Kudos to the Mother Runner

The other night, my husband lucked into White Sox/Twins tickets (the game of the year, according to him) and even I couldn't think of a good enough reason for him not to go, so I made plans to go over to my friend's house for the evening. L was planning on going for a run, and taking one of her kids with her, so I brought the jogging stroller along and we attempted to go for a run. L, typical mother that she is, has a route that includes a popsicle stop at the local drug store, so this seemed like an excellent idea to my little ones.

Well, the run went something like this...we left from L's house, jogging strollers in tow. L's neighborhood is a little hillier than the area I usually run, but no big deal, right? A few hills never hurt anyone. I kept up with L for about the first block and shortly thereafter I realized I was insane to think I could run with this woman. As we reached the first turn, I was huffing and puffing like a banshee and she looked like she was floating on water. I told her she was under no obligation to run next to me...I didn't want to hold her back from her run. (L works full-time and doesn't get to run as often as she'd like.) She stuck close for a bit, until I knew where the store was, and then went on her merry way. In the meantime, I followed her up a monster hill at a snail's pace and tried not to curse her name. When the girls and I finally reached the store, L and her daughter, replete in her princess dress, were waiting patiently for us, and were kind enough not to laugh at the spectacle of the red-faced, sweaty, crabby woman making her way toward them.

A few disclaimers, not meant to demean L and her running prowess, but simply to make myself feel better:

1. I was pushing a double stroller; L had a single.
2. L has run several marathons, including Boston and the Twin Cities; I am merely a running impostor...and not a particularly good one at that.
4. L honestly enjoys running; I prefer reading...or cooking...or sleeping...or...
3. Hills are HARD!

In attempt to make myself feel a little better about my running, I went for a solo run yesterday afternoon. I did 6 miles in under an hour which is pretty good for me. I didn't have to stop for any breaks and there were a few hills involved.

In spite of the ugliness of the joint "run", at least on my part, it was a good experience. While there is a good chance I will never subject myself to running with L again, it did make me realize something...trying something new, even if you aren't very good at it and even if a whole lot of people are a whole lot better at it than you are, is totally worth the experience.

So, for you runners out there who look like my friend L, running seemingly effortlessly and enjoying every minute of it...good for you! You've obviously found a passion and have put the time and effort into the project to make it a good fit for you. Keep up the good work and keep doing what you're doing. The rest of us look up to you.

For you runners who look like me, huffing and puffing and sweating and possibly cursing...good for you too! You're trying something. You might not stick with it, but you're giving it a go. You might not be good at it, but you're embracing the possibility.

And embracing the possibility, after all, is what Living Imperfectly is all about.

And you, dear reader, are you embracing any possibilities? Or perhaps you have some expertise to share?