The sign read, Ready. Set. Start. This was one of the thousands of signs I saw this past weekend as I ran my 6th or so half marathon road race. Not the usual, Ready. Set. Go!
It read simply Ready. Set. Start.
For every runner, getting to the starting line of any race is an accomplishment, but I truly believe even more so for mothers. The road to that carpeted line that beeps your race’s start, is littered with good intentions of ample training, proper nutrition and plenty of rest. Yet for many running moms training for a race, accumulating mileage is synonymous with accumulating guilt. Guilt for leaving the dishes undone; guilt for the bedtime story missed; guilt over the missed hockey game. There is guilt over simply putting yourself first. I have deemed running as my uncontestable rite of self-preservation, even though I know adding another priority to the already delicate but devoted balance of domesticity, work, and school and after-school activities is asking a lot.
Ready. Set. Start.
Running helps me take care of my body. A formal training plan may proceed half-assed, but it makes me think about having a second glass of wine (oh, who am I kidding! Third or fourth is more like it!) the night before a long run, it beckons me to sleep a little earlier than usual, and it makes me stop and think of what I am eating (even when carb-loading!). However, a proper recovery for a running mom is an oxymoron. Moms don’t stop running even after they’ve stopped running. And I have read and heard all the nasty things running will do to my body. Such a high impact activity will inevitably take its toll on my bones, ligaments and joints.. “It’s so true!” I say to myself as I pop another Advil, but I doubt there is a single fitness activity free of cautionary warning. I can say with conviction, that the benefits of running for me have far outweighed its drawbacks.
Ready. Set. Start.
Running takes care of my mind. Many a dark winter morning I lace up my shoes, don extra layers and wonder … is it a bad thing to put coffee in my water bottle? Yet as I take my first reluctant strides, the huffing, puffing, creaks and groans start to fuse with my pace. As my squeaking and rasping begin to wane so do my stresses and worries – if only for the duration of the run. I think the brain works differently while running. I don’t have the science to support this, but I truly believe that more oxygen diverted to muscle during a run, makes your brain look for the simplest solutions in Life…
Ready. Set. Start.
Running takes care of my social life (what is left of it anyway!). I am not always energized at the thought of a pre-dawn long run, or a late night training run, but knowing that someone is waiting for me at the corner, encourages me to go. The spirit and energy of the women with whom I occasionally run, inspire me always and fill my run with laughter; knowing full well that they too have overcome the same obstacles as I to get out there.
Ready. Set. Start.
