Skip to main content

a jog in the park

Last year when I found out I was pregnant and how much two kids in daycare would cost we had to nix several non essential expenses. Like the gym.

Fast forward a few months. My baby is getting bigger, but I don't seem to be getting any smaller.
I have tried several times ... when I get the chance...to go for a run. or slow jog. or even occasionally walk.

A lot of people hate to run on a treadmill but it does have it's advantages. A steady pace and I always know exactly how far and how long I have been at it. There are clean white towels to wipe my brow and usually some boring HGTV on to try and distract me. Most importantly it is temperature controlled. Never too hot or too cold.

Last night a cold front rolled in. Not too cold, but enough to usually discourage me from breaking out my sneaks. Enough to make my lungs burn and for it to aggrevate my slight asthma.

But this afternoon we were all magically and happily napping (yes even me!) at the same time. I woke up and realized that I could go for a run. So I loaded up the ipod, laced up the tennis shoes and zipped up my jacket.

I didn't go to my usual favorite trail but stayed a little closer to home. I jogged. Slowly around the park a few times. I watched kids swing, got sniffed by a few dogs, watched someone reel in a fish, dodged geese and breathed in real air. Everyone on the trail smiled or nodded appropriately. It was nice to not be in a line of machines running to nowhere.

My favorite part of these outdoor runs is when I am spent. When my legs and lungs burn and I can't seem to push myself any further. There are no dials in front of me telling me exactly how far or how fast I went. There is no timer telling me when I am finished. Instead I stop and walk. I switch the ipod over to something a little calmer, breathe and take in the world around me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Either/Or

Recently I met an old friend for lunch. He was actually my senior high prom date. He wasn’t just my prom date, but had been my friend for a good part of high school. And our group has mostly stayed in touch through the years. But not him. Even though we live in the same big metroplex, I hadn’t seen him in almost 15 years. At prom, He even won some kind of senior superlative, Mr. BHS or something like that. In other words, he was well-liked, nice, funny and smart. And it helped that he drove a Camero. We didn’t break up or have a falling out. He kind of just disappeared. And not just from me, but from everyone. And I had looked for him. At class reunions. On myspace. And eventually, only about a year ago, he finally showed up on facebook. When he did, I suggested we get together for dinner or something. And he responded with a really awkward email. Explaining that he was gay. Warning me. Trying to let me out of my dinner invitation if I wanted. And I already knew this. Possibly I had ev...
10 comments
Read more

me too

I used to never question God. It was just part of the way things were. Just like I believed in Santa and the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny. And eventually I grew up and started to wonder. I always believed, But occasionally I started to wonder if he was always good. If he really loved me. Singular me rather than an all inclusive version. That he was paying attention. That my prayers mattered.` And I didn’t know that I should play by the rules. That questioning these outloud things in a Bible study or Sunday School class Will get you bumped to the top of the prayer list. Because I know. But sometimes I wonder. And I didn’t need their scripture memory verses or their books or their prayers. (but I guess prayers never hurt) And I was just hoping for someone else to say “me too”. And, Jason Boyett’s book, O Me of Little Faith Is one great big “me too” And like most books I like he asks a whole lot more questions than he answers. Hard ones. Ones without real answers. Ones that make me wa...
3 comments
Read more

Of course I did.

Today I am supposed to be doing my last installment in five for ten and write about "yes". And this is not at all the post I intended. But life sometimes doesn't take the turns we want it to. And yesterday a teacher friend of mine called and told me about a memorial service for one of my former studetns and asked if maybe I would consider saying something. And keep in mind, that as a teacher, I pretty much speak to groups of people all day for a living. But. If I have to say something serious and heartfealt, even to an audience of one, I usually get all mumbly and stare at my shoes and forget what I was going to say. Even though I love this kid....and will miss him terribly I have a hard time imaging myslef on stage talking to an auditorium filled with grief stricken friends and family. I texted another friend about my reservations. And she knows all too well my mumbly shoe staring state. And she replied, "Did you say yes?" Did which I typed back. "of cour...
13 comments
Read more