I am unbelievably passionate about running. I don't know why, and trust me, I question it A LOT! But I am. You can show me a commercial about running and I cry. When I see a friend of mine on the course running their first or 15th race, I get the chills...and I cry. Don't even get me started on the emotions that I feel when I see my girls cheering me on from the sidelines...I am crying now just thinking of it. Yes, I am a mom, so naturally I am an emotional nightmare. I cry a lot, I am a big sap, and everything seems so monumental and special that I am in happy tears constantly. But is that really all it is? Mommy hormones that cause me to be so emotionally ridiculous?
I am just not convinced that's all it is. To be honest, I have never been this passionate about anything in my life. Ever. OK, so I am in love with my husband and kids, and obsessed with being an amazing mother and wife, but this is different, so let's not pull the family card here, OK! On another note, running is automatically linked in with fitness, and I am so passionate about Stroller Strides and Body Back...so this is on the same level. But running is something that I do just for me.
Early Easter Sunday morning, I hopped(let's be honest, dragged myself) out of bed, laced up my shoes, and headed out for my 20 mile run. For those of you that don't run, because I love running so much does not mean that I am always super excited to get out the door and go. I have the same feelings about early morning workouts as the rest of the world...sometimes it sucks! And by sometimes, I mean most of the time. But, I also know that it only sucks for the first few minutes. I can suck it up for that long.
I was lucky, because somehow the night before I was able to convince my friend Lisa to ride her bike along side me for my run. Lisa is a sweet and concerned friend so I am sure she was more worried about me getting murdered and/or raped along the street that early in the morning which is why she volunteered to get up before dawn and ride the slowest bike ride of her life! I was excited because I looked super important with her riding beside me as my personal security guard, and I was running much faster than normal to keep it at a comfortable pace for her. Honestly, I think she only had to pedal every other minute! I didn't feel bad though, Lisa is the kind of girl that can be at peace with the wind blowing in her hair, and having the moments to herself while riding down the beach. It was very calming to watch her enjoy the ride and take it all in. It was cute that she was freezing in pants and a hoodie while I was sweating bullets in a running skirt and shirt!
Now, usually on a long run I have some type of epiphany. Some huge breakthrough, some big light bulb that goes off in my head that serves as a life lesson. Much like I assume church to be. I am not exactly religious, meaning I am not religious at all. So this is as close as I get to experiencing a 'higher power'. I kept explaining to Lisa that eventually I would be on my runners high and she would laugh at me, or I would hit my wall and she shouldn't freak out. But none of that ever happened. Nothing happened. I ran. And I ran at a great pace. Oh wait...I did have an uncomfortable amout of chafing...but that doesn't exactly count.
The only thing that happened during my run, was that I ran. I'm not sure if it was the comfort of having Lisa on her bike that gave me the extra push I needed. She was floating along, unlike having someone running beside you that can commiserate with how you feel. Maybe I sucked it up and forgot because she was there so carefree. Or maybe, not every run is monumental. Maybe there are runs you make it through without the weight of the world on your shoulders. Without some big lesson to learn, or issue to overcome. Maybe just being at peace in the moment, putting one foot in front of the other, is monumental enough.
So on my Easter Sunday morning, before the Easter Bunny came, before the eggs were baked, and before most people were up, I ran. And sometimes, life is just that simple. So I guess my big lesson comes at the end. That not everything has to be something amazingly profound, that sometimes the amazing things in life are found in the simple things. Enjoying my run along side a great friend, and finding peace in the calm of a morning shared before the craziness of the rest of our day ensued.
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