 25m dash.

And they're off!

Running!

Colt took 4th in his race!

Dash in the 100m dash.

A tight race.

Dash took 4th in his race.  And those are all his buddies on the stand with him.

Colt taking a handoff in the Kindergarten relay.

Running his leg.

Colt's team took 2nd! Yes, a team of girls beat his team.  And, no, it didn't go unnoticed or unmourned.

Dash handing off the baton in the 2nd grade relay.  If it looks like the little gal on the right is about to hit the track its because she is.

Dash's team won the relay!

This last year I've learned something about myself and running.  I started examining my own motivation to run when people questioned me about running through my pregnancy with Tag up to his delivery and then again 10 days later. Why do I run?  I'm not tougher than average or more motivated than most, but I've discovered...I am an adrenaline junkie.  I'm an adrenaline junkie in a traditional marriage with 5 young children.  I don't drink, smoke or do drugs.  I don't gamble or chase thrills like ski diving.  But I like adrenaline.  And so I run.  And I run just hard enough to hurt a little bit.  Fast may be relative, but pain is pain.  It's how I get my hit.  It's my daily fix.  After my morning jog and I can go back to worrying about whether or not my kids are wearing warm enough jackets, watching too much tv, and eating enough vegetables because I already fed my addiction.  Running is my rebellion.