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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

What am I doing?

I went running today for the first time in years. It was a short two-mile loop but my thighs are already screaming at me. When I walked in the door, dripping with perspiration, and panting like a dog Andrew greeted me with, “You’re back already?”

Yup. Fifteen minutes of agony and I’m back “already.” Thanks for keeping things in perspective, honey.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy running. I do. It’s just that running for the first time hurts. And we probably ran way too fast, looking back. I coerced another young mother in my ward to run with me and we were chatting while we ran—and, yes, I use the term chatting loosely; if anything we were huffing and puffing and wheezing words out—and she said, “Let me know if we need to slow down or walk.”

And I said, “Naw, I’m good if you’re good.”

Then she said, “If anything I think we’ll just keep pushing ourselves to keep up with each other.”

And thus it was that we didn’t seem to slow down the entire time.

I started to get nervous the last few weeks we were in Egypt about what I would do once we’re back in the States. I enjoy the challenge and excitement that living abroad offers—did I mentioned the time I asked a store clerk for shaving cream and ended up being escorted to soup mixes? See how exciting it is?—and was worried that living back in the States would be…well…boring. And as I was walking to my last day of tutoring, I was thinking up ways I could keep life interesting and challenging once we moved back. One of the ideas I thought up was running a marathon. Later I offhandedly mentioned this idea to Andrew, who so far has been taking it much more seriously than I expected him to, mainly because he originally took it more seriously than I took it, myself.

“Do it!” he said, excitedly.

“Haha,” I said.

He’s being most supportive about it, though, dragging me off to shop for running shoes (since I didn’t have any because I’ve been living in flip-flops for the past two years) and a sports bra appropriate for a nursing mommy (actually, we’re still looking for something adequate in that department—suggestions welcome) and forcing me to go talk with my running partner. That was awkward.

Me: Hi, you’re so-and-so, right?

Her: Yeah. And it’s…I can’t remember what your name is.

Me: Nancy. Yeah, no problem. Ummm…I hear you run…or that you’d like to run…or…

Her: Not really.

Me: Oh. Me neither. I mean. I don’t run. But I think I want to start running. I just don’t want to go running by myself because I’m fitfully paranoid of being abducted.

Her: Me, too!

Me: Great. We have something in common. So, I guess it was just a rumour then.

Her: What?

Me: That you want to run.

Her: Oh, I’ll run with you. I don’t really want to run (or exercise at all, for that matter) but I really should.

So that’s how I got all suited up for training for a marathon. At least, I guess that’s what I’m doing. I’ve never really done this before.

6 comments:

  1. If you want to have similar exciting grocery experiences you just need to move to the 98118 area code (South Beacon Hill) part of Seattle. You can ask for quinoa and be escorted to the energy drinks and then the international sodas! (It's the most diverse area code in the nation. The cashiers have to ask how to pronounce our last name of Phelps.)

    Good for you for getting out and running! I'm constantly trying to keep myself on a routine of pilates (on my own at home) and aerobics (a RS activity at the church). I'm usually pretty good for a few weeks and then miss a couple of months, good for a few weeks, miss a couple months and so on. I hope you're more consistent than I am!

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  2. Here are a few links I looked up for you on Google. I hope it helps! Let me know.

    http://www.fitmaternity.com/maternity-clothes/b2.html

    http://www.motherhood.com/maternity/bras-nursing-bras.asp?Media=Google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=nursing%20sports%20bras&utm_campaign=Nursing%20Bras%20-%20Search%20--%20G&gclid=CIGfpLvRjaMCFRBTagod_VSVUA

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  3. I'm impressed that you did 2 miles in 15 minutes! I'm not even close to that and I've been running for 8 years. And in all of those 8 years, I've never enjoyed it, but hopefully you will!

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  4. Running. Thought about it. Never motivated enough. I like exercise that is exciting--like Rock Climbing with Suzy. OR basketball, volleyball, etc...

    Also-I agree with Erin--you should move to Seattle. Although, I think you should come to the 98103 area code.

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  5. 2 miles in 15 minutes? A quick 2 mile loop? DUDE!!!!! That's incredible. I can't wait to hear more.

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  6. You're all focusing on the time, not on the fact that it nearly killed me. But I suppose all the walking I did in Egypt helped since I could walk one mile in 10 minutes while pushing a stroller and carrying a baby...sometimes I was a little rushed.

    Anyway...I don't think we'll be doing the same thing next time we go out. ;)

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