I love today’s Tuesdays on Run topic: Why I Run. Thanks as always to April, Erika and Patty for hosting! I loved reading the posts in the link up so far before I headed out to run this morning!
I was actually just having this conversation with a friend who is visiting us (thus the lack of wrap up yesterday – two toddlers made for a busy day and I forgot!). Why do I run?
– Stress relief: I have a job where being wrong or making a mistake can have truly catastrophic consequences for other people. As much as I try to remind myself otherwise, motherhood and wifedom sometimes feels similarly “can’t fail.” Because of that, I truly appreciate running, where there are no consequences to anyone but myself. If I miss my paces or my distance, I’m a little disappointed but things are otherwise okay. Really, just making the effort means I’ve already done well enough. That is a huge source of stress relief for an overachiever like me, to give myself a little time to do something without the burden of doing it right. As an introvert, it’s also crucial recharging time.
– Role modeling for Oliver: I love that while Oliver intellectually now recognizes my “before” pictures as me, he still thinks of me more when he sees someone running or sees a picture of runner. I love that that’s how he sees his mom and that I’m showing him that exercise can be a fun part of everyday life.
These are possibly my favorite race photos ever!
– Feeling like Superwoman: While I like the fact that running has no real consequences in terms of stress relief, I love that even though I am a firmly middle-to-back-of-the-pack runner, I still feel like a rockstar when I’m done. I love crossing the finish line and having that “I did it!” moment (and the bling). I love the slight ache in my legs all day when I woke up early to get my run in before work. I love knowing that even though the first mile ALWAYS SUCKS, at the end I feel like superwoman. 🙂
Of course I also run for the health benefits and the weight management benefits, but those aren’t usually enough to get me out of bed before 6 am. 🙂 These are the things that get me moving. What gets you moving?
We’re heading out to take an almost 4 year with a full leg cast and an energetic almost 2 year old to the zoo. Wish me luck! (Thank goodness I got that run in for sanity myself already today!)
A Little More Each Day 
I love running too. Why is is so much easier to get up at 6 am for a run/race than it is to go to work? Haha. Probably because us runners just love it so much!
No kidding! I’m in a much better mood to get up early to run than I am ever am for work. Woe until the world if someone schedules a 7 am meeting!
I run for the stress relief too! I used to be really hard on myself if my runs weren’t “perfect”, but I’m finally letting that obsession go! Love the picture with your boy, I hope when I have children I can encourage them to be healthy and enjoy running too!
It really is a huge motivating factor for me. He’s really bummed that he can’t run now because he has a broken leg but talks to me a lot to be sure his cast will be gone in time to run the “Mickey Mouse race” at Wine & Dine in November in DisneyWorld. 🙂
You are Superwoman!!! I love your Superwoman finish picture!! What an amazing picture!! So happy and strong! Just beautiful!! I love how happy you look!! Perfect! XOXO
Those race pictures are my favorites because I look happy and it makes me remember how ridiculously excited I was to be there doing that race. 🙂
I agree with Kristin, you are a superwoman!! I have a pretty stressful job where one mistake can end up with a front page news story, so running really serves me with much needed stress relief! Thanks for linking up with us today.
Those really aren’t pretty news stories when your stuff ends up on the front page, you’re right. Thank goodness we have these outlets to keep us from exploding!
Yes, that first mile is always bad! I’m still asleep actually. But then it gets AWESOME.
That’s the hard part to explain to people who find it hard to get past the first mile, isn’t it? It does get so much better! Maybe not easier, but better. 🙂
It’s so much easier to deal with a 2 year old after you’ve conquered a tough run! Just keep on moving!
I can’t imagine motherhood now without this. 🙂 I do wonder if I would have handled our stressful first year better if I’d been running then?
I love your reasons for running! That’s so sweet that you’re such a great role model for Oliver. Getting out of bed before 6 for a run is something I’ve never done! I think I’d rather run at midnight, then have to wake up early. 🙂 Hope you had fun at the zoo, brave woman!!
I’m doing a late night run in November, so I’ll have to shift from early morning runs to night time runs to train for that. I always screw up eating before evening runs so mornings are a lot smoother. 🙂
Love your finish picture! Yes, stress relief is a huge part of running! Hope the zoo wasn’t too crazy…
It was quite the workout between the hills and the forty pound kid in a stroller!