Well. At church the other day my friend Ania suddenly exclaimed, "Have you done the Ironman?" (As in the ultra crazy triathalon) Me: "What would give you that idea?" (not my current body) Ania: "You have the watch! My husband wears the watch too- he did the Ironman in Australia." Well, of course he did. But let me tell you, if that was the requirement for wearing the Timex Ironman watch, most of my college friends and I would be watch-less. I should mention that Ania is recently from Poland and is way too trendy and cute to sport a bulky black watch at church. Unless she was doing it to show off that she completed a race. Like me. Except not. You should also know that Ania has given birth 4 times in 5 years. Her youngest is 6 months and I'm pretty sure she wears a double zero. Not just a zero. A double zero. I would swear she smokes, except she doesn't. And of course she is one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I know. And when she asked me about the watch, she was genuinely excited for me.
All of that to segue into the topic of this post: running! (and body after baby) When it is time to get back into shape my natural inclination has always been to hit the road. I had a really hard time running after Grayson and didn't get back into it until a month before I got pregnant with Joshua. So that lasted a while. Right. Six weeks after J's birth I started run/walking again. It was rough and the first few times my heart and lungs were like,"Oh sweet mercy! What is happening?!!" But 2 months later I am running for 30 minutes straight every other day. And I have to say I am running better than I ever have in my life. Even more so than when I ran a half-marathon. I don't think I've ever enjoyed it this much or been so motivated:
1. I usually run right when Joe gets home- in the middle of the fussiest time of the day for my little friends. They are ready to see Daddy and play outside and I am thrilled to have a break!
2. I use the W&OD trail in my backyard- not sure I could do without it.
3. Got me some Nike Free running shoes. Changing my life.
4. Soundtrack. Real quality, insightful music. (read Usher, Lady Gaga, etc)
Running at age 30 is very different than running in college. The trail is a busy place with lots of cute young girls in skin tight clothes, spray tans and long ponytails swishing back and forth. But the thing that gets me is this little missy running in front of me earlier this evening. She is somehow running and SHAKING HER BOTTOM from side to side at the same time. (I can see this clearly because of the above-mentioned skin tight clothes) I have never seen anything like it. AND (men, avert your eyes) she is either not wearing underwear or wearing a thong, both of which are unacceptable to an old-schooler like me. (Yes, I'm looking. How can I not? She is shakin' that thing all over the place). Tonight I wore a shirt that has at least 7 holes in it and a pair of shorts that I swiped from storage at summer camp back in 2001. Except the shorts are circa 1979. (Of course I also have on my hip and cool Nikes)
I can't really think of anything brilliant to wrap up this post. Except I am so thrilled and thankful to be running again. And proud of myself for sticking with it. The End.
Except!
And for my mother, whom I will surely hear from if I don't post at least one picture of a grandchild:
