Day Eight...Whoever Thought?

Hi.

Whoever thought that I would become a runner? Certainly not me! One of my sons took to running after having to do the mile in PE his 6th grade year. He really enjoyed it and had produced fast times (which spurred his competitive nature). In the spring of that year he ran track and field and found his stride in the longer distances. So in the fall of his 7th grade he started doing Cross Country. This made me want to start running. I thought it would be a perfect way for me and him to have some hang time. I started slow. I walked a bit, ran a bit. I got bronchitis and stopped running for a few months. I started running again in the spring. I pulled my groin muscle and kept running because I didn't know it was a big deal I thought it would go away. I took some time off, ran a 5k and really hurt myself. I didn't care because I ran a 5k!!! I did seek medical attention and had to stop running for a bit. It was so hard because I caught the running bug!! Billy and I tried to run together..but truth be told, he walks faster than I run!!! That's when Pamela became my running partner.

We meet 3 times a week ( when my old body is feeling no pain). There are so many elements to our relationship that I treasure. We talk about our daily lives, our kids, our husbands, our concerns, we laugh, I've cried. Sometimes we listen to our i pods and just run next to each other. It is a relationship built on fitness, support, friendship, and respect. Whoever thought that I would form this bond because of running?

We joined a running club and our first run was this past Monday evening. I did okay. We usually run in the morning, so I was way tired from the day. Pamela was out of town for our run this morning. My usual Modis of
Operandi is to bale.It's so nice to go home after school drop off and veg in my bed. I made a promise to myself last night that I would do the same run we did with the running club. I did it. I RAN ALONE!! It felt great. My fastest time for a 3 mile run ever. I had my i pod blaring and I was singing the tunes! It was liberating.

Whoever thought that through Facebook and this blog that i would be able to reconnect with friends from the past. I had lunch with an old school friend Debby M today. It was fabulous. I felt like we picked up where we left off. We both have kids the same age, we both lost a parent at about the same time, and we were able to talk about ourselves freely with honesty and laughter. I am so happy!!! I might add that we both look pretty darn good for women our age!!!! Rock on Debby.

Why listen to Wolffie? Because I get it. One night when our family was just three, my hubby and I took our daughter to Red Robin. My friend stormed in like a tornado with her husband and their brood of four. They didn't stay in their seats and we could hear them talking and we were on the other side of the room. I turned to my hubby and said, "I can't believe they can't control their kids!" Did I mention that I rolled my eyes?!? Fast forward to several years later. I was in the local Chevron Station Mini Mart with my brood of four. My boys were toddlers at the time and they were running around the store, taking things off the shelves for me to buy. My daughter was most definitely the ring leader. Did I mention they they were loud and obnoxious? This thought came to me and I kid you not.....I am the Black Family. I can't control my kids. This was before the cell phone mania, so I called her later that day and made an amends for how I judged her years earlier. She laughed her head off. I did too. It's a story of our "family of four kids bond". We tell it all the time and the laughter gets bigger and louder each time we tell it.

Mantra for today.."Do not judge cause one day it might be you on the judging block"!

Can you relate?

More will be revealed. Please come back for more.

Signing off until we meet again.

On Love and Peace,

Wendy